Saildrone Raises $100M to Advance Ocean Data Intelligence

October 18, 2021

Saildrone, which develops ocean data, mapping, and maritime intelligence solutions, has announced closing a $100 million Series C funding round, bringing its total funding to $190 million. The company said new funding will be used to grow its data insight teams and scale go-to-market functions to meet rapidly growing demand for ocean domain intelligence.

The company’s products are based on data collected from a fleet of uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) that are powered primarily by renewable wind and solar power. The Saildrone USVs have sailed more than 500,000 nautical miles, and have clocked more than 15,000 days at sea in some of the harshest conditions on the planet. From the ice edge in the Arctic to the Southern Ocean, the company said its USVs have proven exceptional endurance and the ability to collect rich, high-precision data. For example, last week a Saildrone USV navigated into the heart of Hurricane Sam, in a world first, taking scientific measurements and HD video to help in the understanding of hurricane forecasting.

In addition to collecting scientific data for climate intelligence and high-resolution bathymetric mapping of the ocean floor, the systems can provide marine domain awareness (MDA/ISR) for law enforcement and homeland security applications such as policing IUU fishing, counter-narcotics operations, and marine sanctuary protection.

“We’re thrilled to partner with Saildrone as they build out the future of maritime intelligence, drawing on their unique technological differentiation and expansive mission history to serve customers across diverse industries,” said Noah Knauf, general partner at BOND, who will also join the company’s board of directors. BOND led the funding round, which includes new investors XN, Standard Investments, Emerson Collective, and Crowley Maritime Corporation. Previous investors Lux Capital, Capricorn’s Technology Impact Fund, Social Capital, and Tribe Capital also joined this round.

Founded in 2012, Saildrone’s mission is to sustainably explore, map, and monitor the ocean to understand, protect, and preserve the planet. Predominantly powered by renewable energy, the USVs have a minimal carbon footprint and are equipped with advanced sensors and embedded machine learning / artificial intelligence technology to deliver critical insights from any ocean, at any time of year.

“We are honored to have the BOND team and our new investors join our journey,” said Richard Jenkins, the founder and CEO of Saildrone. “The combination of the most tried and tested autonomous ocean technology with the partnership of some of the most experienced venture capitalists in the world consolidates our industry leadership and enables our rapid growth path to meet the needs of our customers.”

For more information on the company and its offerings, visit the Saildrone website here.