Online Oceans

Dorset-based maritime and defence tech startup Online Oceans has successfully raised £4 million in a Seed funding round led by Seraphim Space.

Summary of transaction details:

• Value: £4,000,000 (Seed)
• Sector: DeepTech & AI / Defence / Maritime Tech
• Advisor: Not disclosed
• Key Entities: Target: Online Oceans; Lead Investor: Seraphim Space; Participating Investors: Peter Rive (Co-founder, SolarCity), Frank Thieser & Florian Seibel (Founders, Quantum Systems), Koro Capital; Key Founders: George Morton (CEO), Alistair Douglas
• Location: Christchurch, Dorset, UK

Note: Founded in early 2025, Online Oceans is building a new model for persistent maritime coverage to address the rising global pressure on subsea infrastructure, border security, and strategic chokepoints. Instead of relying on expensive crewed vessels or cost-prohibitive autonomous systems that only allow for intermittent coverage, Online Oceans has developed "Scout"—a low-cost, compact, solar-powered autonomous surface vessel designed for long-endurance, fleet-scale deployment. Scout is paired with "Tether," a cloud-based command-and-control software that allows operators to deploy dense, always-connected fleets for missions such as anti-submarine warfare and counter-drug smuggling. With production already sold out ahead of commercial deliveries, this £4m injection will scale manufacturing and support global defence deployments.