Nautica Technologies secures USD 4M to advance autonomous hull cleaning robots for greener shipping
07.07.2025
Swiss startup Nautica Technologies has raised USD 4 million to accelerate the commercialization of its autonomous underwater robots designed to prevent marine biofouling. By offering continuous hull cleaning and inspection, the company aims to help the shipping industry cut fuel costs, lower emissions, and reduce regulatory risk.
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Marine biofouling is a major efficiency issue in global shipping, causing drag that drives up fuel use and emissions. Nautica Technologies, founded by Cedric Portmann and Mina Kamel—robotics experts from ETH Zurich and EPFL—is addressing the problem with HYDRA©, a fleet of autonomous underwater robots.
Guided by the company's AI platform, OceanMind, the robots clean ship hulls during routine port calls—no GPS or manual control required. In addition to cleaning, the system gathers data to enable digital hull twins and predictive maintenance.
Nautica's robots offer a scalable, low-infrastructure alternative to traditional hull cleaning, which is typically reactive and labor-intensive. The technology has already been tested on vessels and adopted in pilot projects with global operators.
The USD 4 million seed round was led by b2venture, with backing from Rethink Ventures, Partners in Clime, Prequel Ventures, and sector-focused angel investors. The funds will support commercialization and the rollout of the technology across customer fleets.
The Robotics startup won Venture Kick.
Guided by the company's AI platform, OceanMind, the robots clean ship hulls during routine port calls—no GPS or manual control required. In addition to cleaning, the system gathers data to enable digital hull twins and predictive maintenance.
Nautica's robots offer a scalable, low-infrastructure alternative to traditional hull cleaning, which is typically reactive and labor-intensive. The technology has already been tested on vessels and adopted in pilot projects with global operators.
The USD 4 million seed round was led by b2venture, with backing from Rethink Ventures, Partners in Clime, Prequel Ventures, and sector-focused angel investors. The funds will support commercialization and the rollout of the technology across customer fleets.
The Robotics startup won Venture Kick.