---
title: Italian robotics startup Mirai raises $4.2M to build autonomous vessels for a maritime industry running out of crew
description: Italian AI robotics startup Mirai Robotics has closed a $4.2 million pre-seed round led by Primo Ventures to build autonomous surface vessels and maritime intelligence platforms for surveillance and offshore operations.
author: Darie Nani (Editor-in-Chief)
date: 2026-03-08T23:00:00.000Z
updated: 2026-05-22T08:08:12.256Z
canonical: https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/mirai-robotics-raises-4-2m-autonomous-maritime-vessels
image: https://cdn.nanimediahouse.com/mirai-asv.webp
categories: Startups, Science & Tech
content_type: Spotlight
region: Italy
publication: Sovereign Magazine
about:
  - type: Organization
    name: Mirai Robotics
    description: Mirai Robotics is an Italian AI robotics company building software-defined autonomous surface vessels and maritime intelligence platforms. Founded in Puglia, the company develops dock-to-dock autonomy systems for surveillance, patrolling, monitoring, and inspection in coastal and offshore environments. Its modular autonomy stack can also be integrated into third-party vessels.
    url: https://miraitech.ai/
    industry: AI Robotics / Maritime Technology
    sameAs:
      - https://www.linkedin.com/company/mirai-robotics/
      - https://x.com/mirairobotic
---

More than 80 per cent of global trade moves by sea. Around 95 per cent of international internet traffic travels through subsea cables. The [blue economy](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/marine-based-carbon-removal-drives-demand-for-advanced-monitoring-technologies) is worth an estimated $2.5 trillion and is forecast to exceed $4 trillion by 2030. Yet the industry that underpins all of this still operates on models designed decades ago — with a shrinking, ageing workforce and almost no autonomous capability.

Mirai Robotics, a Puglia-based AI robotics company, has raised $4.2 million in pre-seed funding to change that. The round — one of the largest pre-seed raises in Italy's robotics and deep-tech sector — was led by [Primo Ventures](https://primo.vc/), Techshop, and 40Jemz Ventures, with participation from Italian and international angel investors.

## What Mirai is building

The company develops software-defined autonomous surface vessels and an AI-powered maritime intelligence platform. Its systems combine advanced sensing, autonomous navigation, remote supervision, and layered safety controls, and are designed to run continuously in real maritime conditions — not just in calm-water demos.

Mirai has already built two autonomous vehicles targeting ISR (Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance) and patrolling in both coastal and offshore environments. The vessels can operate as standalone units or as part of distributed fleets, and are set to begin deploying in 2026.

Alongside its own platforms, Mirai offers modular autonomy and control solutions that can be integrated into third-party vessels — allowing shipyards and operators to adopt autonomous technology without redesigning their existing fleets.

## The workforce problem driving demand

The maritime sector faces a structural shortage of qualified professionals. Thousands of operational roles go unfilled, and the average age of captains and operators continues to rise. For an industry that requires round-the-clock presence in hazardous environments, a model that depends entirely on human crews is becoming difficult to sustain at scale.

Mirai's systems are designed to reduce human exposure to risk while enabling persistent operations — continuous surveillance, patrolling, monitoring, and inspection — at significantly lower cost than crewed alternatives.

## Why Italy

The founders chose to base the company in Puglia deliberately. Italy is a global leader in shipbuilding and marine engineering, with deep expertise across defence, yachting, offshore, and marine infrastructure. Mirai sits at the intersection of that industrial heritage and a new generation of robotics and AI.

![Luciano Belviso and Luca Mascaro, co-founders of Mirai Robotics](media:4559)

The company was founded by Luciano Belviso, Luca Mascaro, and Davide Dattoli. Belviso previously built Blackshape, a firm in [aircraft design and manufacturing](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/from-skype-to-starship-how-tech-veterans-are-building-the-next-billion-dollar-service-economy) later acquired by Angel Holding. Mascaro founded Sketchin, a design and technology firm acquired by BIP Group, where he served as Chief Innovation Officer. Dattoli founded Talent Garden, a European tech education and coworking network.

> "The sea is one of the last major physical infrastructures not yet governed by software. Autonomy is the key to finally making the oceans safe and usable, but it must be implemented through systems capable of operating continuously and safely in extreme environments."
> — Luciano Belviso, CEO of Mirai Robotics

## What the money is for

The $4.2 million will fund continued technology development, team expansion, and pilot projects with industrial and institutional partners. Mirai describes itself as an AI robotics lab rather than a vertical solution provider — an approach that positions it to license its autonomy stack across multiple sectors under a [dual-use model](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/how-a-seven-year-old-startup-just-landed-a-1-1b-defense-contract-that-could-reshape-military-), serving both civil and defence customers.

"The maritime domain is at an inflection point," said Gianluca Dettori, Partner at Primo Capital and lead investor in the round. "The human capital gap alone — thousands of unfilled roles, ageing workforces, increasing operational risk — makes the status quo unsustainable. Italy's shipbuilding heritage combined with this calibre of robotics and AI talent creates a genuinely unique opportunity."

### More on European Hardware Startups

- [Austrian Startup REPS Secures Backing to Turn Roads Into Power Plants](https://www.sovereignmagazine.com/article/austrian-startup-reps-secures-backing-to-turn-roads-into-power-plants)

## FAQ

**Q: What are autonomous maritime systems?**
Autonomous maritime systems are vessels and platforms that can navigate, operate, and carry out missions at sea with minimal or no human crew on board. They use a combination of sensors, AI-based navigation, and remote supervision to perform tasks such as surveillance, patrolling, inspection, and cargo transport in coastal and offshore environments.

**Q: Are autonomous boats legal?**
The regulatory framework for autonomous vessels is still developing. The International Maritime Organisation (IMO) has been working on a regulatory scoping exercise for Maritime Autonomous Surface Ships (MASS), and several countries have established test zones and provisional frameworks. Most current deployments operate under supervised autonomy with remote human oversight, which falls within existing maritime regulations.

**Q: What is the blue economy and how big is it?**
The blue economy encompasses all economic activity related to the oceans, seas, and coastal areas — including shipping, fishing, offshore energy, marine biotechnology, and tourism. It is currently valued at more than $2.5 trillion globally and is projected to exceed $4 trillion by 2030, according to international estimates.

**About Mirai Robotics**

Mirai Robotics is an Italian AI robotics company building software-defined autonomous surface vessels and maritime intelligence platforms. Founded in Puglia, the company develops dock-to-dock autonomy systems for surveillance, patrolling, monitoring, and inspection in coastal and offshore environments. Its modular autonomy stack can also be integrated into third-party vessels.

[Website](https://miraitech.ai/)