Client Overview
Hepta Insights is a deep-tech company developing AI-powered software for power grid inspection. Their platform helps utilities assess the condition of grid assets using drone-captured RGB and thermal images, video, and LiDAR 3D point clouds. At the heart of the product is Hepta's own AI engine, which automatically detects anomalies, such as overheated or damaged components, across grids spanning thousands of kilometres.
This automation is central to Hepta's value proposition. It allows utilities to analyse vast volumes of inspection data faster and more accurately than any manual workflow could, turning maintenance into a data-driven decision rather than a guessing game. Today, Hepta Insights is used by utilities around the world, from Latvia in Europe to Chile in South America, helping operators keep the lights on with confidence.
Hepta is based at Tehnopol Science and Business Park in Tallinn, the largest science and business park in the Baltics, where startups, scale-ups, research institutions, and technology partners work side by side. It was through this ecosystem that Hepta and Thorgate first connected.
Building the First Foundations
The collaboration started long before Hepta Insights became the commercial SaaS product it is today. In the earliest stages, Hepta partnered with Thorgate to build the very first internal version of the platform, a tool designed for Hepta's own team to handle the essentials of grid inspection work:
- uploading large volumes of inspection images,
- viewing and managing visual data,
- manually tagging and annotating findings.
That first version laid the technical foundation on which Hepta later built its commercial product. Around 2021, as Hepta's in-house team grew, they began transforming the platform into a scalable solution for external customers, layering on advanced capabilities like automated defect detection across both images and video.
Scaling the Product with Targeted Expertise
As Hepta Insights matured, customer requirements grew more demanding. One such requirement was the ability to visualise 3D point-cloud data in additional industry-standard formats. Specifically, customers wanted to view Orbit Point Cloud (.opc) data directly in Hepta Insights using Bentley Systems' iTwin platform.
The deadline was tight, and Hepta's in-house team was already running at full capacity on other time-critical core features. Rather than slow down product development, Hepta turned again to Thorgate for focused support.
Thorgate provided a software engineer who worked side by side with Hepta's developers to integrate Bentley's iTwin point-cloud visualisation into the existing Insights platform. The result was a seamless extension of the product; users could now visualise complex 3D point-cloud data without disrupting ongoing development or compromising delivery timelines.
A Partnership That Protects Core IP
This collaboration reflects an important principle for Hepta: the core product logic and AI capabilities stay firmly in-house, while external partners are engaged strategically to accelerate development at the right moments. Thorgate's contribution was to extend the existing product with clearly defined functionality complementing Hepta's internal expertise rather than replacing it.
For deep-tech companies, this is a model worth paying attention to. By keeping the most valuable capabilities internal and bringing in trusted partners for well-scoped, high-impact extensions, Hepta has been able to grow its product without compromising its long-term vision.
Working with Thorgate feels like working with an extension of our internal team, responsive, reliable, and aligned with our product goals, especially when deadlines are tight.
— Hepta Insights team
The Tehnopol Ecosystem at Work
The collaboration between Hepta and Thorgate is also a story about the value of the ecosystem that surrounds them. Tehnopol's role as an innovation connector, bringing ambitious technology companies and experienced development partners into the same campus, lowers the friction of working together. Companies move faster, with less time spent searching for the right expertise and more time spent building.
For companies based at Tehnopol, the campus offers more than physical space. It provides access to trusted partners, shared knowledge, and a network that supports sustainable growth.
The Success
The Hepta Insights and Thorgate partnership shows how technology companies can scale effectively by combining strong in-house product and AI expertise, the targeted use of external development partners, and a supportive innovation environment like Tehnopol.
From the first internal prototype to the seamless integration of Bentley's iTwin platform years later, Thorgate has been there at the moments when extra capacity and focused engineering experience made a real difference, helping Hepta Insights stay on schedule, protect its core IP, and continue building a product that is making power grids more resilient around the world.
Interested in a similar partnership for your product? Get in touch with us to discuss the details and schedule an e-meeting.