The Netherlands-based VC companies LUMO Labs and SHIFT Make investments introduced that they’ve invested €550K in Roboat, a spin-out from MIT and the Amsterdam Institute for Superior Metropolitan Options (AMS).
Roboat goals to boost city liveability by automating waterways, contributing to secure, environment friendly, and sustainable transport.
Quint van Honk, SHIFT Make investments, says, “We’re impressed by what Roboat has achieved up to now. As well as, Roboat’s autonomous transport know-how stimulates sustainable waterborne transport by addressing key points within the sector and permits extra fuel-efficient crusing. Subsequently, we’re proud to be on board.”
SHIFT Make investments invests in Roboat by means of the Thematic Know-how Switch Round fund (TTT), in collaboration with Dutch technical universities (WUR, TU/E, UT, TU Delft), TNO, and RVO. The funding in Roboat marks the tenth funding below the TTT.ai scheme.
This funding from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Make investments follows prior funding from Delft Enterprises.
The proceeds will assist Amsterdam’s Roboat to determine a place in autonomous metropolis logistics and inland waterways transport and develop the staff to realize firm targets.
Autonomy on water
Based in 2023, Roboat goals to remodel inland waterway transportation with superior autonomous navigation programs, enabling ships to autonomously understand, navigate, and carry out advanced duties.
Its AI-powered system handles heavy site visitors in city and inland waterways, serving new and retrofitted vessels for numerous functions like passenger transport, items supply, and waste assortment, thereby lowering metropolis logistics’ carbon footprint.
Transport corporations can combine Roboat programs for autonomous operations, leveraging options akin to situational consciousness, choice assist, impediment avoidance, automated docking, and autonomous crusing, all customisable by means of subscription-based providers.
Andy Lürling, Founding Accomplice LUMO Labs, says, “Cities worldwide are scuffling with transporting individuals and items over their congested roads. Waterborne transportation is an efficient various to automobiles and vans, however the scarcity of personnel and comparatively excessive OpEx is at present posing a bottleneck.”
“Roboat’s know-how presents an answer primarily based on autonomous navigation. This market is anticipated to develop tremendously, since we have to rethink our transportation programs, making it extra versatile and extra sustainable.”
Ynse Hendrik Deinema, Roboat CEO & co-founder, provides, “We’re collaborating with a number of shoppers within the Netherlands and the remainder of Europe the place our system is both supporting the skipper on the bridgedeck or is even taking full management of the navigation relying on native regulation.”
Gemeente Vervoerbedrijf (GVB), Amsterdam’s municipal public transport operator, makes use of the Roboat system for situational consciousness on the GVB IJveer, offering an additional set of eyes to assist the GVB skippers.
GVB operates metro, tram, bus, and ferry providers within the Amsterdam metropolitan space.
Sven Bakkes, Founding Accomplice LUMO Labs, says, “The know-how is exclusive and Roboat is among the few on the market who can present a dwell demonstration of excessive ranges of autonomous navigation in these advanced city waterways.”
“The staff has confirmed that they will implement the know-how in numerous vessels, below various circumstances. They’re now working in direction of a generic autonomy system, that may be extensively utilized throughout the inland transport market.”
Temporary concerning the traders
Based in 2016 by Andy Lurling and Sven Bakkes, LUMO Labs creates alternatives for impact-driven software program startups by means of its LUMO Fund II, a multi-stage capital fund specializing in startups aligned with the United Nations Sustainable Growth Targets. It helps startups in Synthetic Intelligence/Knowledge, Blockchain, the Web of Issues, Digital Safety, and Digital Actuality/Augmented Actuality.
TTT.ai, shaped in 2020, is a data and funding consortium comprising Dutch universities and LUMO Labs. It goals to advance AI improvements’ availability and relevance in society. The consortium acquired an €8M subsidy from the Netherlands Enterprise Company’s (RVO) Know-how Switch (TTT) scheme for pre-seed funding and data switch to startups.
SHIFT Make investments, based in 2009, is a Dutch affect VC fund specializing in improvements in meals & agriculture, inexperienced industries, round economic system, power transition, and sustainable mobility & logistics. The agency goals for constructive environmental affect and monetary returns, partnering with entities like Schiphol, KLM, and NS to assist entrepreneurs with sector insights and networks.
