Seatrec Receives $30.8 Million APFIT Award to Scale Autonomous Underwater Technology
Propel(x) portfolio company Seatrec has been awarded $30.8 million through the U.S. Department of Defense’s Accelerate the Procurement and Fielding of Innovative Technologies (APFIT) program. The funding supports the production and deployment of advanced autonomous underwater systems designed to strengthen maritime operations and undersea awareness.
Powering Long-Duration Underwater Missions
Traditional underwater systems often rely on batteries that require frequent replacement or recovery, limiting mission duration and increasing operational costs.
Seatrec addresses this challenge by developing autonomous underwater systems powered by ocean thermal energy. Its technology harvests energy from natural temperature differences in the ocean, enabling underwater platforms to operate for extended periods with minimal human intervention.
This approach supports longer missions while reducing maintenance requirements, making underwater monitoring more efficient and scalable.
Scaling the Persistent Subsea Autonomous Profiler
The APFIT award will help Seatrec expand production of its Persistent Subsea Autonomous Profiler (PSAP), an autonomous underwater platform built on the company’s infiniTE™ energy-harvesting technology.
Designed for long-duration deployments, the PSAP supports a range of advanced sensing capabilities, including:
- Passive acoustic monitoring
- Seafloor mapping
- Persistent undersea surveillance
- Long-endurance autonomous operations
These capabilities improve situational awareness beneath the ocean surface and support critical maritime and defense applications.
From Successful Demonstrations to Production
Following successful pilot demonstrations and continued support from the U.S. Navy, the APFIT funding will help transition the PSAP from a validated technology into full-scale production.
Initial deliveries are expected to begin as early as the fourth quarter of 2026. The award will also support the expansion of Seatrec’s manufacturing capacity to meet increasing demand for autonomous underwater systems.
Advancing Maritime Security Through Innovation
The award represents an important milestone for Seatrec as it moves from technology validation to large-scale deployment.
Autonomous underwater systems are becoming increasingly important for maritime security, ocean monitoring, and defense operations. By combining renewable ocean energy with advanced autonomous sensing, Seatrec is helping expand the capabilities of long-duration subsea missions.
Congratulations to Dr. Yi Chao and the entire Seatrec team on this significant achievement. We look forward to following their continued progress and impact.
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