ProxGrid Finalist for Propel-AIR

BRISBANE, QLD - Power line maintenance specialist ProxGrid has been selected as one of seven finalists in Propel-AIR 2026, Australia's dedicated AI and robotics sprint delivered by the ARM Hub AI Adopt Centre. The Brisbane company will now compete for the opportunity to work with and alongside MassRobotics in Boston, the global epicentre of robotics innovation, with its high-voltage-immune drone for cleaning powerline insulators.

Replacing the helicopter

Australia spends an estimated $50 million to $80 million a year cleaning powerline insulators, and the job is done by helicopter, at around $15,000 an hour, by a handful of specialist crews whose pilots take a decade to train.

"High-tension power lines need regular cleaning to prevent flashover, which can result in outages, damage to the system, or even catastrophic bushfires," says ProxGrid founder and CEO Rasmus Gupta (pictured below at the Cicada x Tech23 event hosted at ARM Hub on Wednesday, July 15th)

ProxGrid is building a drone that can work on energised lines, inspecting, washing and coating insulators in a single pass, with no outage required and no human near the wire. The company estimates the approach cuts cleaning costs from around $410 per insulator string to around $60.

A grid that keeps growing

The pressure on the current model is only building. Pollution flashovers re-emerged at scale across South Australian networks in 2025 and 2026, drawing regulatory scrutiny, while Australia's transmission build-out accelerates to meet the energy transition.

"Towards 2040 we need to build 1.5 times the power lines we have today, so that's a huge expansion of the power grid," Gupta said. "There's unlimited work for helicopters just servicing what we already have, but not nearly enough supply, and we're already years behind."

Gupta comes to the problem with rare form having previously led development of a live-line drone now in commercial operation with Hydro-Québec, certified for contact at 765 kilovolts. ProxGrid's operations manager Aiden Cairns is a commercial helicopter and drone pilot who has worked as ground crew on powerline insulator cleaning operations.

Growth plans

ProxGrid has lodged a provisional patent, secured a build and test site at ARM Hub in Brisbane, and is co-applying for innovation project funding with the University of Queensland and a transmission network service provider. The company plans to operate the system directly under cleaning contracts with utilities first, then sell certified systems globally, with a data platform to follow.

Through Propel-AIR, ProxGrid is raising $300,000 in pre-seed investment to build two demonstrator spray drones and expand its engineering team ahead of certification, with regulatory testing toward live-line permits planned for early 2027.

The winner will travel to MassRobotics in Boston for a one-month residency, with access to leading robotics companies and world-class institutions like MIT and Harvard.

ENDS

About ProxGrid ProxGrid is a Brisbane aerial robotics company building high-voltage-immune drones that inspect, clean and coat powerline insulators on energised transmission infrastructure, replacing costly and hazardous helicopter operations. The company was founded in 2026 by Rasmus Gupta.

About Propel-AIR ARM Hub's Propel-AIR program is Australia's AI and Robotics Sprint, designed to fast-track Australian robotics and AI innovators by equipping them with tools, guidance, and networks to scale their business. This pioneering program provides business opportunities for AI and robotics companies, culminating in a virtual pitch to an international panel of experts. The winner receives a month's residency in Boston with MassRobotics.

Media Contact: Mike Woodcock, Communications Director 
M: 0411 969 248 
E: [email protected] 
W: armhub.com.au