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Emerging from stealth mode, Bubble Robotics is deploying a new class of “Physical AI” to unlock the world’s largest untapped industrial frontier: the ocean
Paris, San Francisco & Zürich, April 21 2026 – Bubble Robotics, today announced a $5 million pre-seed round led by Episode 1 Ventures, Asterion Ventures, and Norrsken Evolve, following its launch out of Entrepreneurs First.
Founded in 2025 by former robotics engineers from NASA and ETH Zürich, Bubble is building the ocean’s autonomous workforce: a fleet of intelligent robotic systems capable of operating continuously at sea for months, without the need for human intervention.
The ocean is the next frontier, but it’s fundamentally inaccessible
The ocean sits at the center of 21st century challenges. It powers energy transition, carries global data flows, delivers two-thirds of global trade, and underpins climate resilience. Yet the way we operate offshore has not changed in decades.
Today, offshore operations rely on vessels, crews, and heavy equipment costing up to $100k per day. This model is expensive, dangerous and unscalable. At the same time, the industry faces a structural workforce shortage, with 600,000 additional professionals needed by 2030 in the energy sector alone.
Bubble’s thesis is simple: offshore operations should not require humans at sea.
Instead of episodic, vessel-based missions, Bubble deploys resident autonomous systems that stay at sea for 24/7/365, continuously inspecting, monitoring, and collecting data.
Building the ocean’s autonomous workforce: from vessels to persistent infrastructure
“Today, 80 to 90% of offshore inspection costs come from vessels and crews,” said Jean Crosetti, CEO and Co-Founder of Bubble Robotics. “By removing that dependency, we unlock a step change in cost, safety, and operational frequency. What used to be episodic becomes continuous.”
Advances in robotics, edge AI, and satellite connectivity have reached an inflection point. For the first time, it is possible to deploy persistent, autonomous systems at sea that can perceive, decide, and act with minimal human oversight.
Beyond industrial operations, the same constraints apply to maritime security and critical infrastructure monitoring. Subsea cables, ports, and offshore energy assets are increasingly exposed, yet remain largely unmonitored in real time. Persistent autonomous systems enable a new model of continuous presence at sea, allowing operators to detect anomalies, monitor sensitive zones, and secure infrastructure without relying on human deployments.
“One of EF’s unique strengths is creating the environment for exceptional individuals to meet and build great companies. Patricia and Jean formed a team at our kick-off weekend around a shared belief and complementary skillset: Patricia with world-class technical credibility in robotics, Jean with unusual commercial instinct and intensity. Their pace of iteration throughout the program and strong customer obsession make Bubble Robotics a company to watch closely.” said Alice Bentinck, Co-founder of Entrepreneurs First.
Cost effective, safe, data-lead: robotics-as-a-service for critical infrastructure
Bubble operates under a robotics-as-a-service model, providing full operational capability without upfront CAPEX or offshore mobilization. This allows industrial operators to simultaneously: reduce costs, address workforce shortages, increase inspection frequency and data coverage.
The solutions developed by Bubble provide concrete answers to a vast array of industrial needs:
- Energy and resources: the systems unlocks easier monitoring and inspection of foundations, cables, pipes and turbines, as well as structural mapping, non-destructive testing, and millimeter-scale seabed surveys
- Climate & Biodiversity: facilitates benthic mapping, photogrammetry, long-term ecosystem monitoring, and biofouling monitoring
- Maritime security and defense: the technology enables detection of acoustic anomalies and of unexploded ordnance (UXO), mine countermeasures, continuous surveillance, and underwater security
Inspired by satellite constellations providing continuous Earth observation, Bubble Robotics is deploying a widespread infrastructure of robots designed to collect and elaborate complex high-frequency underwater data, paving the way for a new standard in understanding and efficiently managing oceans environments.
Bubble is already seeing strong market pull, with over $4M in signed letters of intent and upcoming deployments across offshore wind, maritime security, and subsea infrastructure. Beyond building robots, Bubble is deploying a new layer of autonomous infrastructure for the ocean, powering the most advanced model of the underwater world.
About Bubble Robotics
Bubble Robotics is building the autonomous workforce for the ocean. Founded in 2025 by former NASA and ETH Zurich engineers, the company develops persistent, AI-driven robotic systems that operate continuously at sea, without human crews or vessels.
Its robotics-as-a-service platform enables offshore energy, maritime infrastructure, and security operators to reduce costs by up to 70% while gaining continuous, real-time visibility over critical assets. Bubble is headquartered across France, Zurich, and San Francisco. Learn more at Bubble Robotics.
About Episode 1
Episode 1 is a London-based venture capital firm focused on early-stage technology startups. The fund invests at pre-seed and seed, backing software-driven and deeptech companies with the ambition of building global category leaders.
About Asterion Ventures
Based in Paris and Amsterdam, Asterion Ventures is a pre-seed/seed impact-focused VC reshaping how venture capital operates. In just four years, it has mobilized nearly €60M into 30 early-stage startups — four already scaling into Series A/B with top European funds, and one successful exit. Its edge: scale powered by community - a network of 900+ entrepreneurs and executives investing as business angels and backing founders with real experience, networks, and time. Beyond financing, Asterion has built dedicated programs for exited founders and entrepreneurial families. One of the very few European VCs intentionally designed for long-term partnership, Asterion stands for patient, committed, durable support. https://www.asterionventures.com
About Norrsken Evolve
Norrsken Evolve is an early-stage investment fund associated with the Swedish Norrsken group. The fund backs high-potential founders building Europe's sustainable and resilient future with capital, network and world-class physical ecosystems.
About Entrepreneurs First
Entrepreneurs First is a global talent investor with the mission to break ambitious individuals free from traditional definitions of success and guide them toward building transformative companies. By curating cohorts of exceptional peers from top academic and tech communities worldwide, EF nurtures aspiring founders with access to a world-class advisor network and the support necessary to realize their global ambitions. Its portfolio companies are backed by world-leading investors, including Sequoia, Andreessen Horowitz, SoftBank, and Khosla Ventures. Together, EF's portfolio is valued at over $16 billion and includes a number of unicorns and successful exits. Entrepreneurs First started investing in 2015 and was founded by Alice Bentinck and Matt Clifford. The company has offices in London, Paris, Bangalore and San Francisco. For more information, visit joinef.com.
