Cosma raises €2.5M to map deep-sea ecosystems with autonomous robots

French deeptech company Cosma, specialising in mapping deep-sea ecosystems using autonomous vehicles, has raised €2.5 million.

Cosma has developed swarms of autonomous underwater robots that collect up to 100,000 images per hectare of seabed, paired with a 3D photogrammetry system and algorithms capable of recognising habitats and species. 

The resulting digital twin provides repeatable, reliable, and easily interpretable data, particularly for benthic ecosystems. 

These results are essential for conducting robust scientific studies and also serve to help avoid sensitive species during offshore construction, ensure the integrity of critical underwater infrastructure, and better understand the role of seagrass meadows in coastal erosion. 

“Cosma was born from the conviction that biological data should be just as accessible and reliable as physical measurements in marine projects. Our technology enables large-scale operations while placing biodiversity at the heart of decision-making,” said Frédéric Mittaine, CEO of Cosma. 

Founded in 2022, Cosma has benefited from strong scientific and technical support from IFREMER —  the scientific institution that originally launched the project — and is still hosted today within the institute’s underwater systems unit in La Seyne-sur-Mer. 

Cosma’s early clients already include RWE (a leader in renewable energy), EGIS (a leading engineering firm), the World Wildlife Fund (WWF), and the French Navy (Marine Nationale). 

WIND and Ternel led the round, which was also backed by 50 Partners, Caisse d’Épargne Côte d’Azur, and IFREMER. The raise is complemented by significant non-dilutive public funding, which could potentially double the total amount secured. 

“WIND was convinced by Cosma’s groundbreaking technology, its potential to become the ‘Google Maps’ of the seafloor, and its ability to protect both marine ecosystems and critical infrastructure,” said Olivier Mougenot, General Partner at WIND. 

. According to Romain Charraudeau, Director of Technology Transfer at IFREMER, to date, only 25 per cent of the ocean floor has been mapped with high precision (less than 100 m x 100 m), and less than 1 per cent of marine species are known. 

“The need for knowledge is immense, and COSMA opens up new perspectives to better observe, understand, and protect our ocean.” 

This new funding will allow Cosma to industrialise its drone fleet, strengthen its software platform and AI-powered analysis tools, and structure its operations to serve both public and private clients at a European level. 

Lead image: Cosma. Photo: uncredited.