To develop autonomous underwater inspection robots, 7-figure USD seed funding raised by BeeX

BeeX, a Singapore-based autonomous robotics business, has raised an unknown “seven-figure” USD in a seed round.

This round was led by Cap Vista, the strategic investment arm of Singapore’s Defence Science and Technology Agency. Quest Ventures-Maritime Fund, IMC Ventures, SEEDS Capital, and the National University of Singapore also took part.

BeeX plans to use the funds to grow its workforce in order to speed the development of autonomous capabilities in increasingly diverse and essential contexts, according to a statement on its website.

It will also commission a more powerful hovering autonomous underwater vehicle (HAUV) that will be utilised in tougher offshore wind situations. It provides a once-in-a-lifetime potential for fast expansion in undersea infrastructure as the globe accelerates its transition to net-zero energy.

BeeX is a decade-old deeptech engineering spin-off from the National University of Singapore, founded by Grace Chia and Goh Eng Wei. It develops and manufactures vehicles that will revolutionise the way underwater work is done. BeeX is a multi-disciplinary team with backgrounds in marine robotics, self-driving vehicles, electronic design, and naval architecture.

While autonomous robotics has changed how people operate on land, in the air, and even in space, the undersea environment has remained unchanged. Humans are still operating in risky circumstances to deploy human-controlled remotely operated vehicles, whether it’s physically diving or being mobilised on multibillion-dollar huge ships.

Hovering Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (HAUVs) that are not dependent on these massive boats, according to BeeX, can provide a long-term solution for large-scale underwater inspections. This will become a critical component in safeguarding the safety of coastal towns and driving the transition to renewables like floating solar and offshore wind by drastically lowering their operational and maintenance costs.

BeeX says that their HAUV, A. IKANBILIS, performs repetitive duties effectively and autonomously, allowing for greater data and insights into important large-scale infrastructure such as offshore wind, floating solar, and aquaculture farms. Because of its proprietary propulsion, electronics, and sensor fusion systems, it performs well in strong currents and low visibility.

“BeeX’s marine autonomy technology will revolutionise underwater inspections and disrupt the maritime sector, and contribute to applications in sustainability and defense,” said Chng Zhen Hao, CEO of Cap Vista.

James Ong of IMC Ventures, commented, “The best validation of BeeX’s solution is demonstrated through the demand for their product in the maritime industry. BeeX has shown the commercial ability to sell its solutions on commercial terms, and it validates that the technology works and the pricing is viable. IMC hopes to help BeeX scale by utilizing IMC’s broad network across the Asia Pacific.”