PLYMOUTH, United Kingdom — Oshen, a British ocean-robotics startup led by co-founder and chief executive Anahita Laverack, has raised $5 million to expand production of its autonomous sail-powered vessels.
The company plans to increase its fleet of one-metre C-Star robots from approximately 50 to 150, according to reports. It will also develop software for coordinating larger fleets and interpreting the information they collect.
Oshen’s vessels use solar and wind power to operate for extended periods at sea. Their potential applications include hurricane observation, ocean research, seabed monitoring and surveillance of critical underwater infrastructure.
The startup has reportedly worked on projects involving British and US defence bodies, including maritime-monitoring operations. That dual-use dimension creates commercial opportunity but also requires careful scrutiny concerning security, procurement and responsible deployment.
Oshen was founded in 2022 by Laverack and Ciaran Dowds. Laverack’s leadership is notable in a sector where women remain underrepresented in robotics, engineering and venture finance.
The funding also illustrates growing demand for distributed maritime systems. Small autonomous vessels can collect data across wider areas at a lower cost than crewed ships, while reducing human exposure to dangerous conditions.
Scaling hardware remains difficult. Oshen must manufacture reliable vessels, maintain communications, handle harsh ocean environments and prove that customers can extract useful information from large volumes of data.
For women founders, the round is encouraging but should not be treated as evidence that the technology-funding gap has closed. Female-led companies continue to receive a small proportion of global venture capital, particularly in capital-intensive deep technology.
Oshen’s next test will be converting high-profile trials into repeatable revenue while defining how its technology will be governed across scientific, commercial and defence applications.
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