Dublin-based space technology firm Ubotica Technologies has raised $11 million from Act Venture Capital, Greencode Ventures, and existing investor Atlantic Bridge.
- Established in 2016 by Fintan Buckley and Gerry Nolan, Ubotica Technologies develops space-based AI systems that turn Earth-observation satellites into real-time intelligence platforms.
- Its Cognitive Earth Observation approach processes satellite data directly in orbit, cutting the delay between capture and insight from hours or days to minutes by removing reliance on ground-based analysis.
- Its Live Maritime Intelligence system applies this capability to maritime security by identifying emerging risk areas, automatically tasking the most suitable satellite or sensor, and processing the data in space. The output is fused with inputs such as AIS signals to monitor vessel behaviour, including non-cooperative or “dark” ships.
- The platform operates as a continuous loop that predicts where data is needed, gathers targeted observations, processes them at the edge, and refines future tasking based on results, enabling persistent surveillance of large ocean regions without fixed imaging schedules.
- Ubotica has validated the technology through missions with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory and the European Space Agency.
Details of the deal
- The funding will support broader deployment of its Orbital AI system across government customers to enhance real-time maritime monitoring and improve detection of emerging threats to critical ocean infrastructure.
“Resilience is a key topic for Europe in the coming years. Securing critical infrastructure in harbors and off-shore is crucial. Ubotica’s edge AI technology enables satellite constellations to detect threats and anomalies early, anywhere across vast ocean areas, creating both a strategic security capability and a compelling commercial opportunity,” explains Terhi Vapola, Greencode Ventures.
