Tethys Robotics receives €3.5 million pre-seed for autonomous underwater drones

Swiss startup Tethys Robotics, a spin-off from ETH Zurich and a leader in underwater robotics, has successfully closed a €3.5 million pre-seed funding round. The round is led by Redstone with Euregio+ & Alpine VC and supported by Zürcher Kantonalbank, ETH Foundation, Kickfund and Venture Kick.

The company develops compact, modular underwater robots for automated inspections, search and rescue missions and explosive ordnance disposal. With over 1,000 successful dives and eight research iterations, Tethys Robotics is one of the technology leaders in autonomous underwater robotics. The capital will be used to drive the further development and scaling of Tethys ONE: a compact, hybrid underwater drone for remote-controlled and autonomous operations in safety-critical environments.

Tech for dangerous underwater operations

The Tethys ONE drone weighs just 35 kg, is ready for use in 10 minutes and operates at depths of up to 300 meters, even in strong currents or poor visibility. This is made possible by a robust sensor fusion technology developed at ETH Zurich.

The areas of application are diverse:

• Offshore inspections in wind farms, oil and gas industry
• Removal of explosive contaminated sites, e.g. from the Second World War
• Search and rescue operations under difficult conditions

With our technology, we want to enable fully automated underwater inspections - faster, safer and more efficient than ever before

Jonas Wüst, CEO & Co-Founder of Tethys Robotics

The drone provides high-resolution 3D visualizations, automated data acquisition and enables operations without risk to humans. There are over 1.3 million tons of explosive waste in European waters alone. Tethys ONE can safely inspect and remove them.

Successful pilot projects and global ambitions

Tethys ONE is already being used by pilot customers in the offshore wind and energy sectors, including for the inspection of turbines, platforms and submarine cables. Over 30 pilot projects have been initiated and demand is growing steadily.

Tethys is an outstanding example of how leading technology companies with global appeal can emerge from ETH Zurich

Ben Scheidt, VC Investment Director at Redstone

In addition to civilian applications, Tethys Robotics is planning to work more closely with public security authorities and international organizations in the field of explosive ordnance disposal. The start-up is already cooperating with the Swiss Armed Forces and the Swiss Drone and Robotics Center (SDRC).

Will dangerous underwater work be possible without risk in the future?

Tethys Robotics is pursuing the vision of being able to carry out dangerous underwater work efficiently, autonomously and without human risk. The new funding will allow the company to further develop its technology, drive global expansion and grow its team.