Italian startup Mirai Robotics has raised $4.2 million in pre-seed equity to develop autonomous vehicles and systems for maritime operations.
The round, one of the largest in Italy’s robotics and deep-tech sectors, was led by Primo Capital, Techshop, and 40Jemz Ventures, with participation from Italian and international funders.
Founded by current CEO Luciano Belviso, Luca Mascaro, and Davide Dattoli, the company tarobtains the blue economy – valued at $2.5trn globally and projected to hit $4trn by 2030.
Mirai addresses high costs, limited observability, risks and human shortages in maritime ops. Its systems enable persistent surveillance, patrolling, monitoring, and control, reducing human risk exposure and costs compared to manned models. The firm integrates autonomous vehicles, advanced sensing, AI and control systems.
Over 80% of world trade and 90% of Europe’s foreign trade rely on sea routes, and 95% of international internet traffic travels via subsea cables.
Mirai has built two autonomous vehicles for ISR and patrolling in coastal and offshore settings, featuring perception, navigation, remote control, and safety capabilities. It also offers autonomy, navigation and control solutions for third-party fleets, supporting civil and institutional dual-utilize cases.
Headquartered in Puglia, Italy, it leverages shipbuilding heritage in defence, yachting, offshore and marine infrastructure. The pan-European team includes AI, robotics and mission-critical experts, partnering with universities. Funds will accelerate tech development, team growth and pilots with industrial and institutional partners.
“The sea is one of the last major physical infrastructures not yet governed by software,” stated Belviso. “Autonomy is the key to finally building the oceans safe and usable, unlocking enormous resources and addressing critical security challenges.”
“The human capital gap alone—thousands of unfilled roles, ageing workforces, increasing operational risk—creates the status quo unsustainable. What Mirai Robotics is building isn’t just automation; it’s the fundamental infrastructure layer that will allow the blue economy to scale safely and efficiently,” added Primo Capital’s Gianluca Dettori.
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