Deep Blue Ventures, a venture capital fund specialising in deeptech technologies managed by Deep Ocean Capital SGR, announces an investment in Fluid Wire Robotics, an innovative start-up engaged in the development of advanced robotic arms for extreme environments, including radioactive zones, explosive atmospheres, underwater spaces and the space void.
The investment represents the second phase of a €1.2 million funding round led by lead investor RoboIT, and Polo Nazionale di Trasferimento Tecnologico per la Robotica e l’Automazione Industriale (National Technology Transfer Centre for Robotics and Industrial Automation), set up on the initiative of CDP Venture Capital, with the participation of Scientifica Venture Capital and Pariter Robotics.
Deep Blue Ventures’ entry, which concludes the round, further reinforces the start-up’s growth strategy, aimed at validating the technology in real-world contexts, refining its robotic solutions and expanding its presence in key markets, including the nuclear, space and underwater sectors.
For Deep Blue Ventures, Fluid Wire Robotics is the sixth investment since its debut in May 2023. The fund, set up to support start-ups, spin-offs and more generally innovation initiatives in the aerospace, healthcare and sustainability sectors, expects to close four more deals by the first half of 2025.
Fluid Wire Robotics, founded as a spin-off of the Scuola Superiore Sant’Anna in Pisa, is a virtuous example of technology transfer between university and industry. La startup, grazie alla sua tecnologia di trasmissione proprietaria, chiamata Fluid Wire, sviluppa bracci robotici elettrici modulari capaci di affrontare le sfide degli ambienti più estremi esistenti al mondo, come zone radioattive, lo spazio, ambienti sottomarini e atmosfere esplosive.
The start-up’s mission is to set a new standard in robotics for extreme environments, combining performance, reliability and versatility. Adapting traditional robots to extreme environments involves significant design complexities and high costs, as it requires ad-hoc solutions for each context, limiting their versatility. To meet these challenges, Fluid Wire Robotics has designed a modular, electrically powered manipulator arm capable of operating in any extreme conditions. Fluid Wire Robotics’ proprietary technology redefines reliability standards by eliminating the risks associated with the presence of sensitive components, such as motors and sensors, inside the robotic arm. These elements, traditionally incompatible with hostile environments, are located in an external unit and therefore protected from aggressive environmental conditions. The innovative design of the robotic arm allows for a hollow structure, free of elements that are prone to overheating, radiation or can cause explosions, guaranteeing unprecedented reliability. The transmission of power from the housing to the arm is via a proprietary hydrostatic system, the ‘Fluid Wires’, which enables very high performance in terms of dexterity and accuracy of control of the forces exchanged with the surrounding environment.
“Fluid Wire Robotics represents a concrete answer to the most complex challenges of advanced robotics, with a unique technology that combines reliability, modularity and safety in extreme environments, enabling sustainable, high-performance solutions in critical contexts such as nuclear, space and underwater operations. This project demonstrates how Italian ingenuity, supported by targeted partnerships, can establish itself as a leader in global automation and contribute to redefining the future of robotics in sectors that are fundamental to the country’s economic and technological growth,’ says Paolo Cellini, key man in charge of the investment and member of board of Deep Ocean Capital, pictured here with the team, in a note.
“We are thrilled to welcome Deep Blue Ventures among our investors, whose contribution brings our investment round to a total value of €1.2 million,” says Marco Bolignari, CEO and co-founder of Fluid Wire Robotics. “Our fundraising target has thus been successfully reached and we are delighted that the group of investors who have believed in Fluid Wire Robotics has further expanded. Our innovation journey is thus given further impetus in this second investment phase, leading us to implement an even more ambitious and extensive technological development plan.”
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