Arkion AI Asset Analytics for Power Grid Inspection

Arkion is a Stockholm-based AI software company founded in 2019 that helps transmission and distribution utilities find defects and risks in their grids. Formerly known as Skyqraft, it moved from operating drones to providing software, and it reports more than 40 utility customers and 80,000 km of grid analyzed per year.

The cloud platform ingests geotagged 2D, thermal and LiDAR inspection data from drones, helicopters or other sources and uses computer vision models, built on millions of grid images and a library of more than 100 trained models, to detect and classify faults such as cracked insulators, rotten crossarms, corrosion and hot spots. Every detection passes human-in-the-loop quality review. Results feed a GIS-linked asset inventory, vegetation and post-disaster assessments, and are pushed to SAP, Maximo, Trimble or ArcGIS through a two-way API.

• Defect detection: AI finds insulator cracks, crossarm rot, corrosion and thermal anomalies on T&D assets.
• Component detection: automatic inventory of poles, crossarms and hardware.
• LiDAR analysis: point cloud processing for clearance and vegetation risk.
• Image anonymization: removes personal data from inspection imagery.
• Map-based visualization: browser platform with GIS map interface and dashboards.
• Enterprise integrations: two-way API to SAP, IBM Maximo, Trimble and ArcGIS.

• Power transmission companies analyzing drone imagery of 110-500 kV lines to detect insulator and fitting defects.
• Provincial power distribution companies building an asset inventory of poles and crossarms.
• Utilities assessing grid damage quickly after typhoons to prioritize repairs.

• Finds 5-8 times more critical defects than conventional review, at 85% lower detection cost per defect.
• Cuts inspection time per asset by up to 98%.
• Human quality assurance on every AI detection improves trust in results used for maintenance decisions.
• Fast scale-up: one Swedish customer moved from pilot to full rollout in six months.

Grid operators collect far more drone and helicopter imagery than inspectors can review, while outages and climate-related damage increase pressure on reliability. AI analytics with human quality control is becoming the standard way to scale condition-based maintenance. Fast-growing grids in Southeast Asia face similar backlogs as inspection programs shift to drones.

Founded in 2019 in Stockholm, Sweden as Skyqraft; the skyqraft.com domain now redirects to arkion.co. Customers include E.ON, Elvia, ESB, Energisa and Pite. Appointed Fredrik Holmgren as CEO in February 2026. Displays ISO 9001, 14001 and 45001 certification.