The company building underwater drones for $50,000

Autonomous underwater robotics are poised to transform ocean operations by shifting from episodic, high-cost manual missions to persistent, routine robotic presence. Ulysses, led by co-founder Will O'Brien, develops modular underwater drones and autonomous surface vessels designed to reduce operational costs by two orders of magnitude. While initially targeting seagrass restoration—a vital but under-funded carbon sink—the company now addresses critical needs in defense and offshore energy, including mine countermeasures and infrastructure monitoring. By vertically integrating production and leveraging consumer electronics supply chains, the company aims to scale manufacturing to millions of units. This shift mirrors the development of other frontiers, where lowering the cost of access unlocks new industries and ensures the security of vital assets like trans-oceanic fiber optic cables, which currently remain vulnerable to accidental or intentional disruption.