Seagrass may cover just 0.1% of the ocean floor, but its benefits are enormous. It not only supports a diverse range of marine life—from plants to fish—but also filters water and sequesters significant amounts of carbon. Despite its crucial role, seagrass meadows are disappearing at an alarming rate of about 7% each year due to climate change and other factors. Ulysses Ecosystem Engineering is tackling this decline head-on.
The company has developed an autonomous underwater robot that carries seagrass seeds and is programmed to navigate specific ocean floor areas for planting. Akhil Voorakkara, co-founder and CEO of Ulysses based in San Francisco, explained that their robotic solution can accelerate restoration efforts by a factor of 100 compared to manual seeding by volunteers, and it does so at a much lower cost than other robotic alternatives.
The idea for the venture originated with CTO Jamie Wedderburn during a surfing trip along the West Coast of Scotland in early 2023. After hearing about a challenging volunteer experience—where over 40 people planted seagrass only to see it washed away by harsh weather—Wedderburn became curious about the broader significance of seagrass. This curiosity led him to believe that technology could offer a better approach, an idea he later shared with Voorakkara. The company’s other co-founders, Colm O’Brien and Will O’Brien, soon joined the effort.
Will O’Brien remarked, “I knew that would be fun immediately. Building a mission-driven company focused on ocean health and biodiversity was incredibly compelling. Growing up, my hero was Steve Irwin.”
According to Voorakkara, the team chose a robotic solution primarily because of their expertise in robotics, despite having little background in marine biology. Their initial 3D prototype, although not waterproof and prone to leaking, was successful in demonstrating the potential for seed deployment. This early success convinced them to seek guidance from top experts in seagrass restoration, who responded enthusiastically and provided valuable advice.
Since its launch in early 2024, Ulysses has generated nearly $1 million in revenue through partnerships with both private companies and government bodies, including large-scale restoration projects in Florida and Australia.
Now stepping out of stealth mode, Ulysses is announcing a $2 million pre-seed funding round led by Lowercarbon Capital, with participation from VCs Superorganism, ReGen Ventures, and angel investors. The company plans to expand its team of five by hiring additional engineers and market strategists.
Government initiatives further underscore the importance of seagrass restoration. Earlier this year, the European Union enacted new regulations to restore various habitats by 2030 and 2050, specifically highlighting seagrass. In line with this focus, Ulysses is testing a new robot feature: the ability to harvest seeds from established seagrass beds and redeploy them where needed.
While seagrass restoration is currently at the forefront, Ulysses envisions broader applications for its technology. Will O’Brien noted that their autonomous drone network could eventually be used for coastal management, security, and other restoration efforts. “The oceans remain one of humanity’s least explored frontiers. There’s a real opportunity to bring the same level of innovation seen in industries like space exploration to our marine environments,” he said.
Other companies are also venturing into underwater robotics. For instance, Terradepth has raised over $30 million in venture capital to map the ocean floor for commercial and governmental purposes, while Norway’s Eelume focuses on ocean exploration. Voorakkara envisions a future where Ulysses is not only restoring seagrass but also managing hundreds of kilometers of coastline, enhancing the efficiency of organizations such as NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard in protecting ocean resources.
