News

Euroatlas' Foxtrot hydraulically powered AUV began underwater tests off the German coast in April 2026.   Euroatlas, a German manufacturer of unmanned maritime systems, told Janes that its hydrogen-powered Foxtrot variant of the Grey Shark autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) has commenced in-water testing. Grey Shark Foxtrot   Verineia Codrean, Head of Strategy and Partnerships at Euroatlas, told Janes at the Clarion Defence Underwater Defence Technology (UDT) Exhibition held in London from April 14 to 16, 2026, that the Grey Shark Foxtrot began its first water quality tests in the waters off Damp near Kiel during the week starting April 6. She added that testing continued at the SeaSEC Submarine Safety Experimental Centre near Rostock, Germany, in the week starting April 13.   Euroatlas is testing the hydrogen-powered endurance of the Grey Shark Foxtrot. Codrean stated that it has an endurance of 16 weeks, approximately 8,000 nautical miles, at a speed of 4 knots. She added that at a maximum sustained speed of 10 knots, its endurance is reduced to six days.   Codrean said this underwater test marks a milestone, as the propulsion system and other systems of the Foxtrot had only been tested on land prior to reaching Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 4. According to Euroatlas data, the Foxtrot is operable at depths of up to 4,000 meters.   Thiago Camargo, Chief Technology Officer of Euroatlas, stated that the circulation pump used to maintain the fuel mixture ratio of the Foxtrot does generate noise. He added that the noise level is not significantly higher than that of the Bravo power system, but the team is assessing whether the pump creates detectable signatures for the AUV under different operating conditions. "So far, it has not been an issue," Camargo said.

In the spring of 2026, marine science and technology have turned the spotlight onto an entirely new concept: **cross-medium technology**.   Recently, the Zhejiang Provincial Department of Marine Economy Development released the proposed project approval list for 2026 marine industry science and technology projects. A project led by Hangzhou Aohai Marine Engineering Technology Co., Ltd., and jointly applied by the East China Sea Laboratory and Zhejiang University — *Research on Cross-Medium Underwater Embodied Intelligent Robot Technology* — has been selected as a **major project** without suspense.   Traditionally, underwater robots (ROVs/AUVs) operate in the deep sea, quadruped robots run on land, and drones fly in the sky. They operate independently and never interfere with one another. Yet what Hangzhou Aohai aims to achieve is to break down this physical dimensional barrier.   ---   ### From Specialized, Refined, Distinctive and Innovative Enterprises to Amphibious Operation: An Imperative Evolution If you followed tech buzzwords in 2025, you will be familiar with the fact that **deep-sea science and technology** was written into the government work report for the first time. However, favorable policy trends are only a catalyst; the real driving force comes from urgent pain points in the industrial frontline.   For a long time, complex scenarios including coastal inspection, amphibious rescue and cross-domain logistics have remained the **Bermuda Triangle** of marine equipment. A purely underwater robot cannot move an inch on the rocks and mud of the intertidal zone; an unmanned ground vehicle can only watch helplessly at shallow waters. This disconnection of the "last mile" has created a huge gap in operational efficiency.   This is exactly the breakthrough point of Hangzhou Aohai’s approved project. Centered on **sea-land integration**, the project strives to develop a genuine marine embodied intelligent agent. This is far more than simply equipping robots with wheels or fins; it requires the robot to achieve a **seamless switch** of perception systems, power systems and even decision logic the moment it leaps from water onto land.   Notably, in February shortly ago, the team of Qu Juntian from the Tsinghua University Laboratory of Marine Soft Robotics and Intelligent Sensing launched an **intelligent bionic amphibious turtle robot**. By imitating turtle flippers, it realizes stable movement on complex intertidal terrain, with a real-time terrain classification accuracy of up to 99.17%.   The academic exploration and industrial breakthrough efforts have formed a remarkable resonance in the spring of 2026. This indicates that the penetration of embodied intelligence into the marine field is accelerating from laboratory **concept verification** to engineering **practical application**.   ---   ### The Marine Era of Embodied Intelligence: Going Beyond Depth, Focusing on Cross-Medium Operation As soon as the project list was announced, the industry’s focus was not merely on "embodied intelligence", but on its prefix: **cross-medium**.   Ye Cong, Director of the 702 Research Institute of China State Shipbuilding Corporation, offered a sobering observation on the integration of AI and deep-sea equipment: the marine environment is completely different from the terrestrial environment, imposing extremely special requirements on algorithms. Speaking of the popular embodied intelligence today, he noted that we have long developed bionic robotic fish, bionic crabs and other devices, which are prototypes of embodied intelligence. The current breakthrough lies in how to leverage their advantages of quiet operation, energy efficiency and low disturbance to adapt to unstructured, drastically changing extreme environments.   Hangzhou Aohai’s project precisely hits this core point.   The project’s proposed research areas of **fine deep-sea detection** and **coastal inspection** appear to be two separate scenarios, yet they address the same technical bottleneck: both the thousands-of-meters-deep ocean and the wave-splashed shore are **unstructured environments**. For robots, there are no smooth roads or fixed reference frames here.   Judging from the full released list, Zhejiang is mapping out a grand strategic layout. Besides Aohai’s project, the East China Sea Laboratory has been approved for two projects: *Research on Key Technologies for In-situ Fine Detection of Deep Seabed Based on Large UUVs* and *Deep-Sea Intelligent Multi-Beam Bathymetric Sonar Based on UUVs*, both targeting the intelligent upgrading and domestic substitution of deep-sea equipment. Meanwhile, Okai Intelligent Vessel recently set a new record for the largest single financing in China’s autonomous surface vehicle sector, and the commercialization of unmanned surface vessels is advancing at a rapid pace.   These signals form a clear industrial landscape: if 2025 marked the breakout year for terrestrial humanoid robots, 2026 may well be the turning point when **marine embodied intelligence** transitions from concepts to industrialization. Unlike humanoid robots pursuing a human-like form, marine robots aim to be **bio-like** — capable of flying, swimming and crawling.   ---   ### Qiantang’s Ambition: From Manufacturing Base to Innovation Hub Turning our attention back to the project leader, Hangzhou Aohai Marine Engineering Technology Co., Ltd. Rooted in Hangzhou Qiantang District, this enterprise is a typical technology-driven player in Zhejiang’s marine economic landscape.   As one of the province’s first and the city’s only provincial pilot zone for marine economy doubling platforms, Qiantang District has gathered 76 marine-themed enterprises, with output value of marine-related products reaching 1.12 billion yuan, a year-on-year increase of 11.8%. Aohai’s acquisition of this provincial major project is equivalent to planting a nuclear-grade seed in this industrial ecosystem.   The project partners, the East China Sea Laboratory and Zhejiang University, represent Zhoushan’s scientific research strengths and industrial testing foundations in deep-sea detection and marine equipment, as well as the academic height of basic research respectively. This "enterprise + laboratory + university" iron triangle structure directly addresses the biggest pain point of current marine equipment industrialization: cutting-edge technologies lack application scenarios, while application scenarios lack applicable technologies.   The R&D of cross-medium underwater embodied intelligent robots is essentially a competition for the right to define next-generation marine operational equipment. While Norway and the United States are still focusing on single-medium deep-sea equipment, Chinese research teams are exploring full-domain operational capabilities covering sea, land and air. This generational gap underpins Zhejiang’s strategy of building a strong marine province and seizing the commanding heights of marine science and technology.   After all, future marine competition will not be about who can dive deeper, but about who can perform operations more intelligently in complex environments.

New Capital Injection into the Underwater Robot Sector   Located in Nanshan District, Shenzhen, an enterprise specializing in underwater intelligent devices has just secured a new round of capital investment.   Recently, Shenzhen Chasing Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. announced the successful completion of its Series C financing round, with a funding amount of nearly 100 million yuan. Liwan Capital is the lead investor of this round.   The funds will be invested in multiple key links. Technological research and development as well as product upgrading are the core priorities. Resource support will also be provided for supply chain system optimization, manufacturing capacity improvement, overseas market expansion, and the refinement of industrial solutions.   Eight Years of Development: Starting from Consumer-Grade Products to a Dual-Driven Model   In the spring of 2016, Chasing Innovation was founded in Shenzhen. Initially, the team focused on the consumer-grade underwater drone market and launched a series of portable products based on its expertise in hardware design and user experience.   With technological accumulation and market validation, the company has gradually expanded its product lines. Today, Chasing Innovation has built a diversified product matrix, including industrial-grade ROVs for professional scenarios, underwater drones for public imaging needs, pool cleaning robots for household scenarios, and intelligent fish-finding devices integrated with leisure fishing.   This layout has formed a clear dual-driven model. On the industrial side, its products are applied in emergency rescue, ship inspection, environmental monitoring, scientific research and exploration, and other fields. On the consumer side, it continues to expand mass markets such as underwater photography and intelligent cleaning. Over the past eight years, the company's core products have undergone multiple iterations and have now evolved to the eighth generation.   Technological Moat and Global Market Footprint   Chasing Innovation's independent core R&D capabilities underpin the evolution of its products. The company has gained advantages in flight control systems, motion control, underwater image processing, hardware integration and mass production. In recent years, its R&D focus has further shifted to cutting-edge fields including underwater perception, autonomous decision-making, and anti-current communication.   Taking its industrial-grade product Qianjiao X100 as an example, this device is the world's first intelligent omni-directional anti-current underwater robot released by Chasing Innovation at the 7th International Exhibition on Diving, Salvage and Marine Engineering Equipment. It features a maximum diving depth of 350 meters and a speed of 4.5 knots. It can automatically identify the direction and speed of water currents, adjust its posture and heading in real time, maintain stable operation even in complex waters, and support 180-degree all-round underwater shooting.   In terms of market presence, Chasing Innovation's products have entered more than 100 countries and regions worldwide. In 2025, the company was recognized as a national-level Specialized, Refined, Differential and Innovative "Little Giant" Enterprise, demonstrating the recognition of its professional capabilities in niche sectors.   Cross-Disciplinary Team with Huawei Background   The company employs approximately 300 staff members, among whom the R&D team has over 80 employees. Most core members have work experience at enterprises including Huawei, BYD and CSIC, integrating expertise in consumer electronics, industrial manufacturing and marine engineering.   Zhang Xun, founder and CEO, graduated from Jilin University. He previously served as a senior expert in Huawei's Core Algorithm Department and has long been engaged in robot control and algorithm optimization. Around 2014, he began working with aerial drones, which laid a foundation for his later entry into consumer-grade intelligent hardware.   Zhou Changgen, co-founder and general manager, also graduated from Jilin University. He was previously in charge of quality operation management for Huawei Japan and has rich experience in corporate operation and process control. Another co-founder Yang Yang comes from HiSilicon Technologies, once serving as a mobile phone chip project manager, and is well-versed in global marketing and brand operation mechanisms.   Continuous Recognition from the Capital Market   According to data from Qichacha, Chasing Innovation has completed nine rounds of financing since its establishment, with this Series C financing being the ninth round. Its previous investors include Yinxingu Capital, Haofang Venture Capital, Shenzhen Venture Capital, Investment Holding Donghai, Plum Ventures, Qianhai Mother Fund, Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industry Investment, Chenfeng Capital, Zhengxi Anhua and many other institutions.   From early venture capital supporting technological verification to later industrial capital focusing on scale expansion and in-depth market cultivation, the financing history reflects the changing demands of the enterprise at different development stages. The participation of Liwan Capital this time may indicate greater moves by the company in product upgrading and scenario expansion.   Future Outlook for Underwater Intelligent Devices   Driven by growing demand in marine economy, underwater infrastructure, environmental protection monitoring and leisure consumption, the underwater robot sector is attracting increasing attention. To some extent, the development path of Chasing Innovation reflects the evolution logic of this sector: starting from relatively standardized consumer-grade products and gradually penetrating into higher-tech, more complex industrial-grade fields.   Technological iteration is accelerating, and lightweight design, intelligent perception, long battery life and low-cost manufacturing have become common research directions for the industry. It remains to be seen whether Chasing Innovation can make further breakthroughs in core technologies and global market layout with this round of financing.   For the entire underwater intelligent device industry, capital support for an enterprise with a complete product matrix, technological accumulation and market foundation may mean more intensive innovation and fiercer competition in the sector.

