Funding from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest Fuels Our Mission for Smarter, Sustainable Shipping
We are thrilled to announce that Roboat has secured a €550,000 investment from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest! LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest are Dutch venture capital firms committed to impact-driven innovation.
LUMO Labs focuses on emerging technologies like AI and robotics that contribute to the UN Sustainable Development Goals, offering both funding and venture-building support to startups.
SHIFT Invest backs companies driving sustainable mobility, the circular economy, and the energy transition, aiming to generate both environmental and social impact alongside financial returns. Together, these investors have joined forces to support Roboat in advancing automated navigation for inland waterway transport.
This milestone marks a major step forward in our journey to play a fundamental role in making urban waterway transport safer, smarter, and more efficient with Roboat automation systems. With this funding, we will strengthen our position in the waterborne transport market, expand our team, and further develop our technology to revolutionize city logistics and inland waterways.
At Roboat, we believe that waterways offer a powerful and underutilized alternative for urban mobility. However, challenges such as labor shortages, high operational costs, and increasing congestion have limited their full potential. Our vessel automation system provides a solution using enhancing situational awareness and supervised automated sailing that will make water transport more sustainable, efficient and safer.
Our technology is designed to be applied to both new and existing vessels, supporting a variety of operations, including passenger ferries, cargo transport, goods delivery, and waste collection. By automating navigation, we are unlocking new opportunities for cities to rethink mobility on water and reduce their dependence on congested road networks.
The support from LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest validates our vision and the progress we have made in developing cutting-edge autonomy solutions. With their investment, we will scale our impact and take Roboat to the next level.
“Cities around the world are struggling with transportation challenges, and waterborne transport is a key part of the solution. With our autonomy system, vessels can operate more efficiently and sustainably while overcoming current industry limitations,” says Ynse Deinema, CEO & Co-founder of Roboat.
LUMO Labs and SHIFT Invest bring not only funding but also strategic expertise to help us accelerate growth and expand into new markets.
“We see enormous potential in Roboat’s technology. Their autonomy system is one of the few in the industry that can demonstrate high-level autonomous navigation in complex urban waterways. We are excited to support their journey,” said Sven Bakkes, Founding Partner at LUMO Labs.
Quint van Honk from SHIFT Invest shares this: “Roboat’s technology enables more sustainable and efficient waterborne transport. Their system reduces fuel consumption and optimizes logistics, which is crucial for cities looking to improve urban mobility while lowering environmental impact.”
We are already working with multiple clients in the Netherlands and beyond, integrating our system on vessels that support operators. As we continue to scale, we are excited to automate waterborne transport in more cities worldwide.
Want to learn more? Read the full press release here.
