WSense, a scale-up enabling the Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) with its subsea Wi-Fi systems, announces that it is consolidating its international growth trajectory with the closing of a €10 million pre-Series B round.
Indico Capital Partners and SIMEST join investors who have already participated in the fundraising round: CDP Venture Capital, Blue Ocean by SWEN, RunwayFBU, Axon Partners Group, already present in the Series A round, as well as Fincantieri and Rypples.
Founded by Chiara Petrioli, full professor of computer engineering at La Sapienza University in Rome, who has been its CEO since 2022, WSense develops unique solutions that guarantee the interoperability of adaptive wireless networks between multi-vendor underwater sensors and autonomous vehicles, with extremely high reliability and scalability. WSense’s patented technologies enable real-time, secure and cost-effective underwater communications, making it possible to collect oceanic big data on a scale never before achieved. This approach revolutionises our understanding of marine ecosystems and opens up new applications: from monitoring and protecting critical infrastructure to autonomous robotic networks for energy transition and real-time environmental monitoring.
Petrioli (pictured) said in a statement: “The entry of new investors such as Indico Capital Partners and SIMEST represents strong recognition of the value of our technology and our international growth strategy. With the completion of this round, WSense has now raised a total of more than €25 million in funding. , and thanks to the support of leading industrial and financial partners, we will accelerate the development of our solutions for protecting critical infrastructure and safeguarding the oceans.
Stephan de Moraes, managing general partner at Indico Capital Partners, comments: “WSense best represents Italian capabilities in the field of deep tech and the opportunities that are emerging in ocean-related technologies. As a dual-use technology company with strong industrial partners and a clear growth trajectory, WSense is ideally positioned to tackle the next phase of its development. We are delighted to support its growth and work closely with its team.
“WSense is an example of excellence in the blue economy and deep tech, areas where innovation and sustainability come together to generate new growth opportunities,” adds Vera Veri, SIMEST’s participatory investment director. “SIMEST’s entry into the capital is part of this direction, in line with the Farnesina’s strategy for the international development of Italian companies and the CDP Group’s action in support of innovative high-tech start-ups. A systemic contribution aimed at enhancing cutting-edge skills and solutions in sectors that are strategic for the country’s future.”
In the underwater sector, which is set to reach a value of €400 billion globally between 2024 and 2030, with innovative solutions worth over €30 billion, WSense is targeting the global underwater communications market, estimated at around €10 billion, according to a statement released by the company. Confirming the growing strategic importance of the underwater domain, it is enough to consider that today there are 552 submarine cables laid for a total length of 1.4 million kilometres, through which 98% of global digital telecommunications, including financial and commercial transactions, pass.
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