Deep-sea technology was written into the Government Work Report for the first time in 2025. During the 2026 Two Sessions, Hu Zhen, chief designer of the **Deep Sea Warrior** submersible, together with business representatives, unanimously focused on the same issue: while technologies have advanced to the 10,000-meter abyssal zone, the industry is stuck at the "last mile".   This is not the opening of a science fiction novel, but an ongoing industrial reality. As the **Striver** submersible completed seabed landing at 10,909 meters, and the Deep Sea Warrior recovered Ming Dynasty cultural relics dating back 500 years from 1,500 meters deep sea with a 95% domestic localization rate, China's deep-sea technology has ranked among the world's top tier. Behind the booming progress lies a stark contrast: on one hand, capital markets are eagerly anticipating a 40 billion-yuan market scale of underwater robots by 2027; on the other hand, there is the awkward reality of insufficient momentum for engineering application promotion and remaining bottlenecks in core technologies.   The real opportunity does not lie in record-breaking deep submergence itself, but in bridging the **valley of death** between laboratory prototypes and commercialized products. This paper analyzes the actual landscape of the deep-sea industry breakthrough from four dimensions: extreme challenges of equipment independence, scenario-driven growth of unmanned systems, hidden champions of core components, and restructuring of pilot verification systems, and attempts to answer: where should capital and entrepreneurs go?   ## Eye of the Storm: From "Being Able to Dive Down" to "Being Affordable to Use" The deep sea is never a gentle haven. 450 atmospheres of pressure, icy temperatures of 0–4°C, hydrothermal vents above 200°C, and pitch-black darkness with zero visibility — this is the extreme battlefield Hu Zhen, chief designer of the Deep Sea Warrior, faces every day. Titanium alloy materials, ultra-high pressure seawater pumps, and buoyancy materials were all once bottlenecks subject to foreign control.   The real turning point came after the domestic localization rate exceeded 95%. As the industrial chain was activated and costs declined, commercialization became feasible. Over the past few years, the investment logic of deep-sea technology has quietly shifted: from state-led breakthroughs in individual major national equipment to market-driven systematic deployment of infrastructure.   In March 2026, China's independently developed new-generation multi-functional deepwater marine engineering vessel was launched in Qidong, Jiangsu. This massive vessel, 126 meters long, equipped with a 400-ton offshore crane and a pre-installed 3,000-ton cable reel, covers offshore and abyssal waters for maximum operation depth. Its core capabilities support 300-meter offshore engineering and 1,000-meter deep-sea auxiliary operations, with unrestricted navigation across global seas. Its launch sends a clear signal: deep-sea development is transforming from "exploration" to "infrastructure construction". Only when equipment can be standardized and mass-produced for marine deployment like construction machinery can the industrial scale truly expand.   ## Unmanned Operation: The 40 Billion-Yuan Ambition of Underwater Robots "Deep-sea unmanned systems are the core support for building a maritime power." The statement by Jiao Qisen, deputy to the National People's Congress and chairman of China Jing'an Co., Ltd., points to a booming track.   Data speaks volumes: Jiao Qisen disclosed that China's underwater robot market scale exceeded 10 billion yuan in 2024, and the industry forecasts it will reach 40 billion yuan by 2027. The fourfold growth in three years is driven by three factors: - **Stock replacement**: Manned deep submergence is costly and high-risk, so unmanned systems have become the preferred choice for routine operations. - **Scenario expansion**: Rapid penetration from early scientific research and military applications to offshore wind power maintenance, submarine cable inspection, deep-sea mining exploration, underwater cleaning, and fishery breeding. - **Technological compound growth**: Spillovers in AI, battery and communication technologies have advanced underwater robots from remote operation to autonomous operation.   Capital has the sharpest sense of smell. In March 2026, Dongtu Technology invested 13 million yuan in Jiaxing Yubo Fund, whose sole target is Shihang Intelligence, a firm specializing in general marine robots. Founded less than three years ago, the company's product portfolio covers marine robots (Orca & OceanX series), surface robots (Tiger Shark series) and core components (Pangu thruster series), directly entering commercial scenarios including ship cleaning, offshore photovoltaic power and offshore wind power.   This is a typical dual-driven model of "technology + scenario". Dongtu Technology pursues not merely financial returns, but strategic positioning by integrating its robotic electronic architecture technology into underwater intelligent equipment. When the "brain" of industrial internet is installed into the "body" of deep-sea robots, the resulting synergy may exceed expectations.   ## Hidden Champions: Deep-Sea Breakthrough of Connectors and Bearings The harsh reality of the deep-sea industry is: complete machines can be integrated, but components must withstand extreme pressures. At 10,000 meters deep, failure of any sealing ring means the loss of tens of millions of yuan worth of equipment.   The deep-sea connector project of AVIC Optoelectronics won the 2025 Henan Provincial Science and Technology Progress First Prize, achieving full-ocean-depth breakthrough in core technologies. Having specialized in connectors for years, the company has conquered three major technical systems: high-reliability sealing under extreme deep-sea pressure, high-precision plug-in connection, and long-term anti-biofouling performance, realizing underwater plug-and-play and high-reliability full-ocean-depth connection. Though seemingly mundane, insiders understand its difficulty: under 110 MPa pressure, seawater seeps through micron-level gaps and corrodes circuits; biofouling gradually wraps equipment like stalactites, increasing weight and blocking joints. AVIC Optoelectronics' breakthrough marks that China's deep-sea equipment has obtained genuine "nerve endings" for the first time.   A similar story applies to Shenke Co., Ltd. In March 2026, Shanghai Shenchuang Deep-Sea Wind Power Technology Co., Ltd., a wholly-owned subsidiary of the bearing manufacturer Shenke, was established, engaging in marine engineering equipment manufacturing, wind turbines and gear transmission components. Though appearing diversified, it represents in-depth cultivation: floating deep-sea wind power platforms impose far higher corrosion and fatigue resistance requirements on bearings than terrestrial ones. Shenke's layout targets the trillion-yuan blue ocean of floating wind power in the next decade.   Hengtong Optic-Electric made a major move in Hainan. Hengtong Huahai Deep-Sea Technology Co., Ltd., with a registered capital of 50 million yuan, focuses on key marine engineering supporting systems, ocean energy systems & equipment, and optical communication devices. Submarine optical cables are the "global veins" of the digital age. Hengtong's logic is clear: the next stage of deep-sea communication lies not only in connecting continents, but also offshore wind farms, marine observation networks and underwater data centers.   ## Variable Factor: Pilot Verification — The Make-or-Break Move to Unblock the Last Mile Technological breakthroughs abound, yet industrial implementation remains sluggish. What is the root cause? In his proposal to this year's Two Sessions, Hu Zhen offered his solution: China lacks a complete deep-sea pilot test and verification system.   Pilot testing refers to intermediate industrial trials. Prototypes performing well in laboratories often fail completely under real sea conditions. Pressure at 300 meters depth, impacts of internal waves and currents, and long-term seawater corrosion effects cannot be simulated in labs — real offshore test sites must be built.   "To convince the market of technologies, visible and credible verification must be provided." Hu Zhen's words reveal the biggest pain point of current industrialization. Investors are not unwilling to invest, but fear funded products will break down after six months at sea; users are not unwilling to adopt, but dare not assign core tasks to "new technologies" without massive data verification.   Constructing a deep-sea pilot test site system covering test equipment, standards and application scenarios is not only a technical issue, but also institutional supply. The "negative list + nationwide unified processing" mechanism and international mutual recognition of airworthiness certification standards for civilian equipment proposed by Deputy Jiao Qisen are also key solutions to remove bottlenecks.   Local governments have already taken action. Fujian launched the 2026 Key R&D Program for Marine and Fisheries, covering 12 research directions across 5 categories with a maximum subsidy of 8 million yuan, explicitly requiring industry-university-research integration and substantive technological breakthroughs. Shenzhen held signing ceremonies for demonstration projects of innovative marine economic development, with 22 projects focusing on offshore communication, underwater robots and new energy vessels to drive the implementation of targeted niche scenarios.   ## Action Roadmap: Where Are Opportunities and How to Seize Them? Marine Economic Society holds that conclusions for entrepreneurs, investors and industry executives are becoming clear: 1. Unmanned systems represent the largest track, yet scenario positioning is mandatory. The 40-billion-yuan market is real, but general underwater robots have become a red ocean. Real opportunities lie in vertical scenarios: offshore wind turbine foundation cleaning, damage detection of deep-sea aquaculture nets, oil leakage inspection of submarine pipelines, and autonomous collection of scientific research samples. Securing a specific scenario and optimizing products to the extreme matters most. 2. Core components are "underwater chips" with high barriers and gross profit margins. Connectors, seals, buoyancy materials and anti-corrosion coatings are often overlooked, yet they are the lifeblood of deep-sea equipment. AVIC Optoelectronics' case proves that leading positions in this sector deliver decade-long technological dividends. From an investment perspective, breakthroughs in materials science are more worthy of attention than complete machine assembly. 3. Pilot verification is infrastructure as well as a business model. The first party to build a credible deep-sea pilot platform gains discourse power over industry standards. It requires joint efforts of government guidance, corporate investment and scientific research support. For powerful industrial players, participating in pilot base construction is not only social responsibility, but also strategic positioning. 4. Policy dividends are shifting from "subsidizing R&D" to "promoting applications". Fujian's 8-million-yuan subsidy, Shenzhen's scenario implementation agreements, and deputies' calls for streamlined approval mechanisms all send the same signal: the country no longer settles for laboratory papers and prototypes, but demands practical products that can operate at sea, generate profits and be exported. Enterprises must align their application and financing strategies with this trend.   When the Deep Sea Warrior retrieved porcelain artifacts from a Ming Dynasty sunken ship 1,500 meters underwater, traces of 500 years of seawater erosion remained distinct. Five centuries later, as the Striver dives into the 10,000-meter abyss and underwater robots advance toward the 40-billion-yuan blue ocean, we are writing not merely corporate financial reports, but a national maritime narrative.   The breakout of the deep-sea industry is not tomorrow, but today. The protagonists of this wave will no longer be explorers waving national flags, but engineers and entrepreneurs who endure hardships, tackle tough technologies, and quietly unblock the "last mile" in the dark depths unseen by the world.

