Bubble Robotics raised $5 million in pre-seed funding to deploy autonomous robotic systems for persistent offshore operations. Founded in 2025 by ex-NASA and ETH Zürich engineers, the startup targets $100,000/day vessel costs and a projected 600,000-worker shortfall in energy by 2030. Its robotics-as-a-service model eliminates CAPEX and enables 24/7 monitoring of offshore wind assets, subsea cables, and maritime infrastructure. With $4 million in signed letters of intent, Bubble addresses critical gaps in supply chain visibility, safety, and resilience for ocean-dependent global trade — which carries two-thirds of all goods.
According to roboticsandautomationnews.com, Bubble Robotics has raised $5 million in a pre-seed funding round led by Episode 1 Ventures, Asterion Ventures, and Norrsken Evolve, following its launch out of Entrepreneurs First in 2025.
Founders and Technical Foundation
The company was founded in 2025 by former robotics engineers from NASA and ETH Zürich. Co-founders Patricia and Jean Crosetti bring complementary expertise: Patricia with world-class technical credibility in robotics, and Jean — who serves as CEO — with strong commercial instinct and intensity. As Alice Bentinck, co-founder of Entrepreneurs First, stated:
“Patricia and Jean formed a team at our kick-off weekend around a shared belief and complementary skillset… Their pace of iteration throughout the programme and strong customer obsession make Bubble Robotics a company to watch closely.”
Core Mission: Persistent Ocean Autonomy
Bubble Robotics is building what it calls “the ocean’s autonomous workforce”: a fleet of intelligent robotic systems designed to operate continuously at sea for months without human intervention. The source states that today, offshore operations rely on vessels and crews costing up to $100,000 per day, a model described as expensive, dangerous, and unscalable. Further, the energy sector alone faces a structural workforce shortage requiring 600,000 additional professionals by 2030.
According to the report, 80 to 90 percent of offshore inspection costs stem from vessels and crews. Bubble’s solution replaces episodic, vessel-based missions with resident autonomous systems that deliver 24/7/365 monitoring, inspection, and data collection.
Technology Enablers and Applications
The source attributes this shift to an inflection point in robotics, edge AI, and satellite connectivity — enabling persistent systems that can perceive, decide, and act with minimal human oversight. Bubble operates under a robotics-as-a-service (RaaS) model, eliminating upfront CAPEX and offshore mobilization.
The systems serve three primary domains:
- Energy and resources: monitoring foundations, cables, pipes, turbines; structural mapping; non-destructive testing; millimeter-scale seabed surveys
- Climate and biodiversity: benthic mapping, photogrammetry, long-term ecosystem monitoring, biofouling monitoring
- Maritime security and defense: acoustic anomaly detection, unexploded ordnance (UXO) detection, mine countermeasures, continuous surveillance, underwater security
The source notes Bubble is inspired by satellite constellations — deploying a widespread infrastructure of robots to collect and process high-frequency underwater data. It has already secured over $4 million in signed letters of intent, with upcoming deployments across offshore wind, maritime security, and subsea infrastructure.
Source: Robotics & Automation News
Compiled from international media by the SCI.AI editorial team.
