Tethys Robotics advances subsea automation with EUR 3.5 million pre-seed round
30.10.2025
Born from research at ETH Zurich, Tethys Robotics is modernizing underwater operations once reliant on human divers. The startup has raised EUR 3.5 million in pre-seed funding to accelerate its transition from pilot projects to commercial deployment across Europe.
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When Tethys' co-founder Jonas Wüst first met rescue divers in Switzerland, what struck him wasn’t their courage but the persistent risks defining their work. “We realized how outdated it all was,” he recalls. “Divers were still sent into low-visibility waters to inspect wrecks, recover objects, or deal with unexploded ordnance. It was slow, risky, and often guesswork.”
That realization became the foundation for Tethys Robotics, a Zurich-based spin-out from ETH Zurich focused on subsea automation. The startup develops autonomous robotic systems capable of performing complex underwater missions—tasks traditionally carried out by divers under dangerous and uncertain conditions.
The Robotics company has secured EUR 3.5 million in pre-seed funding to expand its engineering and data teams, scale production, and move from pilot deployments to full commercial operations across Europe. Led by Redstone with participation from Euregio+, Alpine VC, Zürcher Kantonalbank, the ETH Foundation, Kickfund, and Venture Kick, the funding represents a step toward industrial adoption of autonomous underwater systems.
Wüst and his co-founders began developing their first prototypes while studying and conducting research at ETH Zurich. The university’s ecosystem, known for nurturing robotics ventures, provided the technical and academic grounding that shaped Tethys Robotics’ early development.
By combining robotics, data-driven autonomy, and maritime expertise, the startup, which was ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups this year, aims to bring safety, precision, and scalability to underwater missions—redefining how subsea operations are conducted in fields from infrastructure inspection to environmental monitoring.
Tethys Robotics Co-Founders: Pragash Sivananthaguru (CTO), Andrej Studer (mapping lead), Bastian Schildknecht (user software lead), Jonas Wüst (CEO), Johannes Lienhart (COO), and Florin Kümin (robotics software lead)
That realization became the foundation for Tethys Robotics, a Zurich-based spin-out from ETH Zurich focused on subsea automation. The startup develops autonomous robotic systems capable of performing complex underwater missions—tasks traditionally carried out by divers under dangerous and uncertain conditions.
The Robotics company has secured EUR 3.5 million in pre-seed funding to expand its engineering and data teams, scale production, and move from pilot deployments to full commercial operations across Europe. Led by Redstone with participation from Euregio+, Alpine VC, Zürcher Kantonalbank, the ETH Foundation, Kickfund, and Venture Kick, the funding represents a step toward industrial adoption of autonomous underwater systems.
Wüst and his co-founders began developing their first prototypes while studying and conducting research at ETH Zurich. The university’s ecosystem, known for nurturing robotics ventures, provided the technical and academic grounding that shaped Tethys Robotics’ early development.
By combining robotics, data-driven autonomy, and maritime expertise, the startup, which was ranked among the Top100 Swiss Startups this year, aims to bring safety, precision, and scalability to underwater missions—redefining how subsea operations are conducted in fields from infrastructure inspection to environmental monitoring.
Tethys Robotics Co-Founders: Pragash Sivananthaguru (CTO), Andrej Studer (mapping lead), Bastian Schildknecht (user software lead), Jonas Wüst (CEO), Johannes Lienhart (COO), and Florin Kümin (robotics software lead)