Reported on April 13: Recently, Yan Jinjin, founder of Qingdao Lingran Intelligent Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as Lingran Technology), has secured two consecutive orders. The company's independently developed Otter series underwater robots will be applied to university teaching and offshore wind farm inspections.   This one-person company (OPC), founded on January 26, 2026, is breaking the homogenization dilemma in the underwater robot industry with independent technologies.   "At present, the technical foundation of quite a number of domestic underwater robot teams still comes from open-source solutions designed for drones such as Pixhawk, which were initially mainly used for ROVs (Remotely Operated Vehicles)," Yan Jinjin pointed out the industry pain point directly when talking about the current industry situation. "This architecture has an inherent ceiling for AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) required for underwater embodied intelligence. No matter how much refinement and optimization are done on it, its underlying limitations can hardly be broken through."   Yan Jinjin's team refers to the upper-level decision-making system as the "brain" and the core controller as the "cerebellum". They have attempted to reconstruct an autonomous underwater vehicle integrating a "brain + cerebellum" from the bottom up and named it Navi Hub.   Taking Navi Hub as the foundation, the team has launched products including Otter I Pro and Otter II. Featuring low cost, modularization and intelligence, these products support secondary development of the ROS system, have a maximum diving depth of 50 meters, and are capable of multi-robot cooperative operations. The two robots made their debut at China International Maritime Exhibition at the end of 2025.   Edge computing is the key to technological breakthroughs. "Underwater communication is extremely difficult, so robots have to 'think' on their own," Yan Jinjin explained. Edge computing technology enables robots to conduct autonomous perception and decision-making underwater without relying on remote instructions, and independently complete obstacle avoidance, path planning and other decisions.   "Establishing a company, verifying products in market scenarios and collecting feedback data will facilitate further technological iteration. Our goal is to enable underwater embodied intelligent robots to completely get rid of cables," said Yan Jinjin.   The Otter series underwater robots are adopted in the two orders obtained by Lingran Technology. One Otter robot has been put into scientific research and teaching for research on underwater target recognition, simultaneous localization and mapping, etc.; the other two have been deployed in Jiangsu to serve inspection and survey tasks in scenarios such as offshore wind power and underwater pipelines, realizing the transformation from technology to industry.   The company adopts a typical OPC model: with founder Yan Jinjin as the core of decision-making and technology, relying on the R&D team of the Advanced Intelligent Navigation Laboratory (AI Navi Lab), while the corporate entity is responsible for market expansion and industrialization.   This highly focused model, however, has an urgent demand for early-stage capital and resource connection. Yan Jinjin admitted that the biggest challenge in the initial startup phase was securing seed funding for the transition from zero to one.   This problem of the enterprise was quickly resolved by the Clam Youth Hub (GALA Community). Qingdao West Coast Talent Ecological Industry Group, the operator, intervened promptly, offered advice and suggestions, coordinated and connected industrial application scenarios, and promoted the efficient implementation of technical verification.   The comprehensive talent technology innovation incubation platform built by the Clam Youth Hub integrates entrepreneurship services, talent introduction and cultivation, technological research, achievement maturation and project implementation. It has assembled a team of technical managers with engineering backgrounds to provide professional services in a professional manner. At present, more than 30 enterprises have registered on the platform, and it continues to cultivate the Qingchuang Power OPC program, enabling more technology innovators to take root and thrive in Qingdao's industrial ecosystem.

The grey-green water off Zhuhai in south China's Guangdong Province churns as teams of small underwater robots compete to make a big revolution at China's marine ranches. This is not a laboratory test. It is the final round of the inaugural Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area marine underwater robot application challenge, held in an active marine ranch in the South China Sea. By shifting the testing ground from laboratory tanks to the open sea, the competition offered a compelling glimpse of how underwater robotics can turn marine ranching's most persistent "headaches" into a catalyst for a smarter, more resilient ocean economy. Over two days in late March, 16 teams from across China pitted their machines against real-world trials far from shore, where unpredictable currents, waves and turbidity put their machines to a rigorous test. Unlike previous competitions staged in calm pools or shallow coastal zones, this contest required participants to tackle tasks that marine ranch operators face daily: retrieving submerged mooring anchors, harvesting shellfish from the seabed, and cleaning biofouling from netting. Judges stressed that the real-sea setting "forces robots to be optimized not as mere prototypes, but for cost-effectiveness, reliability and user-friendliness, with the potential for rapid commercialization." The pain points are anything but hypothetical. In 2025, Typhoon Ragasa dealt a heavy blow to the marine ranches of a local fishery called Yuehe, causing more than 700 iron anchors to be lost on the seabed. Human divers are too costly, so most remain lost. "That's nearly 1 million yuan (about 145,000 U.S. dollars)in damages," said Lin Jincheng, the fishery's general manager. Several teams in the competition, he noted, showed impressive autonomy and anti-interference capability - exactly what the industry needs. For Shenzhen Hanhai Huafan Cleaning Robotics, an underwater cleaning robot producer based in Shenzhen, also a winning team at the event, the market opportunity is clear. Cai Qianxia, the company's marketing manager, said that its cleaning robots can operate 24 hours a day, achieving efficiency more than 10 times greater than traditional methods. "Before, if you wanted to clean the hull of a small sailboat, you had to either hire divers to go underwater or wait for your turn at a dry dock. That meant your boat was out of service, you lost money, and honestly, there were just a lot of limitations," said Cai. In the inspection and monitoring category, Westlake University's team leveraged underwater embodied AI with large language models and multimodal perception, ultimately securing first prize. Team member Wang Zhangyuan said that the competition has brought algorithms out of the lab and connected them with industrial needs in real-world scenarios. The challenge in Zhuhai was conceived as a direct response to these industrial needs. Before the competition, organizers released a 150-million-yuan "opportunity list" covering real operational needs -- net inspection, debris retrieval, and ecological monitoring. That was followed by over 100 million yuan in potential orders from 17 marine ranch developers across Guangdong. Four award-winning teams have already signed preliminary agreements to set up operations in Zhuhai's Xiangzhou District. The event fits into a broader policy landscape. China's own underwater robotics market surpassed 10 billion yuan in 2024 and is forecast to reach 40 billion yuan by 2027. For the first time, China identified "deep-sea technology" as a strategic emerging industry in its government work report in 2025. As part of this push, Zhuhai, a marine economy city with 9,348 square kilometers of maritime territory, has built 10 truss-type platforms and 452 gravity net cages by the end of 2025. The city is home to 40 oceanographic innovation platforms and 140 high-tech marine enterprises. A senior official of the Zhuhai municipal marine development bureau said that the competition will help unlock real-world applications for underwater robots, link the entire "industry-academia-research-application-finance" chain, upgrade marine ranching, and accelerate Zhuhai's development as a regional marine hub city.

