How we made it onto Forbes’ „30 under 30” for 2026

Resoloon is a builder-first, deep-tech company redefining how Earth Observation works. We design, build, and operate our own high-altitude observation systems, combining hardware, AI, and data into a single, integrated platform.

If the existing solutions don’t work - build a better one

From the beginning, Resoloon has been driven by this simple principle.

Our team has developed and flown multiple generations of high-altitude systems, validating every core component in real-world conditions:

• Stable telemetry and recovery systems,
• Autonomous navigation in the stratosphere,
• High-resolution imaging pipelines,
• End-to-end data processing workflows.

We started with hardware, and proved it in the air.

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Domokos Kertész is leading his startup at the age of 20. Recently, they closed a €550,000 investment round with the participation of an international investor. Photo: László Sebestyén / Forbes.hu

Resoloon is a full-stack deep-tech team

Resoloon brings together a rare combination of capabilities across the entire stack:

• Hardware & embedded systems
  PCB design, sensor integration, flight systems, stabilization
• AI & machine learning
  Wind prediction, autonomous navigation, computer vision
• Software & data platforms
  Data pipelines, analytics, APIs, and user-facing tools

This allows us to move faster, iterate continuously, and maintain full control over our technology. Everything critical is built in-house.

By operating in the stratosphere and navigating across wind layers, we enable continuous observation over the same area - something neither satellites, drones, nor aircraft can deliver effectively.

We made

• multiple successful flight missions,
• improved resolution from 1.5 m to 50 cm,
• validated navigation models against real-world data
• working end-to-end system, from capture to analytics

We focus on building, testing, and improving - continuously.

Lean, Efficient, and Scalable

While many hardware companies rely on significant capital to get started, Resoloon has taken a different path.

With minimal initial funding, we built and tested a working system, developed core technologies in-house, and reached early market traction,

Even at an early stage, Resoloon is already working with partners across multiple domains:

• Drone detection and defense collaborations
• Intruder detection systems with pre-orders
• Agricultural and environmental monitoring projects
• Training data partnerships for autonomous systems
• Developing for maritime, pipeline and geoint purposes

Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2026

Resoloon was founded by Domokos Kertész, a hardware-focused builder with years of experience in prototyping and system design. His work has been recognized early on - he was selected for the Forbes 30 Under 30 list in 2026, highlighting his potential as a technology leader.

Domokos began developing the initial version of Resoloon independently, building multiple prototypes and conducting real-world test flights. Through rapid iteration - including failed missions, recovery challenges, and imaging issues - the system evolved into a functioning MVP with validated core capabilities.

From the beginning, the core insight was clear: traditional Earth Observation is expensive not only because of data processing, but because of the cost of reaching the observation point. By using high-altitude balloons, at Resoloon we dramatically reduced this barrier, relying on simple physics instead of expensive launch infrastructure.

We also secured early backing, closing a €550,000 investment round with the participation of Day One Capital and Project Europe, marking Project Europe’s first investment in Central and Eastern Europe.

During development, another limitation became apparent: most existing systems can only monitor small areas effectively. This led to a shift toward building a solution capable of affordable, large-scale, continuous observation, initially explored through agricultural applications.

A key breakthrough came from rethinking system size and cost. While traditional balloon systems are large and expensive, we developed a lightweight alternative - around 4 kilograms - significantly reducing both cost and operational complexity, and opening access to a much broader range of use cases.

Advances in supporting technologies have further accelerated development. With connectivity solutions such as Starlink, reliable communication at stratospheric altitude is now possible, enabling real-time data transfer and system control.

Work With Us

If you’re responsible for monitoring large, critical areas and need better data - faster, more frequently, and at a lower cost - we should talk.

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