Please contact OOR for external photo credit details.jpg

Our Mission

FROM ROWBOATS TO ROBOTS

The idea for Open Ocean Robotics was born during an extraordinary Atlantic Ocean rowing expedition completed during the worst hurricane season in history. The journey, which achieved the first successful row across the Atlantic from mainland to mainland, was interrupted by two hurricanes.

During the first hurricane, Hurricane Vince, the most northern and eastern hurricane ever recorded, the team experienced 50-foot waves that made it strikingly clear what a challenging and inhospitable environment the ocean is, and how that impacts our ability to understand and operate on our oceans. The realization emerged that robotic boats capable of enduring such waves while continuously collecting ocean data could transform ocean monitoring. If these boats were solar powered, they could remain at sea for months, perhaps even five months like the original rowing expedition, without any greenhouse gas emissions.

In 2018, Open Ocean Robotics was founded to turn this vision into reality. Today, our solar-powered uncrewed surface vehicles (USVs) are pioneering safe, cost-effective, and sustainable ocean monitoring solutions. With a mission to protect and understand our oceans by simplifying remote, uncrewed ocean data collection, we are helping to digitize the ocean, reduce risks, and support the sustainable growth of the $2.5 trillion blue economy.

AWARDS & RECOGNITION

Open Ocean Robotics has been recognized internationally for its innovation and industry leading work.

We received the Solar Impulse Solution label, a rigorous evaluation guaranteeing our company is committed to protecting the environment as well as economic profitability. VentureLab gave us the startup of the year award and Foresight CleanTech named our CEO Julie Angus Cleantech Icon of the Year.  NACO, Canada’s National Angel Capital Organization, gave us Canada’s Most Promising Startup award and Foresight named us in the Foresight 50, top investable cleantech companies. 

WOMEN IN CLEANTECH FINALIST

EFFICIENT SOLUTION LABEL

LEADING GROWTH

TECH COMPANY

MOST INNOVATIVE COMPANIES IN MARINE

OCEANS STREAM GRADUATE 2019/2020

TOP 50 TO WATCH

CANADA'S MOST PROMISING STARTUP

COMPANY OF THE YEAR

2021

MILESTONES

2025

2024

2023

2022

2021

2020

Introduced second-generation DataXplorer USV with enhanced capabilities
Won an Ocean Superlcluster grant to lead the $3.8M Air Sea Ocean Monitoring System (ASOMS) Project in partnership with 4 other companies.
Launched the first purpose-built USV for marine carbon dioxide removal monitoring
Expanded into Asian and European markets with sales to Iceland, Singapore, and South Korea
Established strategic partnerships with distributors and collaborators across North America, Europe, and Asia
Launched USV sales and software subscriptions

Raised $2.8M in Pre-Series A financing round co-led by Antares Ventures and Spring Impact Capital
Launched two AI products for enhanced perception: Enhanced Horizon™ and Underwater Listener™
Opened Halifax office at the Centre for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship (COVE)
Won Autonomous System Award at BlueTIDE 2024 in Newport, Rhode Island
Won second place at Singapore’s PIER71 Smart Port Challenge
Selected for Katapult Ocean’s 2024 Accelerator Program (top 1% of over 2,000 candidates)
Received $800,000 funding from PacifiCan’s Business Scale-up and Productivity program

Core technology patent approved in US and Canada
Received success memo from Task Force 59 + Defence Innovation Unit (DIU)
Successfully completed one of the largest naval exercises (IMX) with the US Navy in Bahrain
Moved into a 12,000 sqft facility with ocean testing

Startup of the Year from VentureLab
Foresight 50 Award - Canada’s Top 50 Investable Cleantech Companies
Top 50 Most Innovative Maritime Startups and Scaleups from Thetius

Awarded Solar Impulse label for sustainable solutions
Won $4.5M grant from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) and BC Innovative Clean Energy Fund.
Successfully completed a 25-day pilot in illegal fishing enforcement in a marine protected area (MPA) in Hawaii with WildAid and Oceankind

Creative Destruction Labs (CDL)/ Ocean Stream graduate
Canada’s National Angel Capital Organization (NACO)/ Canada’s Most Promising Startup Award

FEATURED SUPPORTERS

As a Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) company in the Ocean Stream, we’ve benefitted from their objectives-based program for massively scalable tech companies.

Foresight Cleantech Accelerator is Western Canada’s clean technology accelerator, helping companies grow and providing portfolio companies like us an ecosystem of mentorship, like-minded entrepreneurs, and industry specific guidance. Open Ocean Robotics has received the Foresight50 award for 2 years running.

We’re a MaRS Discovery District portfolio company and a finalist in the Women in Cleantech challenge, a 2.5 year program delivered by MaRS and Natural Resources Canada that includes $850,000 in support.

As a portfolio company in Alacrity Canada’s cleantech program, we benefit from their mission to facilitate success and economic growth in the Western Canadian technology sector by providing support, entrepreneurial mentorship, and venture capital connections.

Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC) seed funding is helping us and other Canadian companies demonstrate new environmental technologies that address climate change, clean air, clean water and clean soil to become world leaders.

SeaAhead is a bluetech startup platform, founded in Boston. They help build companies, run an incubator, facilitate investments and are catalyzing a bluetech cluster in the Northeast.

Thanks to the support of NRC-IRAP, we’ve been able to enhance our innovation capacity, conduct pilot trials and advance our technology towards commercialization.

Innovate BC supports B.C.’s innovation ecosystem, linking innovators to funding, resources and support to help companies like us in every corner of the province grow.

It is through Greentown Labs, North America’s largest climatetech accelerator, that we are able to participate in Vineyard Wind’s Offshore Wind Challenge where we are developing marine mammal monitoring technology for the offshore wind industry in Massachusetts and beyond.

Natural Resources Canada created the Impact Canada Women in Cleantech Challenge to drive innovative solutions to some of the biggest issues that face Canadians and their communities, which we are a finalist in.

LEARN MORE ABOUT OUR STORY