London-based cleantech startup Samudra Oceans has secured a £150,000 investment from the British Design Fund as part of a £800,000 pre-seed funding round for its technology that aims to positively impact sea farming and the blue economy.
Samudra Oceans’ innovative AI-powered static monitoring robots use powerful sensors and cameras that enable farmers to monitor and predict their seaweed yield actively. They are designed to support the growth of sustainable seaweed farming by reducing unnecessary and costly boat trips and labour – something which can often far outweigh sale prices.
The team will use the funding to build more prototypes and deploy them in more regions as the company works on providing a global use case for its model. Currently active in the UK and Scotland, and with a project underway in Jamaica, cleantech will soon launch schemes in India and Sri Lanka.
With a shared love for the ocean, the company’s founders, Joyeeta Das and Alex Facey, were inspired with the idea for the business after recognising the huge potential of sea farming to help tackle the climate crisis and provide a sustainable, long-term food source. Seaweed alone is capable of capturing up to 20x more carbon than trees.
Having identified the need for automation within the subsea farming industry, the team set about developing a solution for reducing the high overheads and labour associated with sea farming. By reducing manual labour and boat fuel costs, Samudra’s solution enables farmers to grow beyond previous limits while benefiting from economies of scale.
Joyeeta Das, Samudra Oceans co-founder, explains: “We believe the ocean is central to solving the climate and nature emergency. Not only can seaweed capture up to 20x more carbon than terrestrial trees but when farmed responsibly it can also provide a sustainable food source and aid biodiversity, while empowering coastal economies.”
She added: “We’re delighted to have the backing of the British Design Fund and our other investors as we look to use our technology to scale up sea farming, positively impacting the blue economy and blue carbon assets.”
Samudra’s technology provides real-time data that is accessible on a farmer’s phone or tablet. The product’s first iteration can measure water temperature, salinity, and water turbidity. AI and backend software translate the data onto a dashboard for farmers, providing insights and analysis on their crops.
The cleantech is currently running a trial project in Cornwall focused on the growth of food-grade seaweed and its technology’s impact on yield and efficiency. A second project in Norfolk is also underway that uses the company’s state-of-the-art technology to explore a model for the future of sea farming.
Damon Bonser, CEO, British Design Fund, said: “We’re delighted to welcome Samudra Oceans to our portfolio and look forward to working with the team, as they move forward with their innovative solutions. There is a really interesting startup scene building around blue carbon and Samudra has spotted a clear need that has the potential to make a big impact.”
British Design Fund is a leading early-stage British manufacturing investor. The Fund works with ambitious product start-up enterprises who are ready to scale-up and build thriving stand-out businesses. Alongside capital investment, BDF provides expert mentoring to support such companies to accelerate their growth plans. Startup teams are invited to apply via the website.
