Ulysses Deploys Robots to Revive Seagrass Ecosystems

Why Seagrass Matters and How a Robot is Turning the Tide

Imagine a lawn that doesn’t need mowing, drinks coffee from the sea, and saves the planet by snagging carbon as it grows. Welcome to the world of seagrass. Even though it occupies a mere 0.1 % of the ocean floor, this humble plant is the powerhouse behind countless marine lives, filters fine‑tuned water, and locks up gigabytes of CO₂.

The Big Problem

• Each year, seagrass meadows shrink by about 7 % globally.
• Climate change, pollution, and human activity are the main culprits.
• Restoring these beds is crucial for fish habitats, coastal protection, and overall ocean health.

Enter Ulysses: The Robot with a Green Mission

Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering has built an autonomous sea‑borne robot that can scout, plant, and monitor seagrass—doing it 100 times faster than volunteer crews and costing a fraction of what other underwater robots would charge.

The key idea? Drop seeds into the seabed from a boat, then let the robot do the heavy lifting.

Founders’ Story: From Surfing to Scientific Seeding

Picture this:

Jamie Wedderburn was hanging out on the West Coast of Scotland, surfing with friends. A teammate complained about a botched volunteer seagrass‑planting effort on a rainy day. “We planted for hours and the whole meadow was washed away,” the friend lamented.

Jamie, who had never heard of seagrass before, was instantly intrigued. He dug deeper, clocking a whole rabbit‑hole of marine science.

He pitched the idea to co‑founder Akhil Voorakkara, and the rest followed suit. Will O’Brian and Colm O’Brian jumped on board with similar enthusiasm—especially Will, who said it was like “building a mission‑driven company that aligns with the ocean’s pulse.”

From Prototype to Production

The team could do nothing that had nothing to do with biology, but they were born constructors. They tossed together a 3D prototype—half‑ waterproof, mostly fun—and it actually managed to drop sesame seeds into the sand. That’s when they knew they had something.

Key take‑away: “None of us are marine biologists, but we asked for help early on. The experts were thrilled and very open to collaborating,” says Voorakkara.

What Does It Mean for the Future?

• Faster, cheaper restoration of seagrass beds worldwide.
• Better data on seagrass health and spread.
• A reusable tech platform that could address other marine restoration challenges.

In short, this robot isn’t just a mechanical marvel; it’s a stepping stone toward a healthier ocean—and it’s proof that a little curiosity, coupled with engineering, can turn a sad surfing tale into a hopeful ecological triumph.

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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.

Ulysses: From Maybe to Mass‑Scale Myles‑Shrink

Back in March 2024, a little robot called Ulysses burst onto the scene. It’s already raked in roughly a $1 million from a mix of private firms and government bodies, and it’s partnered up with agencies from Florida to Australia on big restoration gigs. So you can’t say it’s just a cute tech start‑up – it’s already making waves.

Breaking Out of Stealth – and Raising Billions of Dollars of Kind…well, $2 m

• Pre‑seed round led by folks at Lowercarbon Capital. They’re the kind of people who think “carbon is a problem” and see business in it.
• Other investors include Superorganism & ReGen Ventures, plus a handful of angels who love green tech.
• The money will help a lean team of five grow: new engineers, marketing wizards, and go‑to‑market hustlers.

Timing? Spot on. Governments everywhere are looking to revive those blue‑green seagrass beds, and the EU just hammered a 2030‑2050 roadmap that actually names seagrass in the list of habitats to rescue.

New Features, New Challenges

Doctor Voorakkara told us: this month Ulysses will try something fresh – harvesting seeds from approved seagrass beds and planting them where they’re most needed. Think of it as a smart eco‑gardening drone.

“We’re not just stopping at the seagrass sea blanket,” he bragged. “In five years, we’ll be staring down entire coastlines, turning NOAA and the Coast Guard into high‑tech, green‑powered super‑teams.”

A Broader Vision – Not Just Seagrass

Will O’Brien added that Ulysses is essentially an army of autonomous drones poked together on a central platform, ready to expand into coastal management, security, and whatever else the ocean needs. He’s aiming for SpaceX‑level innovation in the wild seas.

“The oceans are a frontier, not fully mapped, full of tough currents, and yeah, it’s a test‑tube for anything named ‘unforgiving’,” he jokes. “But we’re bringing the same kind of breakthrough vibe the SpaceX team has and dropping it right into our water‑world.”

Other Sea‑Tech Giants on the Scene

While Ulysses is hatching its first big fish, other startups are making waves too:

• Terradepth – Raising over $30 million to map the ocean floor for both commercial and government use.
• Eelume – A Norwegian venture tackling the mysteries of ocean discovery.

If Ulysses succeeds, the dream is simple: a thousand kilometers of coastline, monitored, protected, and engineered by a squad of high‑tech, hydro‑friendly robots. And the ocean? It’ll get a little cleaner, a little smarter, and a lot more fun to watch from the shore.