In the final offshore sea trial of the 1st Greater Bay Area Marine Underwater Robot Application Competition, Qianjiao X100, a high-end intelligent water equipment under Shenzhen Chasing Innovation, won the first prize in the Enterprise Group Precision Operation Track and ranked first in the project roadshow session with its outstanding operational capability in complex environments, fully demonstrating the powerful practical combat performance of lightweight high-end underwater equipment. From March 28 to 29, 2026, the First Greater Bay Area Marine Underwater Robot Application Challenge was held at the marine ranch in Zhuhai, Guangdong. As China's first underwater robot competition hosted at a real marine ranch, this event broke away from the previous "swimming pool" and "shallow water" testing modes, moving the competition environment directly into the open sea. Faced with complex conditions including ocean currents, wind and waves, turbidity interference and underwater signal fluctuations, participating equipment underwent a comprehensive assessment of stability, precise operation and engineering capabilities. Centered on real-world scenarios, the competition set challenging tasks and evaluated product performance against practical operation standards, focusing on testing the equipment's target recognition and precise operation capabilities under conditions close to actual production environments.   Under the stringent competition rules, Qianjiao X100, a high-end intelligent water equipment independently developed by Shenzhen Chasing Innovation Technology Co., Ltd., stood out from the crowd. It won the first prize in the Precise Operation Track of the Enterprise Group and ranked first in the Project Roadshow session, becoming one of the most award-winning and highly noticed equipment at this competition and regarded as a new high-tech species.   What the application market truly demands is never a "demonstration-only robot", but systematic equipment capable of stable operation, continuous delivery and practical problem-solving. Qianjiao X100's victory in this event demonstrates that domestic underwater robots are accelerating their transformation from "observation & recording" models to "precise operation" models. In real marine environments with low visibility and strong interference, the equipment can steadily complete difficult tasks such as anchor rope salvage, specialty aquatic product capture and cage fouling removal. In certain high-risk and high-frequency underwater operation scenarios, it provides safer and more efficient solutions to reduce reliance on divers and commercial scuba divers.Leveraging Chasing Innovation's technical expertise in marine engineering-grade complete systems and supporting operational tools, the Qianjiao X100 adopts a lightweight design weighing less than 50 kilograms. It significantly reduces reliance on large hoisting and transportation equipment, enabling rapid deployment and immediate operation in confined spaces. It integrates multiple advantages including light weight, modular platformization, intelligence and precision operation. As one of the few lightweight marine operational equipment capable of diving to 350 meters, the performance of the Qianjiao X100 in this competition has once again verified the practical combat capability of domestic high-end underwater intelligent equipment under real and complex working conditions.   This competition directly addresses the core pain points of the marine ranch industry. Prior to the event, the organizer released an opportunity list for marine underwater robot application scenarios with a total value of 15 million yuan, together with potential orders exceeding 100 million yuan, providing industry teams with clearer R&D directions and industrialization paths. The precision operation track focuses on high-frequency demands such as net cleaning, fixed-point salvage and grabbing & recycling, reflecting a distinct orientation of "real scenarios, real demands and real applications". The Qianjiao X100 winning first place in two categories essentially means it has passed the practical value verification in real industrial scenarios, and accurately meets the urgent demands for "reliability, high efficiency and ease of use" of equipment in marine ranches, offshore wind power and other fields.   Zhang Ying, Vice President of Chasing Innovation, stated: "Winning first place in two categories this time is the achievement of our company's long-term dedication to real application scenarios and in-depth integration of technological R&D, product refinement and market demands. In the future, we will continue to promote high-end water intelligent equipment to expand more marine-related application scenarios, and fully support the high-quality development of the marine economy."   The competition and its award-winning achievements have attracted attention and coverage from mainstream media, further enhancing industry awareness of underwater operational equipment for real scenarios, and providing strong support for the industrialization development of domestic high-end underwater intelligent equipment.   # About Chasing Innovation Headquartered in Shenzhen, Chasing Innovation specializes in the R&D, production and scenario application of high-end water intelligent equipment, and is a national-level specialized, sophisticated, unique and innovative "Little Giant" enterprise. The company continues to upgrade underwater robots from observation-oriented equipment that "can see" to practical operational equipment that "can operate, deliver solutions and solve problems". Its products cover multiple fields including consumer-grade underwater technology products and light industrial professional equipment, and are widely applied in marine scientific research, maritime engineering, underwater detection, fishery breeding, emergency rescue, ship and dock maintenance, offshore wind power and other scenarios.

Recently, SEAHI ROBOTICS has completed two rounds of Series A+ and A++ financing worth hundreds of millions of yuan. New investors include the National Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Development Fund managed by Huaying Capital, industrial investors such as Dashu Changqing Capital, Xinding Capital and 36Kr Fund, while existing shareholders including GSR Ventures, Changshi Capital, Shengjing Jiacheng, Vertex Ventures and Anyu Capital have made additional investments.The proceeds from this round of financing will be primarily invested in four key areas: core technology R&D, technological iteration of marine embodied products, global market expansion, and industrial chain ecosystem layout. This will further consolidate SEAHI ROBOTICS' leading position in global marine embodied robots, accelerate the transformation of marine science and technology from **technological breakthroughs** to **large-scale deployment**, and support the solid implementation of the Maritime Power Strategy.   SEAHI ROBOTICS is a world-leading enterprise specializing in marine embodied robots. As an innovative technology company engaging in independent R&D, production, sales and services of general marine robots, it focuses on surface and underwater general robots. Through continuous technological innovation, the company is committed to building super marine productivity covering depths from 0 to 10,000 meters and developing a world-leading full-water-domain strategic technological force.   Since its establishment, SEAHI ROBOTICS has always adhered to the philosophy of **innovation-driven development**. With profound technological accumulation and sustained investment in innovation, it has achieved remarkable results in the field of general water robots, which have been successfully applied in multiple sectors. At present, the company has established strategic cooperation with multiple government ministries, research institutes, industry associations and maritime universities, and has led and participated in the formulation of a number of industry standards.   ### The Maritime Power Strategy Powers the Trillion-Dollar Blue Ocean With the implementation of the Maritime Power Strategy and the advancement of the 15th Five-Year Plan, the marine economy has become a major national strategic priority. In March this year, *Qiushi Journal* published an important article by General Secretary Xi Jinping titled *Promoting High-Quality Development of the Marine Economy*. The article clearly states that the development of the marine economy must be innovation-driven, accelerate breakthroughs in core key technologies, and emphasizes advancing high-quality development of the shipbuilding and marine engineering equipment industries.   Demand in scenarios including marine engineering, offshore new energy, ship operation and maintenance, and underwater security is growing rapidly. Marine embodied robots are entering a critical stage of large-scale application from scenario exploration.   Relying on long-term technological accumulation, SEAHI ROBOTICS has developed an intelligent robot matrix covering all water domains for core demand scenarios such as ship cleaning, offshore wind power, marine photovoltaic power generation, marine ranches, marine engineering, resource exploration and marine scientific research. The matrix features three core strengths: **full-stack independent R&D, scenario closed-loop operation, and universal platform architecture**. Up to now, OceanNav Intelligent has accumulated more than 400 intellectual property rights, achieving full independent control over six core systems and building solid technological barriers. It has truly realized the independent and localized development of core technologies for marine robots, injecting strong impetus into the upgrading of the marine industry. With the mission of "building marine super productivity from 0 to 10,000 meters", the company specializes in the R&D, production and industrial solutions of marine embodied robots.   It attaches equal importance to technological barriers and commercial closed-loop systems, and defines industry standards through full-stack independent R&D.   In terms of technological innovation, OceanNav has pioneered full-stack independent R&D technologies covering six core systems including power, control, sensing, navigation, sealing and deployment worldwide. This enables robots to perform precise operations in strong current environments above 3 knots, with current resistance more than 5 times that of traditional solutions. It has also overcome the visualization challenge in high-turbidity waters, greatly improved the industry's highest cleaning efficiency while ensuring zero paint damage. This world-rare systematic innovation has set an industry benchmark for 10,000-hour reliable deep-sea operation of products.   In addition, OceanNav Intelligent has been accelerating product iteration and scenario expansion. The new-generation OrcaPro was upgraded from ship cleaning to marine photovoltaic applications in only 2 months; the adaptation period from photovoltaic to offshore wind power is merely 1 month; OrcaMini completed iteration in just 21 days, with a 60% reduction in BOM costs.   Its business layout is also expanding rapidly:   Ship cleaning scenario: A large-scale commercial closed-loop system has been established, with intelligent operation accounting for 90%. Ships can basically realize fully automatic cleaning, greatly reducing manual labor.   Marine photovoltaic scenario: OrcaPro, specially developed to address pain points such as turbid water and low visibility in tidal flat areas, features powerful autonomous capabilities including real-time precise positioning, underwater wireless charging, obstacle avoidance and turbid water identification. It has won bids for projects of CNNC and entered nuclear power plant inspection operations.   Strategic scenario reserves: Based on a flexible technical architecture, OceanNav's marine embodied robots are highly universal, scalable and rapidly adaptable. Its business has expanded to offshore wind power, subsea pipelines, port pile foundation inspection and other fields, with technical reserves completed for scenarios including deep-sea mineral exploration and subsea data center operation and maintenance.   At present, OceanNav Intelligent has established in-depth cooperation with many domestic and foreign port groups and marine scientific research institutions. Its products are sold to multiple countries and regions, and it is accelerating the construction of a global ecological system for marine embodied robots.   Looking ahead, OceanNav Intelligent stated that it will continue to deeply cultivate the field of marine embodied intelligence, break boundaries through technological innovation, create value through scenario implementation, explore the deep ocean with cutting-edge technologies, and boost the high-quality development of China's marine economy.   Ji Wei, Founding Partner of Huaying Capital, said: Building a strong maritime nation is a national strategic priority. The marine embodied robot market boasts huge potential and clear scenario demands. With the mission of exploring the deep ocean and safeguarding the blue ocean, OceanNav is backed by long-term in-depth technological research and advantages in large-scale scenario implementation, establishing insurmountable cutting-edge barriers in the industry. Founder Chen Xiaobo has 19 years of experience in marine robots, and he is exactly the comprehensive and versatile founder we have been looking for with academic achievements, product R&D capabilities and business acumen. We believe Xiaobo will always lead OceanNav to become a global pioneer in hard technology. We hold long-term optimism, stand firmly with the company, and march towards the deep blue era together.   Zhu Xiaohu, Managing Partner of GSR Ventures, said: We are delighted to witness the rapid development of OceanNav over the past year, and clearly perceive that the industry is crossing a critical inflection point. With its leading technological accumulation and engineering capabilities far ahead of peers, OceanNav has achieved rapid replication from ship cleaning to multiple high-value scenarios including photovoltaic and wind power in the harshest marine environments. This fully verifies the universal platform attributes of its underlying technologies and has begun to form a flywheel effect. We firmly believe OceanNav will become an indispensable intelligent infrastructure in the trillion-yuan blue ocean of marine economy.   Peng Zhiqiang, Founding Partner of Shengjing Jiacheng Capital, said: OceanNav Intelligent is a benchmark enterprise in marine embodied intelligence that received Shengjing Jiacheng's initial angel investment and follow-up additional investments. OceanNav has consistently practiced the AI RaaS (AI Results as a Service) model proposed by Shengjing Jiacheng, with commercial performance growing rapidly. During the 15th Five-Year Plan period, deep-sea technology has become a national strategic direction, and demands for scenarios including marine engineering, offshore new energy and ship operation and maintenance are accelerating. With its full-water operation capabilities and advantages in large-scale implementation, OceanNav Intelligent is becoming an important force in China's deep-sea technology sector. We will support the long-term growth of OceanNav into a global leader in marine robots.

