– Orca AI is a London-based startup that has raised $23 million in funding to develop autonomous navigation technology for ships.
– The technology processes visual information to keep ships on course, reduce fuel consumption, and improve safety.
– The startup predicts that in the near future, oceangoing vessels will sail without any crew, increasing efficiency and safety in the shipping industry.
Orca AI, a London-based startup, is pioneering autonomous navigation for ships, aiming to reduce fuel consumption and increase efficiency. The company recently secured $23 million in funding, bringing their total raised to nearly $40 million. Founded by Israeli naval technology experts, Orca AI uses AI to process visual data and keep ships on course, freeing up the crew to focus on other tasks.
The company’s system has shown impressive results, reducing close encounters in open waters by 33% and crossing events by 40% across 15 million nautical miles. This has led to significant fuel savings of $100,000 to $300,000 per vessel per year and a CO2 reduction of 72,716 tons across 1,000 vessels in the previous year. With growing pressure to reduce carbon footprints in the shipping industry, entrepreneurs are looking to digitize and apply new technologies like AI to improve efficiency.
Orca AI’s CEO, Yarden Gross, envisions a future where oceangoing vessels sail without a crew, with increasing automation of crew tasks. The company’s platform uploads all data to the cloud, providing monitoring tools for fleet managers to optimize fuel consumption, emissions, and safety. OCV, one of Orca AI’s investors, believes there is a significant opportunity for autonomy in the shipping industry, which carries over 80% of international trade goods. Partnering with global shipping companies like MSC, Maersk, and Seaspan, Orca AI is at the forefront of revolutionizing autonomous navigation at sea.