Boston's Sea Machines Robotics has raised another $10m to develop autonomous shipping systems.
The company said it had tapped Accomplice, Eniac Ventures and Toyota AI Ventures among others to invest in its stock.
Brunswick Corp, through investment partner TechNexus Venture Collaborative, NextGen VP, Geekdom Fund, LaunchCapital and LDV Capital were also involved.
It brings the total amount raised to $12.5m.
Sea Machines will now grow research and development and engineering teams and "further the company’s lead in developing advanced situational awareness systems for vessels," it said.
It is working on advanced perception and navigation assistance technology for a range of vessel types, including containerships.
In the first quarter next year, it will initiate testing on a Maersk Line newbuilding.
“I think this investment sends a strong signal on the types of technologies that will come to define the maritime industry in the future,” said Michael Rodey, senior manager at AP Moller-Maersk.
“At Toyota AI Ventures, we believe that autonomous mobility can help improve people’s lives and create new capabilities – whether on land, in the air or at sea,” added Jim Adler, founding managing director of Toyota AI Ventures.
"Sea Machines’ autonomous technology and advanced perception systems can reduce costs, improve efficiency and enhance safety in the multi-billion dollar commercial shipping industry. This marks our first investment in the maritime industry, and we’re excited to embark on this journey with Sea Machines.”
In October, Sea Machines released its first autonomous command and remote control systems, developed for the demanding challenges of vessels serving the offshore commercial and scientific sectors.
It was founded in 2015 and targets cargo vessels, workboats, security craft and ferries.