Qingdao Daily, March 19 News – Recently, the Wenhai 6000h deep-sea heavy-duty remotely operated vehicle (ROV), independently developed by Laoshan Laboratory, has completed a voyage survey mission at the Kunlun Hydrothermal Vent Cluster Area, the world’s largest deep-sea hydrogen-bearing hydrothermal area. It carried out deep-sea scientific research operations including submarine hydrogen energy exploration and regional submarine geological surveys. The Wenhai 6000h completed a total of 16 dives with a 100% effective dive success rate, reaching a maximum seabed landing depth of 6,523 meters. It has broken the operational depth record of existing 6,000-meter-class deep-sea ROVs at home and abroad, becoming China’s first domestically produced deep-sea heavy-duty ROV put into regular scientific applications in the ultra-6,000-meter deep ocean.   The development of the Wenhai 6000h started in May 2025. With a designed power output of over 150 horsepower, it has an underwater working load capacity of more than 500 kilograms and a deep-sea salvage capacity exceeding 2 tons. The vehicle finished system design and development within 4 months, and completed 1,000-meter sea trials in October the same year, achieving the goal of project initiation, development completion and application launch all within one year.   Centering on the scientific objectives of the development mechanism of the Kunlun Hydrothermal Vent Cluster and exploration of submarine hydrogen energy potential, this voyage took the Wenhai 6000h as the core operational equipment. During submarine operations, the Wenhai 6000h, equipped with multiple sets of heavy scientific research equipment, successfully completed a series of long-duration, high-precision in-situ submarine detection tasks. It fully verified the engineering practical performance and system reliability of the equipment. Domestically manufactured large heavy-duty operational tools including a 7,000-meter-class manipulator and submarine drill performed excellently, marking that China’s 6,000-meter heavy-duty ROV equipment technology has entered a new stage of practical application capability development.   The Wenhai 6000h will play a key role in scientific and engineering application fields such as exploration of extreme deep-sea environments and strategic resources, submarine construction of heavy deep-sea equipment, and deep-sea rescue and salvage. It provides solid equipment support and technical guarantee for China to conduct deep-sea resource exploration, cutting-edge scientific research, and participate in international deep-sea governance.

In the marine engineering sector, underwater robots are often required to maintain stable operation in strong currents, complex structures, and long-duration working environments. For light underwater robots, this has long been a key challenge for technological breakthroughs in the industry. At the 2026 London International Ocean Technology Show, the global underwater robot brand CHASING Innovation is redefining the boundaries of this capability.   During the exhibition, CHASING Innovation officially unveiled its industrial-grade underwater robot series. The Gladius X100 Underwater Robot, equipped with innovative omnidirectional intelligent anti-current technology, delivers higher stability and maneuverability in complex sea conditions, marking a new breakthrough in the operational performance of light underwater robots for marine engineering inspection and patrol scenarios.   The London International Ocean Technology Show is one of the important global platforms for exchanges in marine engineering technology. This edition has attracted leading enterprises and technical teams from marine engineering, energy infrastructure, research institutions, and equipment manufacturing sectors. With on-site demonstrations and technical exchanges of multiple industrial-grade underwater robots, CHASING Innovation’s booth has drawn numerous industrial customers and partners from Europe, North America, the Middle East, and Asia-Pacific, making it one of the most popular exhibition areas.   The global marine technology equipment industry features high entry barriers and a concentrated competitive landscape. With 10 years of deep global cultivation, CHASING Innovation has built overseas competitiveness based on independent technology, mature channels, reliable delivery, and leading reputation. As the largest Chinese exhibitor at this show, it continues to lead in overseas competitiveness, taking the lead in popularity, orders, and channel cooperation, and achieving excellent results with in-depth partners.   For underwater robots, current stability directly affects inspection efficiency and operational safety. Through a brand-new power and control system design, the Gladius X100 can maintain a stable attitude in multi-directional water flow and significantly improve control precision in complex underwater structural environments, providing more reliable technical support for marine engineering inspection, energy facility patrol, underwater scientific research, and public safety missions.   In addition to advancing the stable operation of underwater robots, CHASING Innovation is also driving the upgrading of underwater inspection technology from "image recording" to "digital modeling". Recently, the CHASING Innovation team has conducted in-depth research on underwater 3D photogrammetry and showcased an innovative solution integrating the Uvision UScanner Underwater 3D Scanning System into the underwater robot platform at the exhibition.   With this system, underwater robots can perform high-precision 3D modeling of marine structures and environments, upgrading inspection work from traditional video patrol to measurable, reproducible, and analyzable digital data assets. Industry experts believe that this technological integration is expected to provide new digital tools for marine engineering inspection, underwater infrastructure maintenance, and scientific research surveys, while significantly improving the efficiency and accuracy of underwater inspections.   The marine technology equipment industry has long had extremely high technical barriers and market concentration. After more than 10 years of going global, CHASING Innovation has gained a firm foothold in the high-barrier international market with excellent products and global reputation, becoming a core representative of China’s globalized light underwater intelligent equipment, laying a solid foundation for further expanding the international market.   Over the past decade, CHASING Innovation has continuously invested in the R&D of core underwater robot technologies and expanded the international market through global layout. At present, its underwater robot products are widely used in more than 100 countries and regions, serving marine engineering, energy inspection, underwater scientific research, public safety, and other fields.   With the continuous intelligent and digital development of underwater robot technology, CHASING Innovation is gradually becoming one of the important promoters of global innovation in light underwater intelligent equipment. As shared by the CHASING Innovation team at the exhibition: "Underwater robot technology is evolving from simply observing the ocean to truly understanding the ocean through data."   After a decade of technological accumulation, CHASING Innovation is driving underwater robots from "observation tools" to "marine digital infrastructure", bringing more efficient and reliable intelligent solutions to the global marine industry.

In March 2026, Qianxing Innovation, a member enterprise of Shenzhen Strategic Emerging Industries Association, announced the completion of a nearly 100 million yuan Series C financing, led by Liwan Capital. Prior to this, institutions including Shenzhen Venture Capital, Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industries Investment, and Investment Holding Donghai have successively invested in the company.   Why has an underwater robotics enterprise continued to attract capital favor? The answer lies in its team background, technological roadmap and industrial layout.   Three former Huawei veterans have ventured into the "deep water area" and are capable of exploring the depths of the oceans.   The story of Qianxing Innovation began with three former Huawei employees.   Zhang Xun, CEO of the company, was once a senior expert at Huawei's Core Algorithm Department, with more than eight years of in-depth experience in robot automatic control and algorithm optimization. Zhou Chang根 served as Minister of Quality Operations Department of Huawei Japan Region. Yang Yang was a former project manager of HiSilicon mobile phone chips at Huawei.   Transitioning from the communications industry to underwater robotics seems like a huge leap, yet they share the same underlying logic. The Huawei background has endowed the team with strong productization capabilities, supply chain management experience and algorithm accumulation — which are exactly the key elements for underwater robots to move from laboratories to commercial implementation.   Today, Qianxing Innovation's core team has expanded to over 200 members, most of whom come from top enterprises such as Huawei, BYD, CSIC, LG and Foxconn. The company has built a complete technological matrix covering underwater communication, underwater vehicle design, power propulsion, navigation and control. Up to now, the company holds more than 200 invention patents and has been recognized as a national specialized, refined, differential and innovative "Little Giant" enterprise. Dual-driven by industry and consumer markets, building an extremely high barrier The underwater robotics industry faces a dilemma: industrial-grade products require high reliability and powerful operational capabilities, yet boast a relatively limited market size; consumer-grade products feature huge market potential but impose stringent requirements on cost control and mass production capacity. Most enterprises can only choose one of the two.   Chasing Innovation has taken a more challenging path — dual-driven development integrating industry and consumer markets.   This means the company must simultaneously meet the reliability standards for heavy industrial scenarios, while possessing the cost control and mass production capabilities required for consumer-grade products. It creates an extremely high industry barrier in terms of supply chain integration, technological platformization and multi-channel operation. Nevertheless, overcoming this barrier will generate distinctive competitive advantages.   At present, Chasing Innovation’s product portfolio covers three major sectors: industrial underwater robots, consumer underwater drones and pool cleaning robots. It is the only domestic enterprise dedicated to all three sectors simultaneously.   Among its flagship products, multiple models are world-first innovations: the Qijiao X100, the world’s first intelligent omnidirectional current-resistant underwater robot with a diving depth of 350 meters, capable of stable operation in strong current environments; the L1 Ultra, the world’s first intelligent pool cleaning robot integrated with LiDAR and AI vision, which applies autonomous driving technologies to pool cleaning scenarios in a downscaled manner. Realizing full industrial chain capabilities from R&D to mass production In January 2026, the L1 Ultra, jointly developed by Chasing Innovation and Luxshare Precision subsidiary Luxview Innovation, was officially rolled off the production line and delivered. This marks the official entry of its consumer products into the large-scale mass production stage. One month later, the Zhanjiang Chikan Industrial Base was officially opened. The completion of this base signifies that Chasing Innovation has fully integrated the entire industrial chain of "research and development — pilot test — mass production — application". A complete industrial closed loop is taking shape, stretching from the R&D center in Shenzhen, through the manufacturing base in Zhanjiang, to the global sales network.   For a hard technology enterprise, possessing independently controllable mass production capabilities means it can not only develop products, but also reduce costs and stabilize quality. This is precisely the insurmountable threshold for many underwater robotics enterprises founded by research teams.   Going global and dominating half of multiple overseas markets While gaining a firm foothold in the Chinese market, Chasing Innovation has long set its sights on the world.   At present, its products cover more than 100 countries and regions worldwide, and are widely used in maritime applications, emergency rescue, fishery breeding, water conservancy and hydropower, hull inspection, scientific research and exploration, and other fields. In key markets such as Northern Europe, South America and Japan, the market share of some product lines has exceeded 50%. This means that this Shenzhen-based enterprise not only benefits from domestic policy dividends but also competes head-on with established European and American enterprises in the global market. Similar to consumer drones, underwater robots are emerging as a new calling card for Chinese intelligent equipment going global.   Riding the trend, yet aiming higher beyond it Qianxing Innovation's Series C financing coincides with the in-depth advancement of China's national marine power strategy.   The government work reports for 2025 and 2026 have listed deep-sea science and technology as well as the marine industry as key development priorities for two consecutive years. The proposals for the 15th Five-Year Plan also clearly call for promoting high-quality development of the marine economy. Sustained policy dividends have paved a fast track for the development of the underwater robot industry. What really attracts capital investment is not just the booming trend, but the company's own moat. The entrepreneurial heritage of three former Huawei executives, the dual-drive strategy of "industrial applications + consumer products", the full industrial chain capabilities from R&D to mass production, and global market expansion — these are the underlying logic that keeps Qianxing Innovation favored by capital.   According to QYResearch data, the global underwater robot market reached USD 7.85 billion in 2024, with China accounting for USD 2.35 billion. The Forward-looking Industry Research Institute forecasts that China's market size will exceed USD 10 billion by 2030, recording a compound annual growth rate of over 28%.   The market boasts enormous potential and long-term growth prospects. For Qianxing Innovation, its nearly 100-million-yuan Series C financing is merely a new starting point. Whether it can evolve from a "hidden underwater giant" into a true "DJI of the underwater sector" hinges not only on technological strength, but also on its capabilities in continuous product iteration, supply chain management and global market operation.

