Seasats Secures Funding to Accelerate Growth of Autonomous Maritime Solutions

SAN DIEGO, CA, UNITED STATES, February 5, 2025 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Seasats, the San Diego-based innovator in autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs), has successfully closed a $10 million strategic funding round led by Shield Capital (SHIELD), a Silicon Valley venture capital firm specializing in dual-use technologies advancing national security. The round also included Aero X Ventures, Techstars, and other investors. This funding will fuel growth as Seasats continues to deploy maritime autonomy solutions around the world.

“Shield Capital and Seasats are a perfect match,” says Mike Flanigan, CEO of Seasats. “We’re redefining the future of the maritime world, and having top-tier partners onboard has been essential to scaling our impact. Industry leaders like L3Harris Technologies and Techstars have helped us tremendously, and this new partnership with Shield marks another major milestone for us.”

Seasats’ flagship autonomous vehicle, the Lightfish, is a breakthrough in the maritime sector. The 11-foot, solar-powered ASV is highly intuitive, enabling operators with minimal training to perform complex, multi-month missions. Already deployed globally, Lightfish are used for applications ranging from subsea mapping to oil spill monitoring, maritime domain awareness, and border protection. Recently, a Seasats’ Lightfish made headlines by embarking on a 7,000+ mile mission from San Diego to Japan, a journey that can be followed live at track.seasats.com.

“SHIELD is proud to partner with the accomplished team at Seasats as they continue to innovate and redefine the maritime landscape,” said Philip Bilden, Managing Partner at Shield Capital. “Seasats is well-positioned to capitalize on the massive opportunities of autonomous surface vehicles to address global security challenges by the US military, allies, and commercial customers.”

Founded in 2020, Seasats is on a mission to bring the power of maritime autonomy to the broader market. The company’s flagship vehicle, the Lightfish, was developed to address cost, reliability, and usability challenges of traditional ASVs, offering a user-friendly solution designed for scale. Since the Lightfish’s product launch in 2023, Seasats has deployed dozens of ASVs, earning a reputation for speed, reliability, and cost-effective solutions across both defense and commercial sectors.

"There is no better value in the ASV market than a Seasats ASV," says Tom Reynolds, Chief Strategy Officer, who joined Seasats in 2024. “The Lightfish’s capabilities—combined with its affordability—deliver an exceptional return on investment, making it the best choice for organizations seeking practical solutions.” Seasats’ expansion comes at a time when demand for autonomous technologies is soaring. With this funding round, the company is poised to take the stage as a leader in the rapidly growing maritime autonomy space.

Declan Kerwin
Seasats
+1 831-732-7287
info@seasats.com