What if we put wind turbines in the sky?

Company, Innovation Sustainable Energy

Generating renewable electricity at an altitude of 1,000 meters using airships—held to the ground by a cable—equipped with wind turbines: this is the bold challenge taken up by Venturix. Founded by engineer Guillaume Desrocques, the start-up, winner of the Octo'pousse 2025 competition, is positioning itself as a new player in offshore wind power.

I wanted to create something that flies and doesn't pollute, like a bubble. For six years, I worked in two French companies specializing in aerostats. This is an area where France has real expertise, and I saw an opportunity to create new uses for these tethered airships.

Guillaume Desrocques, Founder and CEO of Venturix

A competitive alternative to traditional offshore wind power, combining technological innovation and industrial sovereignty.

While the project may seem a little crazy at first glance, it has many advantages. First, its installation cost is much lower than that of current offshore wind turbines. The absence of a mast, replaced by a cable, and the reduced size of the float significantly reduce the cost of the structure. The system's high altitude allows it to capture more consistent and powerful winds than at the surface.

Another key advantage is the very short deployment time of less than a year, made possible by national expertise and a production chain located more than 90% in France. These factors mean that the cost of energy is expected to be equivalent to that of gas today and therefore very competitive, in a context of strong growth in energy demand at European and global levels.

“We are planning to enter the market in 2033 with, for the first year, around 30 aerostats spread across several offshore wind farms, then gradually increasing the volume deployed in France and internationally.”

Between now and then, a significant amount of research and development work needs to be carried out: sizing the structure, ensuring the stability of the float, testing the resistance of the materials, etc.

ENSTA, scientific partner of Venturix, winner of the Octo'pousse 2025 competition

The Octo'pousse competition, created by Ifremer with the support of the Brest Iroise Technopole, brings together the 11 partners of the Blue Box University Innovation Cluster, including ENSTA, and offers comprehensive support of up to €250,000.

“Winning this competition is a great opportunity for Venturix. Since January, we have been able to recruit our first employee and move into ENSTA's premises within the ENSTARTUPS incubator. Initial discussions with teachers and researchers from the school and Ifremer have begun. Thanks to this support, Venturix is taking on a new dimension.”

From left to right: Maryline Besnard, head of the ENSTARTUPS incubator, Yannick Argouac'h, teacher-researcher at ENSTA, Kévin Mehring, researcher at Ifremer, Jules Houot, engineer at ENSTA for Venturix, Pierre-Michel Guilcher, teacher-researcher at ENSTA, Guillaume Desrocques, founder and CEO of Venturix.

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