Recently, the underwater robot sector has become a hot investment destination in the capital market, with intensive financing transactions completed and the industry stepping into a fast-track development phase. Shenzhen enterprises have performed particularly outstandingly. Siooto Technology successfully completed its Series B financing at the end of 2025 with joint investment from many well-known institutions. Qianteng Innovation has continued to gain capital favor with its model of "hardware sales + scenario-based solutions", advancing the large-scale expansion of the consumer market. A sound pattern featuring active corporate financing and targeted institutional support has taken shape among Shenzhen underwater robot enterprises.   Nationwide, Shihang Intelligent secured its Series A financing led by Vertex Investment under Temasek Holdings, with existing shareholder Jinshajiang Capital making four consecutive follow-on investments, making it a rising star in financing within the sector. Globally, more than 20 financing deals were closed by autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) startups in 2025, with capital continuously flowing into core technology fields including navigation control, AI software and new composite materials.   On March 5, Hu Zhenyu, Vice President of Qianhai Branch of China Development Institute (Shenzhen) and Director of the Institute for Sustainable Development and Marine Economy, said in an interview with reporters from Shenzhen Business Daily · Chuangchuang Client: "The triple resonance of global resource demand upgrading, technological breakthroughs and policy dividends has ushered the underwater robot industry into a high-growth era. Leveraging advantages in scientific and technological innovation, supply chains and openness, Shenzhen is becoming a core participant and leader in this industrial transformation."   # Three Major Drivers Fuel Rapid Industrial Development The global capital boom in the underwater robot sector stems from a fundamental shift in industrial development logic. The combined force of rigid global resource demand, breakthroughs in key technologies and comprehensive policy empowerment has driven the industry to evolve from "deep-sea exploration tools" to "core industrial equipment", opening up a trillion-yuan blue ocean market.   Hu Zhenyu analyzed that the rigid demand for global deep-sea resource development is the fundamental driver of rapid industrial growth. As terrestrial rare metal supplies tighten, the importance of strategic deep-sea mineral resources is growing increasingly prominent. The Pacific Ocean is rich in polymetallic nodules, with nickel and cobalt reserves 3 times and 5 times those on land respectively, and rare earth reserves equivalent to 800 to 1,000 times terrestrial reserves. The booming development of new energy vehicles, energy storage and other industries has drastically boosted demand for relevant metal resources. This has accelerated the commercialization of deep-sea mining and directly driven demand for high-end equipment such as industrial remotely operated vehicles (ROVs). On the other hand, 70% of major global oil and gas discoveries are located in the deep sea. The continuous operation of China's Deep Sea No.1 project and other initiatives has also generated stable procurement demand for underwater maintenance equipment in the industry.   Breakthroughs in key technological bottlenecks have removed obstacles to large-scale industrial applications. China has successfully mastered a number of core technologies including high-pressure sealing, acoustic navigation and lightweight materials. In materials, domestication of titanium alloy pressure-resistant shells has been realized. In navigation and communication, ultra-short baseline (USBL) positioning accuracy reaches 0.1 meter and acoustic communication rate rises to 10 Mbps, effectively solving deep-sea communication challenges. In energy, improved lithium battery energy density has significantly extended equipment endurance. These advances have greatly enhanced the reliability and cost-effectiveness of industrial equipment, laying a solid foundation for its large-scale deployment.   A multi-level policy system has injected strong impetus into industrial development. At the national level, deep-sea science and technology has been clearly defined as a strategic emerging industry, supported by special budgets and tax incentives. Coastal provinces and municipalities have also made active layouts. Through its "20+8" industrial cluster policy, Shenzhen provides special support such as R&D subsidies and testing site resources for enterprises to reduce their innovation costs. In addition, Shenzhen plans to set up a 1.5 billion-yuan marine guidance fund. Shenzhen Port Group (via its listed subsidiary Yantian Port Co., Ltd.) and Guoxin Hongsheng and other institutions have jointly launched the 520 million-yuan Shenzhen Port Hongsheng Marine Technology Investment Fund. The three-dimensional policy support system integrating top-level design, special support and local supporting measures has greatly boosted confidence in the capital market.   # Shenzhen Builds a Core Hub for Industrial Innovation and Development Amid the industrial upsurge, Shenzhen, with its unique advantages in scientific and technological innovation, complete industrial ecosystem and rich application scenarios, has become a source of core technologies, an agglomeration area for private enterprise innovation and a testing ground for scenario applications in the underwater robot industrial chain. It has formed a differentiated development path from Shanghai, Qingdao and other cities, and established its position as the national core hub for industrial development.   Hu Zhenyu stated that Shenzhen's advantages are concentrated in midstream complete machine manufacturing and downstream scenario applications, while rapidly extending to upstream core components. Upstream, relying on its strong ICT industrial foundation, Shenzhen promotes independent R&D of core components and improves local supply chain levels. Midstream, a coordinated development pattern featuring state-owned enterprise leaders and powerful private enterprises has taken shape. For instance, China Merchants Industry Holdings has achieved major breakthroughs in deep-sea mining equipment, while private enterprises including Qianteng Innovation and Finray Technology excel in the consumer and light industrial markets. Downstream, Shenzhen's developed marine engineering, port shipping, marine tourism and other industries provide abundant testing grounds for technological iteration and commercialization.   Local Shenzhen enterprises demonstrate distinct differentiated competitive advantages. Taking Qianteng Innovation in the consumer underwater robot sector as an example, the company has independently developed core components including mechanical arms and water quality samplers, breaking reliance on imports and bringing product prices into the mass consumer range. Meanwhile, its innovative business model of "hardware sales + scenario-based solutions" has successfully developed value-added service markets such as marine scientific research and environmental monitoring. In addition, enterprises including Zhongke Tanhai and Weidu Intelligent hold leading market positions in their respective segmented sectors.   Zhou Changgen, General Manager of Qianteng Innovation, told reporters: "Shenzhen's scientific and technological innovation atmosphere, industrial chain supporting facilities and policy support enable enterprises to rapidly realize technological iteration and product launch. Shenzhen provides sound development conditions for us from core component R&D to market expansion, which is a key reason for our rapid breakthrough in the consumer market."   The vigorous development of Shenzhen's underwater robot industry benefits from its superior industrial and policy environment. First, empowered by an innovation ecosystem gathering universities and research institutes, Shenzhen undertakes multiple major national science and technology projects, with corporate patents ranking among the top nationwide. Second, targeted policy support provides financing assistance and testing convenience for enterprises, greatly lowering R&D thresholds. Third, highly coordinated industrial chains allow complete local electronic information and new material industries to deliver rapid supporting services. Fourth, investment promotion has attracted numerous upstream and downstream enterprises to settle here, forming a prominent industrial cluster effect.   # Government-Enterprise Collaboration Addresses Core Industrial Pain Points Despite broad prospects, China's underwater robot industry still faces challenges in technology, costs and industrial ecology. Technologically, core components such as high-end sensors and underwater motors remain highly dependent on imports, and the reliability of full-ocean-depth equipment needs further improvement. In terms of costs, customized demands hinder large-scale production, single deep-sea mining R&D costs are extremely high, and marine testing cycles are lengthy. Ecologically, unified industrial standards are absent, professional deep-sea testing grounds are insufficient, and international competition is intensifying.   Hu Zhenyu believes that addressing the core bottlenecks of insufficient technological maturity and low commercialization efficiency requires joint efforts from the government and enterprises. For technological breakthroughs, industry-university-research-application collaboration should be adhered to, focusing on overcoming bottleneck core components and improving equipment reliability. Enterprises may follow Shenzhen's model of small-batch trial production → scenario verification → mass promotion to optimize products through iterative testing. At the policy level, special research funds should be established, and support should be given to building a public service platform for marine intelligent equipment to provide testing, certification and other public services and reduce innovation costs for small and medium-sized enterprises.   For cost control, standardized design and business model innovation should be advanced simultaneously. Enterprises shall promote product standardization and modularization to reduce customized costs and realize large-scale production. Meanwhile, transformation from equipment sales to service provision can be explored, with models such as robot leasing + data services launched to lower customers' initial investment thresholds. Policy-wise, subsidies for the first (set of) equipment and industrial fund establishment can ease corporate capital pressure and support commercial applications.   # Three Major Sectors Become Core Investment Directions The underwater robot industry is undergoing profound changes, with technologies evolving toward intelligence, extremization and lightweighting, and business models shifting from equipment sales to value-added services. Against this trend, three most promising investment directions have emerged: core industrial-grade sectors, consumer segmented markets and international service markets.   Hu Zhenyu pointed out that deep-sea mining equipment represents the sector with the highest technical barriers and most stable growth. Accelerating global commercialization of deep-sea mining will directly drive surging demand for mining vehicles, lifting pumps, monitoring robots and other equipment, in which Shenzhen enterprises hold a first-mover advantage. Consumer underwater intelligent equipment is a fast-growing potential market. With the popularization of water sports and consumption upgrading, underwater photography robots, thrusters and other products are gaining rapid market penetration, and Shenzhen enterprises have built global competitiveness in this field. The international marine engineering service market is another important blue ocean for the future. Leveraging Belt and Road Initiative cooperation, Chinese underwater robot enterprises can export equipment and operation & maintenance services to Southeast Asia, Africa and other regions, enjoying broad market space.   A relevant person in charge of Weidu Intelligent stated that industrial investment logic has shifted from pure technology orientation to comprehensive consideration of technology, scenarios and business models.   For investors, target selection should focus on technological capabilities and corporate characteristics. Technologically, evaluation should cover adaptability to extreme environments, level of intelligent autonomy and self-developed ratio of core components. Corporate characteristics to be monitored include in-depth cooperation with downstream leading enterprises, capacity for business model innovation, progress in global layout and cost control capabilities. Enterprises with gross profit margins above 30% and domestic localization rates exceeding 60% generally feature stronger profitability resilience and competitiveness.   # Shenzhen Empowers Chinese Enterprises to Compete Globally At present, the high-end global underwater robot market is still dominated by European, American and Japanese enterprises, while Chinese players represented by China State Shipbuilding Corporation and China Merchants Industry Holdings are transitioning from following to catching up on par. Against this landscape, Shenzhen can leverage three major advantages — scientific and technological innovation, supply chain efficiency and opening-up — to help Chinese enterprises expand global market share.   Hu Zhenyu analyzed that Shenzhen's scientific and technological innovation advantages help break high-end technical barriers. Deep integration of local industrial strengths in 5G, artificial intelligence and new energy with marine equipment enables the development of differentiated products such as 5G + underwater communication and AI + autonomous operations, forming core competitiveness. Highly coordinated supply chains constitute another major advantage of Shenzhen. A complete industrial chain covering sensors, batteries and communication modules allows enterprises to achieve local procurement and rapid iteration, significantly shortening R&D cycles, cutting costs and gaining cost-performance advantages to enter global mid-to-high-end and emerging markets. The depth and breadth of opening-up make Shenzhen a gateway for enterprises to connect with the world. Supported by platforms including the Belt and Road Initiative, Qianhai Free Trade Zone and China Marine Expo, Shenzhen promotes global expansion of equipment and services, participation in international standard formulation and enhancement of industrial discourse power.   Hu Zhenyu holds an optimistic attitude toward whether Shenzhen can cultivate internationally competitive leading enterprises. He believes Shenzhen has laid a sound foundation: an initial corporate echelon with leading players in both industrial and consumer markets; stable support from a ten-billion-yuan-level local market demand; and prominent innovation resources and industrial cluster effects. In the future, superior enterprises should be supported to build integrated capabilities through horizontal integration and vertical extension. They should be encouraged to conduct technological cooperation with world-leading manufacturers and establish overseas R&D and service centers. Meanwhile, policies should promptly launch a marine industry guidance fund to provide long-term capital support for leading enterprises and assist them in participating in major international projects to enhance global brand influence.

