PierSight, a space-tech company building a constellation of Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Automatic Identification System (AIS) satellites for 24/7, all‑weather maritime intelligence, today announced it has secured additional capital in a seed extension. This latest round brings the company’s total funding to US$8 million.
Strengthening Resources and Strategic Partnerships
“We now have the necessary resources in place to reach our upcoming targets,” said Gaurav Seth, Co‑founder & CEO of PierSight. “This round was about welcoming partners who bring frontline experience in ocean sustainability and port operations and can help us build a world‑class team.”
The new investment comes from the Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) and its venture arm, Seabird Ventures. It also includes CE-Ventures, the corporate venture capital platform of Crescent Enterprises, along with leading technology operators Nandan Reddy (Co-founder, Swiggy), Natasha Malpani Oswal (Investor, Boundless), and Sahil Lavingia (Founder, Gumroad).
Supporting Global Ocean Sustainability Goals
The company’s mission aligns with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using ocean and marine resources. This connection has attracted like-minded backers.
“Our mission aligns well with UN Sustainable Development Goal 14, which focuses on conserving and sustainably using the oceans and marine resources. Sustainable Ocean Alliance’s investment is a strong signal that we take this mission seriously,” added Seth.
Moreover, CE-Ventures’ involvement brings significant operational experience to the table. “It’s a powerful validation to have CE-Ventures as a backer, given that its parent, Crescent Enterprises, operates the region’s largest privately-owned independent port operator through its subsidiary, Gulftainer,” said Vinit Bansal, Co-founder & CTO of PierSight.
Collaborating to Tackle Maritime Challenges
PierSight is actively collaborating with a wide network of stakeholders. These include coastguards, insurers, shipping lines, port operators, and ocean conservation NGOs. Together, they aim to address maritime challenges such as monitoring Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs), detecting Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated (IUU) Fishing, oil spill tracking, dark-vessel detection, and marine insurance fraud.
This collaborative approach ensures the company’s technology will serve both environmental and commercial interests.
Enabling Scalable Conservation Outcomes
Industry leaders believe PierSight’s solutions could have a major global impact.
“PierSight’s ocean-focused satellite constellation will be highly scalable for conservation outcomes by exposing the ‘dark side’ of ocean activities like illegal fishing and offshore pollution dumping. Enforcing ocean regulations and achieving full ocean monitoring by 2030 is an area where conservationists, governments, and large ocean industries are eager to collaborate,” stated Matt Mulrennan, Head of Investments, Sustainable Ocean Alliance.
Innovating in Maritime Satellite Intelligence
The company’s technical innovation has drawn praise from key investors.
“PierSight is pioneering a new frontier in satellite-based maritime intelligence with its innovative use of Synthetic Aperture Radar technology. Gaurav and Vinit’s technical depth, combined with their proactive business thinking, has been remarkable. We are proud to support a team that’s building the next-generation ocean observability stack, addressing critical challenges in global shipping, security, and environmental tracking,” commented Sudarshan Pareek, Senior Vice President and Head of Ventures at CE-Ventures.
Upcoming Launches and Technology Milestones
PierSight has already achieved significant milestones. The company launched its technology demonstration satellite, Varuna, in December 2024 and qualified payload subsystems to TRL-7.
Looking ahead, its first commercial SAR + AIS (VDES-enabled) satellite is scheduled for a mid-2026 launch. In parallel, PierSight is developing its maritime analytics platform, MATSYA, set for release in Q4 2025. Additionally, a drone-borne SAR system is in flight testing, with commercial availability expected by the end of 2025.
