Mirai Robotics Raises €4.2M to Build Autonomous Vessels

A Puglia-based startup called Mirai Robotics has secured €4.2 million in a pre-seed round to build software-defined ships and maritime AI. Founded by the entrepreneur behind aircraft maker Blackshape, the company argues that the ocean is one of the final large-scale physical environments that remains insufficiently controlled by modern software.

Mirai’s pitch is straightforward: extend the principles that transformed cars and planes — tightly integrated hardware, cloud-native control layers and purpose-built AI — to maritime vessels. The startup plans to develop autonomous vessel platforms and the software stack to operate them, targeting tasks such as inspection, logistics and data collection.

The funding will be used to accelerate development, expand the engineering team and start sea trials. Mirai is positioning its approach around modular, software-first hardware that can be updated and managed remotely, rather than treating ships as immutable mechanical platforms. This could let operators deploy new features and safety updates without costly retrofits.

Investors in the round include early-stage backers focused on deep tech and mobility, which suggests confidence in the crossover between aerospace-grade engineering and maritime needs. Mirai’s founder draws on experience in aircraft manufacturing, which may influence the startup’s focus on reliability, lightweight construction and regulatory-aware design.

There are already several players working on autonomous surface and underwater vessels, but Mirai is leaning into the “software-defined” narrative: treating a vessel like an edge device in a broader fleet. Challenges remain, from regulatory permitting and robust collision avoidance to long-term sea-worthiness and commercial product-market fit.

Still, for operators seeking to cut costs and scale sensors or logistics tasks, autonomous vessels that can be updated and orchestrated via software could present a compelling value proposition. Mirai’s new funding gives it runway to build prototypes and demonstrate whether the ocean will follow the same software-first path as other transport domains.