At the start of 2025, an unusual "visitor" arrived on the beach of Mulan Bay in Wenchang, Hainan. During his vacation, Mr. Jin accidentally discovered a machine equipped with a lens, lighting fixtures, and propellers. He immediately took photos and contacted Professor Sun from Ocean University. Despite visible damage—broken plastic brackets and some exposed cables—the lens, eight propeller impellers, main body, and battery compartment remained intact. Through remote identification of the photos, Professor Sun confirmed it was the Chasing M200 PRO underwater drone developed and manufactured by Chasing Innovation. Why was the Chasing M200 PRO here? Rewind to September 2024, when Typhoon Yagi swept across the South China Sea and rapidly intensified, becoming the strongest autumn typhoon to make landfall in China since 1949. The violent winds and huge waves brought by Typhoon Yagi created extremely harsh sea conditions in the South China Sea, with towering waves and raging storms, severely impacting maritime operations and navigation.   Amidst this natural disaster, the Chasing M200 PRO underwater drone demonstrated outstanding product quality, remarkable durability, and superior performance. Based on the product serial number, it is inferred that this unit may have originated from Hong Kong. It was swept away and lost by the typhoon on September 6, yet miraculously traveled over 400 kilometers through severe sea conditions before automatically floating to the beach of Mulan Bay in Wenchang, Hainan Province. During this thrilling journey, it not only successfully withstood the fierce winds and heavy rains of Typhoon Yagi but also fully showcased its excellent self-navigation and self-protection capabilities.   The Chasing M200 PRO underwater drone has gained recognition from global customers with its unique open design. Its propellers, battery components, fill lights, cameras, and control cabin all adopt a modular design. This design not only ensures stability and reliability during long-term high-intensity operations but also greatly facilitates after-sales maintenance. Even though the drone suffered severe external damage from the typhoon, its modular design will make repair work relatively simple, thus significantly reducing the owner’s economic losses.   Currently, this weathered Chasing M200 PRO underwater drone has been sent to Haikou, awaiting return to its owner. We sincerely thank Mr. Jin for his timely discovery and Professor Sun for his remote identification. We are also proud of the reliable quality assurance demonstrated by the Chasing M200 PRO under extreme weather and sea conditions.   Chasing Innovation has always been committed to developing high-quality, high-performance underwater drones, providing reliable and efficient underwater drone solutions for customers in various fields. Upholding the concept of "Exploring the Unknown", we strive for excellence!

When 26-year-old Lae'Quan Little vanished into the cold New Year's Eve night in Greensboro, no one could have imagined that the "eye" silently gliding through frigid waters would eventually unlock the truth. As a father of two, his final panicked words over the phone—"I'm in the grass"—hung like a heavy boulder in his family's hearts. For seven days, the police search had hit a dead end due to misleading surveillance information, and it was the Qianjiao Mini S underwater drone that was about to demonstrate technology's power to cut through darkness in this race against time.   The story began at a pond near the Bridford apartment complex. Although the police had found suspicious tire tracks by the pond adjacent to the apartments, and independent divers Jeremy Sides and Adam Brown had detected a "strange large object" underwater using sonar, the bitter cold caused the water surface to freeze overnight, leaving the sonar boat stranded. To make matters worse, a black car "driving away" captured on surveillance footage led to a critical misjudgment, and the pond was excluded from the search area. As time passed, hope grew as cold as the currents beneath the ice.   The team shifted their focus to other water bodies and detected a signal of a sunken vehicle using sonar in a large lake. This marked the first deployment of the Qianjiao Mini S. Like a silent fish, it dived into the water, and the clear live images it transmitted immediately confirmed the vehicle was a Lexus—nothing like Lae'Quan's black Honda Civic. This "unexpected discovery" laid bare a key shortcoming of traditional sonar: while it can locate targets, it cannot identify details. In contrast, the underwater drone's real-time imaging capability eliminates false leads immediately, preventing the waste of human and material resources.   The real breakthrough came when Adam reviewed the sonar recordings again and noticed a shadow resembling the outline of a car—something he had overlooked earlier. The two-person team decided to return to the original pond. By then, the water surface was still covered with a thin layer of ice, underwater visibility was nearly zero, and sediment swirled constantly in the currents, making it impossible for any optical equipment to penetrate this "visual blind spot."   It was at this moment that the Qianjiao Mini S's high-definition camera and stable propulsion system showcased their unique advantages. It could operate continuously in low-temperature environments, remain unaffected by water current disturbances, and conduct precise scans in murky waters by flexibly adjusting its depth and angle. First, Lae'Quan's body was clearly captured on camera. Soon after, the 2009 Honda Civic—with its front end pointing downward and part of it buried in sediment—appeared on the screen. The fact that the driver's side window was open, a crucial detail, was fully recorded by the drone, providing vital evidence for subsequent case analysis.   Later, Jeremy admitted, "Without the Qianjiao Mini S, we would never have found him in such conditions." His words highlighted the irreplaceable role of underwater drones in special search and rescue scenarios. Traditional underwater search operations face three major challenges: extreme weather (such as freezing cold) preventing equipment deployment; complex water conditions (like sediment and undercurrents) affecting detection accuracy; and devices like sonar failing to provide intuitive images, leading to easy misjudgments.   The Qianjiao Mini S, however, fills the gaps left by traditional search and rescue methods perfectly. Its compact design allows it to adapt to narrow water areas, its low-temperature resistance enables it to handle harsh environments, and its real-time imaging solves the problem of "being able to detect but not identify" targets. When the police were notified of the discovery, the pond—once ruled out due to flawed surveillance information—finally delivered the long-awaited answer.   For Lae'Quan's family, while the outcome was heartbreaking, this search that spanned the cold winter at least brought closure. The Qianjiao Mini S was more than just a search and rescue device; it was a bridge connecting life to the truth. With technological power, it cut through darkness and bitter cold, turning frigid waters from the end of a mystery into the starting point of an answer.   In countless similar underwater search, rescue, and detection scenarios, the Qianjiao Mini S is redefining how humans explore water bodies with its "silent dive." It proves that the true power of technology lies not only in breakthroughs in technical parameters but also in its ability to ignite a glimmer of hope for those waiting for answers when it matters most.

According to Investment Journal (ID: pedaily2012), Shenzhen Chasing Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Chasing Innovation"), an underwater robot enterprise, recently completed tens of millions of RMB in Series B financing, led by Shenzhen Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industry Investment Co., Ltd. (hereinafter referred to as "Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industry Investment").   Zhou Changen, Executive Vice President of Chasing Innovation, revealed that after this financing, the company will increase investment in three aspects: technological R&D, brand building, and industrial chain sinking.   Founded in 2016, Chasing Innovation has previously completed four rounds of financing totaling over 100 million RMB, with investors including Shenzhen Venture Capital, Qianhai Mother Fund Huaize Zhongzhao Angel Fund, Investment Holding Donghai, Plum Blossom Venture Capital, etc.   According to product market positioning, mainstream underwater robots can be divided into three categories: consumer-grade, industrial-grade, and military-grade. Chasing Innovation mainly focuses on consumer-grade and light B-end products. This year, its newly launched underwater operation robot "Qian Jiao P200 PRO" and pool cleaning robot "Qian Tun CM600" — the former complements B-end demand with stronger technical performance, while the latter supplements C-end demand with new products targeting scenarios with more users. Currently, 90% of Chasing Innovation's business comes from overseas markets. Meanwhile, Zhou Changen is optimistic about the potential for multiple growth in the domestic market, stating that "we will carry out targeted development mainly for the application scenarios of underwater robots in China."   Underwater operation robot "Qian Jiao P200 PRO" (Image source: Chasing Innovation)   Exploring product application scenarios to achieve track positioning is a common problem faced by players in the underwater robot track. Especially since the underwater robot track has just emerged, how to explore new scenarios and how to select and layout product lines are particularly critical. Zhou Changen said that Chasing Innovation is guided by user research, and after fully understanding user needs, consumption willingness and consumption levels, combined with underlying technical advantages, it carries out corresponding product design.   "Chasing Innovation's underwater robots have very extensive applications in underwater rescue and salvage for emergency rescue. Secondly, in underwater asset inspection, they are mainly used in underwater infrastructure such as bridges, reservoirs, dams, pipelines, and underwater ship hulls," Zhou Changen explained the current main application scenarios of Chasing Innovation's products. In the consumer-grade direction, especially in the current commercial scenarios of overseas markets, Chasing Innovation focuses on scenarios such as pool cleaning and fishery breeding.   Pool cleaning robot "Qian Tun CM600" (Image source: Chasing Innovation)   Once a blockbuster product appears in the track, it will open up a new competitive situation in the underwater robot track. Zhou Changen believes that the underwater robot market has a space of hundreds of billions of RMB, and there is still a certain process for players in the track to meet the huge market demand. "As market pain points gradually become clear, market explosion points will also emerge, and Chasing Innovation is exploring this 'explosion point'."   Technology and industrial chain are the two key words for Chasing Innovation to build competitive barriers. "Chasing Innovation's biggest advantage is that it has long been deeply engaged in the underwater robot track and has built a technical barrier for 'underwater operations' over the years, and this technical barrier can be applied in real scenarios in underwater intelligent hardware. Secondly, in underwater infrastructure, Chasing Innovation has built a relatively comprehensive supply chain and industrial chain advantage," Zhou Changen said. Chasing Innovation currently has three self-built factories, independently researching and producing core hardware including waterproof structural parts. In the future, Chasing Innovation will continue to build technical reserves and strengthen the industrial chain system, and continuously expand its moat through stable supply. Zhou Changen envisions "forming a stable and large-scale underwater robot industrial chain system".   Regarding this financing, Cai Weibin, Chairman of Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industry Investment, believes that Chasing Innovation focuses on the civilian high-end underwater robot manufacturing industry, solving pain points in underwater operations such as fishery breeding, ship hull inspection and safety search and rescue. After years of accumulation, Chasing Innovation has established systematic technical advantages and supply chain advantages in underwater robots. As a winning enterprise of the 2017 "Entrepreneurship Star" Competition in Nanshan District, Nanshan Strategic Emerging Industry Investment is optimistic about Chasing Innovation's development potential in civilian high-end underwater robots, and also hopes to accompany the enterprise to become a unicorn in the underwater robot industry at an early date. 编辑分享               深度思考  

