AutoNaut, a UK company which makes carbon fiber autonomous vessels designed for scientific ocean research has secured investment from the Seiche Group to advance its research and development, assure long-term growth and develop business across UK and international markets.
In September 2015, Seiche agreed its first investment in AutoNaut and this new deal sees them take a majority stake in the company. AutoNaut Ltd is the new name for the company previously trading as MOST (Autonomous Vessels) founded in 2012.
The investment from Seiche will provide additional resources for R&D and manufacturing as well as administrative support. Seiche will also help to expand all sales and marketing activity.
AutoNaut Ltd designs and manufactures wave-propelled boats, equipped to operate as an autonomous marine data collection hub. A fleet of craft is now in production in a range of sizes to suit multiple applications across the oil & gas, renewables, civil engineering, research and science sectors as well as for defence, security and surveillance.
‘Seiche’s investment gives us a great opportunity to take our AutoNaut business to the next level of growth and to tackle the expanding global market for specific applications of marine autonomous systems,’ said David Maclean, executive director of AutoNaut. In four years we have taken a revolutionary wave propulsion technology, proved it is seaworthy, and turned it into a widely capable marine data collection hub to gather and transmit data from below, above, and at the surface of the world’s oceans. Now, with Seiche’s investment, AutoNaut can realise its full potential.’
This story is reprinted from material from AutoNaut, with editorial changes made by Materials Today. The views expressed in this article do not necessarily represent those of Elsevier.
