For Immediate Release – June 2025
New York, NY – Bedrock Ocean Exploration, a pioneering company specializing in autonomous seafloor mapping, has today announced the successful raise of $25 million in late-stage Series A funding to expand its fleet of unmanned underwater vehicles (AUVs) and deliver its cloud-based Mosaic data platform at scale. This marks a major milestone in Bedrock’s mission to accelerate oceanic data access and support critical sectors like offshore wind, marine research, and maritime infrastructure.
Origins: A Vision Born at Ocean’s Edge
Founded in 2020 by Anthony DiMare and Charles Chiau, Bedrock emerged as a Public Benefit Corporation committed to building the most complete, accessible dataset of the ocean floor. DiMare and Chiau—both veterans of prior tech ventures—recognized the vast untapped opportunity beneath the waves: despite accounting for 70% of Earth’s surface, roughly 95% of the ocean remains unmapped . This gap posed not only a scientific blind spot but also an impediment to critical infrastructure deployment.
The Series A Milestone: $25 M Raised
In July 2023, Bedrock closed a $25.5 M Series A, led by Northzone and Primary Venture Partners, alongside Valor Equity Partners, Eniac, Quiet Capital, R7, and others That round grew Bedrock’s total funding to $33.5 M, positioning the company to build its first AUVs, conduct field trials, and develop Mosaic—the cloud platform designed to host, visualize, and license seabed data.
This latest $25 M tranche—documented in PitchBook as a new Series A follow-on—will underwrite fleet expansion, product development, and global deployments .
What Sets Bedrock Apart
1. Modular AUV Technology
Bedrock designed its robotic submarines from scratch to meet commercial scale, deploying “a production-ready fleet for rapid seafloor mapping” capable of surveying diverse areas in days rather than months .
2. Mosaic Cloud Platform
Collected data—ranging from bathymetry and backscatter to side-scan sonar and magnetic readings—is integrated into Mosaic. This platform enables marine scientists, engineers, and developers to license and interact with data seamlessly
3. Scalable, Eco-Conscious Approach
Deploying modular AUVs instead of traditional survey vessels dramatically reduces operational cost, carbon footprint, and acoustic disturbance to marine life—a notable environmental advantage
4. Multi-client Business Model
Unlike project-based service firms, Bedrock creates data once and sells access to multiple stakeholders. This approach breaks down data silos and maximizes return on mapping investments
Current State: Ready for High-Impact Deployment
Bedrock now operates a growing AUV fleet and has completed field trials—such as missions off California’s coast—validating its navigation, magnetometer accuracy, and communication systems.
Industry focus has expanded beyond offshore wind to include maritime security, port infrastructure, pipeline inspection, habitat monitoring, and naval testing. Bedrock’s partnership with the U.S. Navy’s Advanced Naval Technology Exercise highlights that reach
With over 40 employees globally, Bedrock is scaling operations to meet demand across North America, Europe, and APAC .
Why It Matters Now
- Offshore wind power: Developers depend on detailed seafloor maps to reduce installation risk. Bedrock addresses this need with timely, high-resolution surveys
- Scientific exploration: The company contributes foundational data for oceanography, climate studies, and biodiversity mapping—helping close the 95% data gap .
- Maritime infrastructure: Pipelines, cables, ports, and defense systems rely on geospatial precision—areas where Bedrock’s data excels
Technical Deep Dive
Sensor Suite
Each AUV is equipped with:
- Bathymetric sonar for imaging seafloor structure
- Backscatter sensors for detecting sediment hardness
- Side-scan sonar to map objects and topography
- Magnetometers for detecting ferrous materials
- Sub-bottom profilers (coming soon) to image beneath seabed layers
Data Integration
Mosaic processes these datasets in a unified cloud environment, applying algorithms for interpolation, anomaly detection, and multi-layer visualization, empowering users to build ground models and inspect subsea assets.
Recent academic advances—like GPU-based interpolation—validate the technical direction for onboard real-time processing
Fleet Management
Automated launch, retrieval, data transfer, and diagnostics streamline deployment, enabling regional teams to scale without complex vessel logistics.
