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Sea Machines
Autonomous control and perception systems for marine vessels.
About Sea Machines
Sea Machines Robotics develops autonomous control, remote command, and advanced perception systems for the commercial and defense maritime sectors. Founded in 2015 by marine engineer Michael G. Johnson, the Boston-based company aims to enhance the safety, efficiency, and capability of vessel operations. Johnson's extensive background in marine engineering, including roles at Crowley Maritime and TITAN Salvage, and experiences with maritime incidents, inspired him to apply modern technology to mitigate risks associated with manual control and human perception.
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The company's core business involves designing and manufacturing systems that can be retrofitted onto existing vessels or integrated into new builds. Its product lineup includes the SM200 for remote-helm control and the SM300 for autonomous command and control, which enables features like computer-guided navigation, obstacle avoidance, and remote mission management. More recently, the company expanded its offerings with the SM300-NG, software APIs for third-party integration, a cloud data platform called FLEETVIEWER, and turnkey Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs) like the SELKIE and STORMRUNNER. Sea Machines operates on a business model that involves direct sales of its hardware and software systems, with installation and commissioning typically completed within days. The company also offers leasing options for its autonomous vessels. Its technology serves a diverse client base, including commercial workboat operators in sectors like survey, fishing, and offshore energy, as well as government and defense organizations. Notable clients and partners include Maersk, Rolls-Royce, the U.S. Navy, and the Department of Defense.
Sea Machines has secured significant funding to support its growth and technological development, raising over $45 million through multiple rounds. Key investors include Accomplice, Toyota AI Ventures, Huntington Ingalls Industries, and Brunswick Corporation. A significant milestone was achieved in 2021 with 'The Machine Odyssey,' a 1,000 nautical-mile autonomous voyage around Denmark, commanded remotely from the U.S., demonstrating the long-range capabilities of its SM300 system. In late 2024, David "Chip" Wasson took over as CEO to steer the company's expansion into the defense sector, while founder Michael G. Johnson transitioned to the roles of president and CTO to focus on the technology roadmap.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2013
- Headquarters
- Boston, United States
- Employees
- 61
- Open positions
- 6
- Dealroom signal
- 88.5/100
- Sub-industry
- Autonomous & Sensor Tech
- Sector
- Defence, Marine, Core AI, Autonomous Mobility, Defence Applications, Survey, Maritime, Sea and Subsea Robots, Blue Economy
- Technology
- Artificial Intelligence, Deep Tech, Computer Vision
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b
Knowledge graph
More headlines
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| LATE VC✓Equity / VC | Feb 2024 | $12M | $75M | RKKVC · Level2 Ventures · Emerald Technology Ventures · Chevron Technology Ventures | ↗ |
| SERIES B✓Equity / VC | Jul 2020 | $15M | $60M | HII · Geekdom Fund · TechNexus · NextGen Venture Partners | — |
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for Sea Machines is 6.2K monthly website visits, down 43.6% over the last three months. Sea Machines's team grew 22% over the past year.
Open positions
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Investments and acquisitions
Recent portfolio relationships for companies that also act as investors or acquirers.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed7 investors entered at this stage
MassChallenge
Accomplice
LaunchCapital
Right Side Capital Management
Jere Doyle
LDV Capital
Geekdom Fund
Series A6 investors entered at this stage
Toyota Motor Corporation
HII
TechNexus
NextGen Venture Partners
Eniac VenturesToyota Ventures
Series B and later5 investors entered at this stage
RKKVC
Level2 Ventures
Emerald Technology Ventures
Chevron Technology Ventures
Nabtesco Technology Ventures
Other known investors3 additional known investors
Dolby Family Ventures
Riyadh Techstars Accelerator
Techstars
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about Sea Machines on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
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Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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