The world runs on the sea.
Yet the sea still runs on outdated systems.

More than 80% of global trade moves by ship. Over 90% of Europe’s foreign trade depends on maritime routes. Even the internet itself relies on the ocean floor, with roughly 95% of global data traffic flowing through subsea cables. And yet, despite this economic and geopolitical centrality, the maritime domain remains one of the least digitised critical infrastructures on the planet. ‍

That gap is what Mirai Robotics is targeting.

The Italy‑based robotics startup has raised $4.2 million in pre‑seed funding, one of the largest early‑stage robotics rounds in the country, to develop autonomous vessels and maritime intelligence systems for Europe’s so‑called blue economy. The round was led by Primo Ventures, Techshop, and 40Jemz Ventures, with participation from Italian and international angel investors. ‍

Mirai’s ambition is not incremental efficiency. It is infrastructural.

The company is building software‑defined autonomous surface vessels designed to operate continuously in real maritime conditions—coastal and offshore, calm and rough, day and night. These platforms integrate advanced sensing, autonomous navigation, remote supervision, and layered safety systems, enabling missions that traditionally require crewed ships and constant human presence. ‍

So far, Mirai has already developed two autonomous vehicles focused on intelligence, surveillance, reconnaissance, and maritime patrol. The vessels can operate independently or as part of coordinated fleets, extending coverage and persistence across large sea areas. ‍

But Mirai’s core bet is not just hardware.

Underpinning its vessels is a proprietary maritime intelligence and mission‑management platform designed to deliver what the company describes as persistent domain awareness. The platform allows operators to monitor maritime environments, coordinate robotic assets, and supervise uncrewed operations across inshore‑to‑offshore missions—without needing a crew aboard every asset. ‍

Crucially, Mirai is also building modular autonomy and control systems that can be integrated into third‑party vessels. That approach lowers the adoption barrier for shipyards, industrial operators, and public institutions by allowing existing fleets to gain autonomous capabilities without full replacement. ‍

The timing is not accidental.

The maritime sector is facing a structural workforce problem. Thousands of operational roles are becoming harder to fill as experienced captains and specialists retire, while safety demands and monitoring requirements continue to increase. A fully human‑centric operating model is proving difficult to sustain at scale—both economically and operationally. ‍

Mirai Robotics was founded to rethink that equation.

The company was launched by Luciano Belviso, Luca Mascaro, and Davide Dattoli, a founding team combining industrial manufacturing, digital platform design, and ecosystem‑building experience. Belviso previously built aircraft manufacturer Blackshape, later acquired by Angel Holding. Mascaro founded Sketchin, acquired by BIP Group, where he served as Chief Innovation Officer. Dattoli is best known as the founder of Talent Garden.

Headquartered in Puglia, Mirai positions itself at the intersection of Italy’s shipbuilding heritage, Mediterranean maritime activity, and European research networks. The founders see the region as a natural base for developing Europe’s next centre of excellence in maritime autonomy. ‍

“The sea is one of the last major physical infrastructures not yet governed by software,” said CEO Luciano Belviso, describing autonomy as the key to making oceans safer, more usable, and more observable—provided the systems can operate continuously in extreme environments.

For investors, the opportunity is structural rather than cyclical.

As Primo Ventures’ Gianluca Dettori put it, the maritime domain is at an inflection point—where ageing workforces, rising risk, and outdated operating models collide with robotics and AI capable of sustaining persistent, safe operations at sea.

The ocean may be vast, but its transformation is only just beginning.

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