Mirai Robotics raises USD $4.2m for autonomous ships

Mirai Robotics has raised $4.2 million in pre-seed funding as it develops autonomous vessels and maritime AI systems for commercial and institutional use.

The Italian startup builds software-defined autonomous vessels and a maritime intelligence platform. Its systems are designed for continuous operation in real maritime conditions, and can be deployed as complete platforms or integrated into existing third-party vessels through modular autonomy and control products.

The round was led by Primo Capital, alongside Techshop and 40Jemz Ventures, with participation from Italian and international angel investors. Mirai described it as one of Italy's largest pre-seed equity rounds for robotics and deep tech.

Headquartered in Puglia with a base in Milan, Mirai is positioning itself around dual-use applications spanning civil and institutional needs. It is targeting work including monitoring, surveillance, patrolling, inspection, and control in coastal and offshore environments.

Product focus

Mirai has developed two autonomous vehicles for different operational needs, designed for intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, as well as patrolling scenarios.

The vessels integrate sensing, autonomous navigation, remote control, and safety features. Mirai also develops autonomy, navigation, and control systems that can be integrated into third-party platforms, allowing operators to add autonomy without redesigning existing fleets.

Alongside the robotic systems, the company has built a maritime intelligence and mission management platform, which it says provides persistent domain awareness and supervised autonomy for uncrewed operations across inshore-to-offshore missions.

Mirai says its combined hardware and software stack addresses constraints such as limited continuous observability, exposure to risk, and reliance on human operators. It also points to workforce shortages as a structural challenge, with operational roles proving difficult to fill.

Italian base

Mirai links its location strategy to Italy's shipbuilding and maritime engineering base across defence, yachting, offshore, and marine infrastructure. It aims to build a European centre of excellence for maritime autonomy from Puglia.

Mirai was founded by Luciano Belviso, Luca Mascaro, and Davide Dattoli. Belviso is CEO and previously built and led industrial companies including aircraft designer and manufacturer Blackshape, later acquired by Angel Holding.

Mascaro previously founded Sketchin, which was acquired by the BIP Group. He later served as Chief Innovation Officer at BIP Group, working on digital products and technology platforms. Dattoli founded Talent Garden and is also an investor.

Mirai says it has assembled a pan-European team with expertise in AI, robotics, complex systems, and mission-critical operations, and is collaborating with universities and research centres.

Use of funds

The funding will support technology development, hiring, and pilot projects with industrial and institutional partners. Mirai did not disclose valuation, revenue, or timelines for commercial deployment.

Interest in maritime autonomy has been rising across Europe as shipping, offshore energy, and infrastructure operators look for new ways to inspect and monitor assets. Security concerns have also sharpened the focus on surveillance, particularly around ports and subsea infrastructure such as cables and pipelines.

Mirai positions its approach as an effort to bring software-driven automation to a sector that remains difficult to digitise, framing autonomy as an engineering and industrial challenge rather than a purely software one.

"The sea is one of the last major physical infrastructures not yet governed by software," said CEO Luciano Belviso. "Autonomy is the key to finally making the oceans safe and usable, unlocking enormous resources and addressing critical security challenges. But it must be implemented through systems capable of operating continuously and safely in extreme environments. This is a technological and industrial challenge that requires a true robotics-lab approach."

Primo Capital partner Gianluca Dettori said the sector is at a turning point, citing the scale of the maritime economy and the limits of existing operating models.

"The maritime domain is at an inflection point. We're looking at a huge economy that still relies on operational models designed decades ago. The human capital gap alone-thousands of unfilled roles, aging workforces, increasing operational risk-makes the status quo unsustainable. What Mirai Robotics is building isn't just automation; it's the fundamental infrastructure layer that will allow the blue economy to scale safely and efficiently. Italy's shipbuilding heritage combined with this caliber of robotics and AI talent creates a genuinely unique opportunity," Dettori said.

Mirai plans to expand pilots with industrial and institutional partners as it continues developing its autonomous vessels and mission management software.