Insider Brief
- Seadronix raised $11.3M in Series B funding, led by LB Investment, KB Investment, and the Korea Development Bank, to advance its AI-powered autonomous ship navigation solutions and expand globally.
- The company’s NAVISS, Rec-SEA, and AVISS solutions are transforming vessel navigation and port management, shifting from human intuition to AI-driven safety and efficiency, with deployments in Singapore, the Netherlands, and beyond.
- Recognized with a CES 2024 Innovation Award and world-first type approval, Seadronix is positioning itself as a key player in autonomous maritime technology, driving global adoption and regulatory standardization.
PRESS RELEASE — Seadronix, a leading company in AI-powered autonomous ship navigation solutions, has announced that it has successfully secured KRW 15 billion (approx. USD 11.3 million) in Series B funding.
This investment round welcomed new investors, including LB Investment, KB Investment, and the Korea Development Bank, while existing investors such as Wonik Investment Partners and Lighthouse Combined Investment also participated through follow-on investments.
Since its founding in 2015, Seadronix has quickly established itself as a global leader in autonomous ship navigation solutions by developing advanced situational awareness AI technologies once considered impossible in the maritime industry, backed by an outstanding research team and vast amounts of real-world operational data.
The company’s technological excellence has been validated through several global recognitions, including winning an Innovation Award at CES 2024, obtaining the world’s first type approval from a classification society, and receiving certifications for new technology and innovative products from the Ministry of Oceans and Fisheries. Additionally, Seadronix has contributed significantly to securing future national technologies and enhancing industrial competitiveness by participating in government-led projects, such as the KRW 160 billion Autonomous Ship Technology Development Project.
With this latest investment, Seadronix plans to further advance its ship AI and robotics technologies and actively expand into the global market, building on recent contracts with international clients in countries like Singapore and the Netherlands.
Seadronix’s key solutions include:
- NAVISS: An AI navigation support and monitoring system that enhances smart navigation.
- Rec-SEA: AI software that easily upgrades existing vessel cameras.
- AVISS: An AI port management and monitoring system that integrates port operations.
These solutions are being deployed and operated globally for the first time in various marine environments. By transforming vessel navigation, which has traditionally relied on human intuition and experience, into AI-driven operations, Seadronix is revolutionizing safety and operational efficiency in the maritime industry and is being recognized as essential infrastructure for achieving autonomous navigation.
Oh Sung-in, Senior Investment Manager at LB Investment, who led the Series B round, stated, “Seadronix is proving to the global market that a sector similar to automotive ADAS exists in the maritime industry. It stands out as one of the few deep-tech startups driving overseas sales in this conservative market, and we expect significant growth in the global shipping and defense sectors.”
Lee Jun-seok, Director at KB Investment, commented, “Seadronix serves as a barometer for autonomous navigation solutions, with its progress having a major impact on market trends. We are excited about its collaborations with leading global shipbuilding companies and its efforts to set standards that comply with international autonomous navigation regulations.”
Byeolteo Park, CEO of Seadronix, shared, “This investment is not only a recognition of our accumulated competitiveness in AI technologies tailored to the maritime environment and our business achievements but also a commitment to the future of autonomous navigation. With a strong sense of responsibility, we will focus on delivering practical AI solutions that global customers are willing to pay for and lead the way in realizing the future of autonomous navigation.”
