The Seasats Story
It all began in Tiverton, Rhode Island, when a group of young engineers floated the idea of sending messages to a friend in Spain via autonomous boat. Since they had sailing experience and a history of ambitious projects, the idea quickly shifted from a joke to initial design sessions.
The SCOUT Transatlantic project entered the water two years later with support from local and online communities. Over the next few months, the vessel set a new record for an autonomous surface voyage and received attention from news outlets around the world.
After the project wrapped up, the SCOUT team split up for school and jobs across the country, but ocean autonomy remained in the backs of their minds.
By 2019, the team’s members had built years of experience at other innovative organizations. While they worked, the need for reliable, affordable, and sustainable ocean operations continued to increase. Autonomous surface vehicles had potential, but execution seemed to be lacking.
In 2020, the team reunited in San Diego to found SeaSatellites, Inc (“Seasats”) with a goal of providing an easy-to-use alternative to the complex and expensive options that dominated the market at the time. The first step was a ground-up redesign that combined expert naval architecture with cutting-edge software and electronics. This became the X3, Seasats’ first-generation autonomous surface vehicle.
The goal of simple reliability resonated with users. Within months, Seasats vehicles were completing pilot missions with the Scripps Institution and demonstrating for the US Navy. In summer 2021, the company’s fundamental focus on scalability led Seasats to participate in Techstars, one of the most prestigious startup accelerators in the world. This led into a pre-seed fundraising round, which enabled further team and product growth.
In the first half of 2022, the company took over a new manufacturing space, forayed into new markets including surveying, and participated in Trident Spectre, one of the company’s first major naval exercises.
Later that year, Seasats began operations with the U.S. Navy’s Task Force 59 and closed a seed fundraising round led by L3Harris. The company has since participated in the International Maritime Exercise and other events with Task Force 59, and L3Harris continues to be an important partner. Driven by a highly capable team, Seasats is expanding across scientific, defense, and commercial markets.