Orca AI lands USD 72.5 million in new funds

Orca AI, which has developed an autonomous situational awareness platform to support safe navigation, has announced the successful closure of a Series B funding round worth USD 72.5 million. The investment was led by Brighton Park Capital and supported by investors Ankona Capital and Hyperlink Ventures. The latest round of funds takes the company’s total funding to USD 111 million: OCV Partners and Mizmaa Ventures participated in earlier rounds.

Orca AI’s situational awareness platform has already attracted a range of leading shipping companies including MSC, NYK, Scorpio and Seaspan. Significant improvements in maritime connectivity in remote locations and enabled by satellite services such as Starlink, facilitates real-time data transmission between ship and shore and provides critical navigational information not visible with the human eye to watchkeepers on the bridge.

Orca AI CEO and co-founder, Yarden Gross, said: “We are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible when AI supports human decision-making at sea. Over the past two years, ships have become increasingly connected to the cloud, enabling largescale data collection and unlocking the potential of AI ...  We are grateful to have forward-thinking investors who, like us, can see how the advancements in AI and connectivity are opening up new opportunities to enhance autonomous shipping, which will define the future of maritime operations.”

The new funds will enable the London-headquartered firm to develop its autonomous platform further while also allowing diversification into new sectors including defence and security, the company said.