The Race to Map the Ocean Floor: Bedrock Ocean Secures $25 Million in Funding
Oceans may cover more than 70% of the Earth’s surface, but we have better maps of the moon than we do the seabed. The ocean floor is obscured, and the harsh environment makes it hard to send humans down to get a closer look. However, with advancements in robotics, companies are now racing to map the deep abyss in greater detail.
One of the startups leading this charge is Bedrock Ocean, which recently closed a $25 million Series A-2 round led by Primary and Northzone. Other participants in the funding round include Autopilot, Costanoa Ventures, Harmony Partners, Katapult, and Mana Ventures. Bedrock Ocean has developed an autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) that can run for up to 12 hours off its lithium-ion batteries while mapping the ocean floor using sonar and magnetic sensors.
Traditional methods of mapping the ocean floor involve large ships that blast sonar pulses into the water column. These ships are expensive to operate, require fuel, and disrupt marine life. Bedrock Ocean’s AUVs, on the other hand, operate independently underwater once launched from a ship. They can cover the same ground as traditional mapping ships, with one 40-foot ship able to carry 10 to 12 AUVs.
Bedrock Ocean designs and builds its own AUVs, costing less than $1 million each. The company has also developed its own software to operate the AUVs and perform mapping. The AUVs store data locally, perform processing onboard, and transmit data to the ship via Wi-Fi for cloud storage. This real-time data transmission allows for quality control and immediate identification of potential targets for further investigation.
The AUVs sail five to ten meters above the seafloor, using less powerful sonar than ship-based mapping. This reduces harm to marine mammals as the sonar frequency is outside the audible range and deployed closer to the seafloor. While the AUVs lose GPS signals underwater, they rely on inertial navigation for positioning accuracy.
Bedrock Ocean has conducted paid survey work for offshore wind, oil and gas, and environmental assessments. The speed and accuracy of their mapping technology have attracted the interest of the U.S. Navy. The ability to quickly assess data and provide accurate information has proven valuable for various industries.
With the latest funding secured, Bedrock Ocean is poised to lead the way in mapping the ocean floor with precision and efficiency, bringing us closer to understanding the mysteries of the deep sea.
