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§ Private Profile · Sunnyvale, CA, USA
Liquid Robotics is a technology company.
Liquid Robotics has raised $67.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Key people at Liquid Robotics.
Liquid Robotics has raised $67.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Liquid Robotics designs and manufactures the Wave Glider, an autonomous uncrewed surface vehicle (USV). These robots utilize wave and solar energy for persistent ocean data collection and transmission, operating for up to a year without fuel. This technology enables maritime surveillance and environmental monitoring by relaying subsea data to satellites and land, forming an essential oceanic network.
Roger Hine and Joe Rizzi co-founded Liquid Robotics in January 2007, building on Hine's 2005 invention of the Wave Glider. Their initial inspiration involved acoustic whale tracking. This evolved into a broader vision for developing self-sustaining, long-endurance autonomous platforms designed for navigating and collecting data across vast, challenging ocean environments, driven by their passion for innovative engineering.
The Wave Glider serves markets including defense and environmental assessment, delivering crucial data for operational insights and scientific understanding. Liquid Robotics envisions a "Digital Ocean," where its autonomous systems form a broad, interconnected network. This future provides ubiquitous, on-demand access to ocean data, supporting global efforts to comprehend and manage the marine environment effectively.
Liquid Robotics is a technology company specializing in ocean data services through autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs), primarily the Wave Glider, a long-endurance platform powered by wave and solar energy.[1][2][5][7] It serves science, commercial, defense, and security customers worldwide, addressing challenges like climate change monitoring, national security, hurricane/tsunami warnings, offshore energy management, environmental assessment, and maritime surveillance by breaking economic and risk barriers to persistent ocean data collection.[1][2][3][5] As a wholly owned subsidiary of The Boeing Company, it provides tailored solutions from off-the-shelf vehicles to custom integrations, with a fleet that has amassed over 1.1 million nautical miles and 131 million ocean measurements, operating in dozens of countries where international sales contribute about 40% of revenue.[3][5][6]
The company solves the problem of costly, risky manned ocean operations by enabling months-long autonomous missions that deliver real-time data via satellite, creating an "ocean network" for subsea-to-surface connectivity in unpredictable conditions.[5][7] Growth momentum includes strategic shifts toward scaled deployments and integration solutions, partnerships like NOAA CRADAs, joint ventures (e.g., with Schlumberger), and records like the longest ASV journey, positioning it as a leader in uncrewed marine tech.[2][6]
Liquid Robotics originated in the early 2000s in Sunnyvale, California, with the invention of the Wave Glider by founders including Roger Hine, who transitioned the prototype from a fish tank to ocean testing.[5][6] The idea emerged from harnessing ocean wave energy for propulsion—using a surface float and submerged "sub" with wings that convert wave motion into forward thrust, augmented by solar panels—enabling unprecedented endurance without fuel.[1][3][7] Early traction came quickly: by 2009, the first Wave Glider completed a nine-day circumnavigation of Hawaii's Big Island, gaining adoption from U.S. oceanographic institutions, NOAA, and the U.S. Navy.[6]
Pivotal moments included international expansion aided by the U.S. Commercial Service, leading to sales in over a dozen countries and Boeing's acquisition (noted around 2016 based on growth narratives).[3][4] Under CEOs like Gary Gysin and later Bill Vass, the company evolved from hardware innovation to service provider, forming ventures like Liquid Robotics Oil & Gas with Schlumberger and earning accolades such as World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer and Fast Company's top robotics innovator.[6]
Liquid Robotics rides the wave of marine autonomy and the "Digital Ocean" trend, where sensors, connectivity, AI, and cloud computing mirror terrestrial digital transformations to tackle ocean challenges like climate change, overfishing, contested maritime domains, and resource protection.[2][5] Timing is ideal amid rising geopolitical tensions, environmental crises, and demand for persistent, low-cost surveillance—uncrewed systems like Wave Gliders fill gaps in manned ops, enabling scalable networks of billions of sensors linking subsea, surface, and satellites.[5][7]
Market forces favoring it include defense budgets for ASVs, offshore energy growth, and scientific needs (e.g., NOAA partnerships); as a Boeing subsidiary, it leverages aerospace expertise for hybrid crewed/uncrewed ops.[2][3][6] It influences the ecosystem by pioneering USV markets since the 2000s, fostering industry partnerships (e.g., MTS, Schlumberger), and accelerating adoption across sectors, proving economic viability for persistent monitoring.[2][6]
Liquid Robotics is poised to dominate expanding uncrewed ocean ops, with next steps focusing on integration solutions, larger fleets (e.g., SV5 for high-latitude/power-heavy missions), and Digital Ocean networks amid surging demand for real-time maritime data.[2][5][7] Trends like AI-driven autonomy, multi-domain warfare, climate resilience, and blue economy growth will propel it, especially as threats intensify and tech converges (e.g., subsea-surface-air links).[5] Its Boeing backing and track record suggest evolving influence from innovator to ecosystem enabler, scaling deployments globally while sustaining the Wave Glider's legacy as the most battle-tested ocean robot—transforming the final frontier from barrier to data-rich domain.[1][2][6]
Liquid Robotics has raised $67.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Liquid Robotics's investors include Riverwood Capital, Chrysalix Venture Capital, VantagePoint Capital Partners, Waverley Capital, Peter Moran, Schlumberger.
Key people at Liquid Robotics.
Liquid Robotics has raised $67.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $45.0M Series E in March 2013.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 1, 2013 | $45M Series E | Riverwood Capital | Chrysalix Venture Capital, VantagePoint Capital Partners, Waverley Capital, Peter Moran | Announced |
| Jun 1, 2011 | $22M Series D | VantagePoint Capital Partners | Chrysalix Venture Capital, Waverley Capital, Peter Moran, Schlumberger | Announced |
