Cosma Raises €2.5 Million to Scale Underwater Imaging Tech for Marine Biodiversity

French DeepTech startup Cosma has secured €2.5 million in funding to expand its underwater imaging technology aimed at preserving marine biodiversity. Headquartered in Nice, Cosma focuses on mapping benthic ecosystems through autonomous underwater drones and advanced AI-driven analysis.

The funding round was led by WIND and Ternel, with participation from 50 Partners, Caisse d’Épargne Côte d’Azur, and IFREMER, which originally launched the project. This raise is further bolstered by substantial public funding, including contributions from France 2030, which could potentially double the total capital secured.

Cosma’s early technology was developed within IFREMER’s underwater systems unit, where the startup continues to receive technical and scientific support. Since its founding in 2022, Cosma has focused on delivering reliable, repeatable, and easily interpretable biological data through its cloud-native platform. Its AI toolbox generates digital twins of the seafloor, capable of identifying habitats and protected species through up to 100,000 images per hectare.

This innovation plays a vital role in environmental assessments and offshore operations. Cosma’s technology helps avoid disturbance of sensitive marine species, supports underwater infrastructure integrity checks, and enhances understanding of coastal ecosystems such as seagrass meadows.

The startup’s client list already includes major entities such as RWE, EGIS, WWF, and the French Navy (Marine Nationale). Its positioning as a provider of high-resolution seafloor data aligns with growing global demand for biodiversity-focused technologies in maritime infrastructure projects.

With this new round of funding, Cosma aims to:

Industrialise its autonomous drone fleet for large-scale deep-sea exploration.

Strengthen its AI-powered software platform for processing vast marine datasets.

Expand its operations to serve both public and private clients across Europe.

As oceanic mapping remains largely incomplete—only 25% of the ocean floor is mapped in high resolution—Cosma’s work is vital in addressing the massive knowledge gap in marine biodiversity. The company aspires to become the “Google Maps of the seafloor,” enabling smarter and more sustainable use of ocean resources.