Posted on May 7, 2025
With over 80 million nautical miles of visual data, the startup aims to lead the future of autonomous shipping.
In a world increasingly shaped by artificial intelligence, one of the most conservative and slow-moving industries—the global shipping sector—is beginning to transform. Orca AI, an Israeli-founded maritime technology startup, announced Tuesday that it has secured $72.5 million in Series B funding—a significant show of confidence in its vision for AI-assisted, semi-autonomous cargo vessels navigating the world’s oceans.
The round, led by growth equity firm Brighton Park Capital, brings Orca AI’s total funding to $111 million. The company said the new capital will accelerate development of its core autonomy platform and support expansion into new categories, including defense and security. Existing investors Ankona Capital and Hyperlink Ventures participated in the round, while OCV Partners and Mizmaa Ventures contributed to earlier funding stages.
Founded in 2018 by Yarden Gross and Dor Raviv, Orca AI sits at the intersection of artificial intelligence and maritime logistics. Its platform, already deployed on more than 1,200 commercial vessels, uses computer vision and machine learning to enhance navigational safety, improve fuel efficiency, and lay the groundwork for increased automation in global shipping.
Orca AI’s flagship system fuses onboard cameras and sensors with what it claims is the world’s largest marine visual dataset—compiled from over 80 million nautical miles of footage. This is combined with real-time cloud connectivity to create an AI-based decision support tool. The system is designed to detect hazards that are often missed by human crews, suggest evasive maneuvers, and continuously learn from new data.
“At Orca AI, we are constantly pushing the boundaries of what is possible when AI supports human decision-making at sea,” said Yarden Gross, CEO and Co-Founder of Orca AI. “Over the past two years, ships have become increasingly connected to the cloud, enabling large-scale data collection and unlocking the potential of AI. Orca AI is leading this transformation, deploying advanced AI technologies that make vessels smarter, safer, and more automated.”
According to the company, ships using its alert system saw a 54% reduction in “close encounter” events—incidents where vessels come dangerously close to one another—compared to previous periods. This improved safety record also brings downstream economic and environmental gains. Orca AI estimates that optimized routing and fuel use cut average fuel costs by $100,000 per vessel per year and avoided 195,000 tons of CO₂ emissions in 2024 alone.
Orca AI’s technology is used by leading global shipping firms, including MSC, NYK, Scorpio, and Seaspan, and is increasingly seen as a core operational layer for maritime fleets navigating congested waters. The company’s ambition to lead the shift toward autonomous shipping gained credibility in 2022, when it partnered with The Nippon Foundation and DFFAS (Designing the Future of Full Autonomous Ships) to complete the world’s first commercial autonomous voyage.
That milestone came amid a broader evolution in maritime infrastructure. Historically, ships have operated with limited data flow due to high-latency satellite communications. But the emergence of high-bandwidth, low-latency services like Starlink has enabled real-time data transmission even in remote waters—unlocking new possibilities for AI-powered situational awareness and autonomy at sea.
While Orca AI has built its reputation in commercial shipping, its expansion into defense and security signals a new chapter. The company has not disclosed specific plans, but its core technology—AI-enhanced visual perception and autonomous navigation—could serve a range of military and dual-use applications as maritime forces increasingly explore unmanned and semi-autonomous systems. Both founders are veterans of the Israeli Navy, and Orca AI today works with the Israeli Navy.