Competitive Edge
While other firms use single-application ROVs or ship-based surveys, Bedrock’s differentiators are:
- Full-stack integration from hardware to data services
- Multi-user licensing instead of one-off contracts
- Modular, electric AUVs that reduce cost and ecological footprint
- Focus across sectors: energy, municipalities, security, climate
As offshore industries—and regulators—adopt cleaner, more efficient platforms, Bedrock’s value proposition becomes increasingly compelling.
Future Outlook
Short-Term (6–12 months):
- Deploy AUVs across East and West Coasts, North Sea, Asia-Pacific
- Complete full Mosaic integration for enterprise users
- Launch sub-bottom profiling sensors
Mid-Term (1–2 years):
- Continually expand AUV fleet
- Forge partnerships with tier-one energy and maritime firms
- Provide automated inspection and re-survey services for existing assets
Long-Term (3–5 years):
- Become the largest licensed seafloor mapping vendor, akin to how LIDAR companies map terrestrial environments
- Transform ocean observation through real-time, AI-powered pattern detection—sea-level shifts, erosion, marine habitats
- Explore unconventional opportunities like underwater archaeology, blockchain-backed seafloor tokenization, and Web3-enabled data markets
Impact on the Broader Tech Sector
- Oceanic Artificial Intelligence and Data Science: Real-time maritime analytics may emerge, leveraging onboard GPUs and cloud AI for anomaly detection and prediction.
- Eco-conscious Robotics: Bedrock sets a standard for sustainable AUV deployment, minimizing ecological impact—a rising corporate priority.
- Infrastructure Democratization: Mosaic’s licensing model mirrors trends in open-source and sharing economies, empowering SMEs and academics.
- Collaboration with Goblue Tech: Potential for using AI Tools to process and annotate massive volumes of ocean data, which invites new developer ecosystems.
Challenges & Mitigation
- Operational conditions: Adverse ocean weather and marine traffic pose risks, addressed through adaptive AI navigation and fleet redundancy.
- Data accuracy assurance: Calibration against known benchmarks is critical. Bedrock continues investing in QA, especially for sub-bottom profiling.
- Regulatory frameworks: Ocean data sharing involves legal challenges. Bedrock mitigates it via closed governance and stakeholder partnerships.
- Capital intensity: Marine robotics and cloud infrastructure require significant funding, which this new round aims to secure.
Quotes from Leadership & Partners
Anthony DiMare, Co-founder & CEO:
“With this new funding, we’ll accelerate autonomous, sustainable seafloor mapping—bringing critical data to industries and researchers faster, cheaper, and responsibly. It’s a sea-change in transparency and accessibility.”
Pär-Jörgen Pärson, Partner at Northzone:
“Bedrock’s robot-powered, ocean-first data model overturns a legacy system stuck in expensive ship-led surveys. They’re enabling a new age of underwater decision‑making for infrastructure and climate resilience.”
What Lies Ahead: Strategic Roadmap
- Fleet and sensor expansion: Scale operational capacity and deepen subsurface imaging
- Mosaic enhancements: Add analytics, user interfaces, and licensing tools
- Ecosystem integration: Trigger collaboration with maritime AI, edge computing, and sensor networks
- Data-as-a-Service innovation: Explore data monetization via Web3 models or licensing marketplaces
Conclusion: Mapping the Future of Ocean Data
Bedrock Ocean’s $25 M infusion signals a transformational moment in marine exploration. The company is not just mapping ocean floors—it’s redefining how we see, understand, and steward our planet.
By merging robotics, cloud systems, and data licensing under an ethical, mission-driven model, Bedrock is charting a new course for ocean infrastructure, climate science, and maritime industries.
Learn More & Engage
- Discover how Artificial Intelligence is transforming ocean data and mapping at Tech Thrilled.
- Explore other pioneering developments in AI Tools and tech industry funding at Tech Thrilled Press Releases.
Media Contact
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Communications Manager, Bedrock Ocean Exploration
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About Bedrock Ocean Exploration
Bedrock Ocean Exploration is a Public Benefit Corporation founded in 2020 to map the ocean floor through its fleet of autonomous AUVs and Mosaic cloud data platform. The company’s mission: to build the most comprehensive, up-to-date, and environmentally responsible seafloor data resource, enabling smarter decisions for energy, infrastructure, research, and climate resilience.