Exclusive: Bedrock Ocean raises $25M to deploy robots for groundbreaking seafloor mapping
Deeper Than the Moon? The Ocean’s Hidden World
Think the Moon’s a mystery? Think again—our own seas hide even more secrets. Even though the Ocean blankets over 70 % of Earth, its floor remains a shadowy frontier that we map with highly expensive ships and a touch of human bravery.
The Problem
- Seabeds are dark, pressure‑saturated, and alarmingly hard to reach.
- Regular vessels rely on hefty sonar blasts, burn tons of fuel, and need crews on deck—costs that keep budgets from truly exploring.
- High‑energy activity can disturb marine life, which isn’t exactly what ecologists want.
Meet Bedrock Ocean
Enter Bedrock Ocean, the newest startup to snag a bright spot: a fresh $25 million Series A‑2 round led by Primary and Northzone, with a troop of investors (Autopilot, Costanoa, Harmony, Katapult, Mana) wagging their tongues at TechCrunch.
Their Robot Swarm
Bedrock’s DIY Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) ditch the old navy bluff. These sleek machines run on lithium‑ion batteries for up to 12 hours before surfacing for a data‑shout. They don’t need a crew to keep them afloat.
- Each AUV features sonar + magnetic sensors to map the floor.
- They’re cheap—under $1 million each!
- They lug data from the seabed, do a bit of processing inside, then beam the best bits back up via Wi‑Fi.
- On a 40‑foot ship you can host 10–12 AUVs, swapping the workload of one big sonar vessel.
Why It Matters
Brandon Mah, Bedrock’s COO, told TechCrunch, “The pot at the end of the rainbow—mapping the ocean—has been a chase for 20 years. Are we ready to ditch big ships?” If “yes,” then we’re opening a massive new chapter in exploring the deep.
How They Send the Data
When the AUVs surface, the ship’s own Starlink antenna beams their findings straight into the cloud, letting anyone (even you) keep tabs on in‑sea discoveries from anywhere.
Forget splashy spacecraft epics—Bedrock Ocean’s tiny robots are set to give us the next big splash in marine exploration, all while keeping costs low and sharks safe.
Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda
Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital, Elad Gil — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $600+ before prices rise.
Tech and VC heavyweights join the Disrupt 2025 agenda
Netflix, ElevenLabs, Wayve, Sequoia Capital — just a few of the heavy hitters joining the Disrupt 2025 agenda. They’re here to deliver the insights that fuel startup growth and sharpen your edge. Don’t miss the 20th anniversary of TechCrunch Disrupt, and a chance to learn from the top voices in tech — grab your ticket now and save up to $675 before prices rise.
Bedrock Ocean’s High-Tech Seafloor Survey: Sizzling New Data Tools
San Francisco, October 27-29, 2025 — The ocean’s underbelly is about to get a new makeover, thanks to Bedrock Ocean and its cutting‑edge sonar technology. Instead of the old‑school, high‑power sonar that can be a bit of a nightmare for marine life, Bedrock’s system dives deeper, talks softer, and keeps things speedy.
Why the data matters
“We can confirm that the data is of the quality that we’re targeting,” Brandon Mah, COO of Bedrock Ocean (not CEO, as first reported), says. “And we can identify potential targets to investigate later, almost in real‑time.”
How Bedrock’s sonar works
- The autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) cruise 5‑10 m above the seafloor, letting them use less intense sonar than a vessel would.
- It stays out of the ears of marine mammals – the frequency’s below audible range, the power’s lower, and it stays close to the ground, meaning whales and dolphins are less likely to swim into the beam.
- Bedrock can place objects on the ocean floor within 1‑2 m accuracy, a sweet spot between the sub‑meter precision of ships and the practical needs of most jobs.
Because GPS disappears underwater, the AUVs rely on inertial navigation. It’s not perfect, but it gets the job done fast enough that a lot of tasks don’t need the precision of a ship‑based survey.
When sub‑meter precision is overkill
Mah argues that many seabed projects would benefit from a faster, slightly less detailed map. “Offshore wind developers might pay for a sub‑meter survey upfront, but when it’s time to build, an area with two‑meter accuracy is usually good enough.”
The buzz in the industry
Bedrock has spent the last two quarters earning money from surveys for offshore wind, oil & gas, and environmental assessments. Their speed and quick data visibility have even turned the U.S. Navy’s attention. “We showed off that capability, and they were kind of blown away,” Mah says.
Quick Facts
- Speed: Rapid surveys — get your data fast!
- Accuracy: 1‑2 m for most tasks, sub‑meter for high‑stakes projects.
- Eco‑friendly: Less harm to marine mammals.
- Who’s who: Brandon Mah is COO.
So if you’re looking to chart the ocean floor without a whole ocean of noise, Bedrock Ocean’s sonar might just be the splash-you’re-looking-for.
