UNSW Innovation Community’s Post

Hullbot raises $16m Series A to take hull-cleaning robot global 🤖🌊 Hullbot (S21 alumni) founded by Tom Loefler, has announced a $16M Series A this week alongside plans to accelerate global expansion! 🦐⛵The Sydney-based startup’s autonomous robots clean ship hulls to boost fuel efficiency and cut emissions, a solution already used by Sydney Ferries and NRMA Marine. Huge congrats team!! 🚨Want to apply for the next Accelerator?  🔗 Last chance: https://loom.ly/tWLWgzg

Hullbot, a Sydney-based robotics startup, has raised AUD $16 million in Series A funding to scale its autonomous hull-cleaning technology and expand globally. The round was led by U.S.-based Regeneration VC, with participation from Climate Tech Partners, Katapult Ocean, Folklore, Trinity Ventures, Rypples, NewSouth Innovations, and Bandera Capital. Hullbot’s award-winning autonomous robot helps ships cut fuel use by 10–26% by cleaning biofouling — the buildup of plants, algae, and barnacles on hulls that increases drag and emissions. The company has already completed 1,000+ paid hull cleanings globally, preventing over 3,600 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. Founded by Tom Loefler (CEO) and Karl W. (CTO), Hullbot plans to use the funds to ramp up robot production, develop larger models like BigBot, and expand international service hubs. “Our mission is to help shipping companies cut emissions, costs, and ocean impacts all at once,” said Tom Loefler, CEO of Hullbot. “By scaling globally, we can deliver fuel savings and decarbonisation today while preparing the industry for stricter regulations tomorrow.” Team- Karl W. CTO & Co-Founder Thomas Hugues Commercial Strategy Lead Steve Winnall Product Strategy Lead Bernadette David, CPA Finance Voltron (Ben) D. Impact Lead Juvita Janto Marketing Xavier Doerr Business Development Ben Dupree Engineering Lead #ClimateTech #BlueEconomy #Robotics #Sustainability #Innovation #Shipping #Decarbonisation #Hullbot #FundingNews

🌍The latest tech news and headlines from Start-Up & Scale-Up companies across the UK & Europe. 🌍 This edition highlights some of the most exciting moves from Europe’s fast-growing tech scale-up scene — from AI robotics to drone technology, policy reform, and industrial innovation. 👇👇 #StartUps #ScaleUps #TechNews #Investment #AI #SeriesA #Robotics

Aerial robotics startup raises $91M as funding to sector surges Infravision, a company that aims to transform how power lines are built and maintained with aerial robotics, has raised $91 million in Series B funding. Overall, venture funding to robotics startups has surged to more than $10.3 billion in 2025, Crunchbase data shows, with this year’s tally already 36% higher than 2024’s total. https://lnkd.in/d7c3M3gu

Sydney-based ocean robotics company Hullbot has raised $16 million in a Series A round to capitalise on demand for its innovative hull-cleaning technology and support its mission to become a key player in shipping’s decarbonisation transition. https://lnkd.in/g_xr-GQ2

ALBA Robot, an Italian startup focused on autonomous mobility for pedestrian areas, has closed a €4.985 million Series A round led by CDP Venture Capital SGR, with support from Next Investments and Enthofin. Co-founder Andrea Bertaia Segato highlighted the company's expansion into the US market and plans for new smart robots and services. https://lnkd.in/e7EZnTir #Venture #VentureCapital #VC

💰 Investment Spotlight: Australian startup Hullbot has raised $16 million in Series A funding to take its autonomous hull-cleaning robots global. The round was led by US-based Regeneration VC with support from Climate Tech Partners, marking the first investment from its new fund backing technologies for emissions reduction in hard-to-abate industries. Additional investors include Katapult Ocean, Folklore Ventures, Trinity Ventures Australia, Rypples, NewSouth Innovations, and Bandera Capital. What makes this milestone stand out: 🤖 Award-winning innovation: Hullbot recently won the Australian Good Design Award of the Year for its autonomous hull-cleaning robot — a system that reduces ship fuel consumption by 10–26% by removing biofouling such as algae, barnacles, and molluscs. ⚙️ Proven impact: The technology has already completed 1,000+ paid hull cleans for ferry and cruise operators globally, preventing over 3,600 tonnes of CO₂ emissions. 🚢 Scaling sustainably: The new funding will support Australian-built robotics production, the development of larger robotic platforms such as BigBot (which can travel with the vessel), and the expansion of international service hubs. 🌍 Cutting emissions at scale: Hullbot’s mission is clear — help shipping companies reduce emissions, costs, and ocean impacts simultaneously, preparing the industry for stricter environmental regulations ahead. 📈 Strong industry confidence: Partners and investors see Hullbot becoming the global standard in autonomous hull maintenance and maritime emissions reduction. Why this matters: The shipping industry is one of the world’s hardest to decarbonise, yet Hullbot’s fusion of robotics, AI, and sustainability demonstrates how smart technology can drive measurable climate action today, not decades from now. 👉 Read the full story: https://lnkd.in/gya3nzf5 #OCVN #BlueEconomy #MaritimeInnovation #Sustainability #ClimateTech #Robotics #OceanInnovation #ImpactInvesting #CleanTech #SmartShipping

From four-legged models to AI-enabled appendages, startups making robots that aren’t in the human form also abound. To illustrate, we used Crunchbase data to assemble a sample list of 26 companies in the non-humanoid robot startup sector that have raised rounds in the past few quarters. It’s a varied lot, with focus areas ranging from farming to pool cleaning to massaging. #vc #startups https://lnkd.in/g3c8RN29

Cluj-Napoca-based firm dotLumen, founded by Cornel Amariei, has secured an €11 million grant from Romania’s Intelligent Growth, Digitalization, and Financial Instruments Programme 2021–2027 (PoCIDIF). The firm plans to develop a new generation of humanoid and quadruped robots capable of autonomously delivering goods and food in urban environments. ➡️ https://lnkd.in/dPagE9mJ #VentureCapital #Startups #Romania #Vestbee

Infravision, a company that aims to transform how power lines are built and maintained with aerial robotics, has raised $91 million in Series B funding. Overall, venture funding to robotics startups has surged to more than $10.3 billion in 2025, with this year’s tally already 36% higher than 2024’s total. #vc #startups https://lnkd.in/g-gTCHYK