In November, an ocean-going vessel from Brazil slowly berthed in Hong Kong waters. The massive 333-meter-long and 48-meter-wide cargo ship appeared calm on the surface, but concealed a secret deep beneath its hull.   Criminal gangs wrapped 417 kilograms of cocaine in waterproof materials, attached 5-10 kg lead blocks, and carefully hid them at the ship's water intake gate about 11 meters underwater. Liu Yulong, Senior Superintendent of the Hong Kong Customs Narcotics Investigation Bureau, stated at a case briefing that this was the first time Customs had discovered such a covert method of hiding drugs by criminal groups. As a result, Customs officers faced enormous challenges during the search. The underwater area beneath the ship spanned the size of three standard football fields, with dim light and extremely low visibility—making the task akin to finding a needle in a haystack. Traditional diver searches had numerous limitations in this environment. To address this, Customs deployed underwater drones to work in coordination with divers.   CHASING's Gladius P200 PRO Underwater Drone participated in the operation, its agile frame diving into murky waters. With excellent current resistance and underwater maneuverability, it navigated stably through the complex hull structure. Equipped with a high-definition camera and fill lights, it penetrated the turbid water, transmitting real-time underwater images clearly to the surface, providing law enforcement officers with reliable basis for judgment. Ultimately, with the assistance of the underwater drone, Customs officers successfully located suspicious items at the ship's underwater intake gate, exposing the drugs that had attempted to slip through undetected.   This operation not only marked a successful law enforcement case but also set a new benchmark for border control security work. Under CHASING's underwater drone border security solution, border control and police departments can use drones like the Gladius P200 PRO for long-duration, refined underwater searches. These drones assist or replace divers in high-difficulty operations in dangerous areas, using accessories such as retractable cameras and robotic arms to access hard-to-reach areas like hull valve compartments. This effectively covers underwater blind spots, ensures personnel safety, and improves search efficiency. Meanwhile, real-time image transmission and data retention provide reliable evidence and traceability for law enforcement processes, further enhancing law enforcement efficiency and transparency. Tianjin Entry-Exit Border Inspection Station Jointly Develops Underwater Inspection Drone for Contraband in Submarine Valve Compartments with CHASING   For shipowners and ship management companies, proactively introducing standardized intelligent underwater inspections is a proactive measure to prevent crew involvement in crimes, avoid ship detention, ensure stable route operations, and reduce the risk of joint liability and potential losses.   When the secrets beneath the ship were uncovered, we saw not only the seizure of a batch of drugs but also the protection of countless lives that could have been harmed by drugs, the effective mitigation of risks facing thousands of families, and the further consolidation of the foundation of social public security.   Technology not only changes life but also silently protects it. No matter how covert criminal methods are or how deeply hidden dark corners may be, they will ultimately be exposed to the light of technology. This victory in underwater "drug hunting" marks the successful conclusion of a search mission—and the beginning of a new era where technology empowers security and innovation safeguards the times.   Technology breaks through traditional limits, discovers hard-to-reach risks, solves unresolved problems, and makes the invisible visible. Underwater drones are born for this purpose. This is also the philosophy that CHASING has always upheld.

In the waters off Yeosu, South Korea, ferries and pilot boats shuttle back and forth daily, undertaking the heavy task of transporting large numbers of passengers. However, during regular navigation, issues such as ship propellers being entangled in floating debris and hull damage from hitting hidden reefs occur from time to time. Traditional ship inspection methods have obvious limitations, imposing a heavy economic burden on shipowners and making it difficult to detect daily hidden risks in a timely manner. For a long time, maritime safety has relied on annual fixed inspections. To reverse this predicament, the Yeosu Coast Guard introduced the Chasing P200 PRO underwater robot solution, promoting a shift in maritime safety inspections from "emergency response" to "proactive prevention." This innovative practice has attracted coverage from South Korea’s public media KBS, becoming a model case of industry attention. Traditional Inspections Confront Practical Dilemmas The underwater part of a ship is like a hidden iceberg—usually invisible, yet it may pose dangers at any time. Moon Seung-wook, Head of the Maritime Traffic Division of the Yeosu Coast Guard, admitted that aside from mandatory annual inspections, the underwater condition of ships mostly remains in a monitoring blind spot. Behind this dilemma lie multiple practical considerations: hiring professional divers incurs high costs, and using dry docks for hoisting means days of downtime losses. Many shipowners have been forced to make difficult trade-offs between economic pressure and safety needs. A representative from a cruise operating company voiced the industry’s common sentiment: "When there is an abnormality at the bottom of the hull, inviting divers to inspect is a huge cost burden, and in fact, it is also very difficult to find the root cause of the problem..." This dilemma persisted until the intervention of underwater robot technology brought a turning point. 34 Ships Receive "Underwater Physical Examinations"—Hidden Risks No Longer "Concealed Under Water" The inspection was carried out from March 17 to June 13, 2025, coinciding with the peak spring tourism season and the "South Korean Ship Safety Transformation Inspection Period." The Yeosu Coast Guard, in collaboration with the Yeosu Shipping Management Center, conducted free inspections on 34 passenger-carrying ships within its jurisdiction, with a focus on 16 large-capacity passenger ships. This initiative aimed to eliminate underwater safety blind spots and prevent maritime accidents, focusing on key parts such as propeller shafts, propellers, and steering gears During the inspection, the Chasing P200 PRO demonstrated multiple advantages: it can dive to a maximum depth of 200 meters, suitable for various ship types from small vessels to large cruise ships; it can capture images of the propellers, steering gears, hull exterior, and floating debris, and transmit high-definition footage in real time, helping the coast guard detect and address issues promptly. Through underwater robot operations, inspection schedules became more flexible, reducing operational risks while cutting costs Remarkable Inspection Results—Benefiting Multiple Parties The joint underwater robot inspection achieved remarkable results: all underwater inspections of the 34 passenger-carrying ships were completed smoothly, and the entire process was more economical and safer. Shipowners expressed high satisfaction with the service, with a satisfaction score of 94.1 in the first inspection and an increase to 96.9 in the second. During this period, the number of passengers using ferry services reached approximately 320,000, which means the Yeosu Coast Guard successfully achieved safety management during the peak tourism season without a single maritime accident.   The Yeosu Coast Guard stated that the annual passenger capacity of ships in its jurisdiction is approximately 1.35 million. In the event of an accident, the consequences would be severe. This underwater robot inspection effectively ensured navigation safety and provided the coast guard with a reliable means of hidden risk prevention. Underwater Robots Usher in New Ideas for Maritime Safety Management The Chasing P200 PRO fully demonstrated its advantages in efficiency, cost, and safety during this initiative, providing replicable practical experience for global maritime traffic safety. What the Chasing P200 PRO brings is not only the efficient execution of a single task, but also the verification of a new paradigm for maritime safety operation and maintenance characterized by "preventive, regular, and low-burden" practices. Through technological empowerment, Chasing Innovation’s underwater robots are driving a profound transformation in the maritime safety governance model. Source: KBS News Report   Video Link:: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BEZ9pjYT8i8 If there is any infringement, please contact us for removal.  

At 8:00 p.m. on October 2nd, the Shenzhen episode of City Elegance Chronicles – a large-scale seasonal program launched by China Media Group (CMG) – was broadcast on the prime time slot of CMG’s General Channel. With the theme "Miracle Shenzhen: More Than This", the program’s exploration team, consisting of hosts Sa Beining, Wang Jianing, Meng Zhandong and Zhu Dajian (Distinguished Professor of Tongji University), led the audience to visit Shenzhen’s landmark locations such as Nanshan Robot Valley, Longgang Robot 6S Store and Shenzhen Library North Branch. Through multi-dimensional perspectives, it showcased Shenzhen’s technological innovation achievements and unique cultural charm.   In Nanshan Robot Valley – a vibrant ecosystem for the robotics industry and a key area of Shenzhen’s high-tech hub – CHASING Innovation, as an outstanding representative of Shenzhen’s innovative enterprises, demonstrated the cutting-edge technology of China’s underwater robots to audiences across the country. This appearance on the prime time program of CMG Channel 1 is not only CHASING Innovation’s first time showcasing its flagship products on the stage of national-level mainstream media, but also marks the official entry of Shenzhen’s underwater robot technology and applications into the public view nationwide.   In CMG’s focused report on Shenzhen’s urban technological landscape, CHASING Innovation, as a representative enterprise in underwater technology and robotics, also undertakes the important role of demonstrating the solid strength of "Shenzhen Intelligent Manufacturing". This is not only an authoritative recognition of CHASING’s technological strength and innovative spirit, but also highlights Shenzhen’s leading position in China’s high-end intelligent equipment field. This honor belongs to every "pioneer" daring to explore the deep sea, and more importantly, to this city that continuously creates miracles.   For every CHASING employee, being selected by a national-level platform is not only the highest honor, but also a historical responsibility – to represent China’s underwater technology in advancing further and deeper into the global "blue ocean". The omnidirectional intelligent anti-current system equipped on the CHASING X100 can independently adjust the fuselage direction in complex offshore marine environments to achieve stable underwater observation and inspection operations. This technological innovation solves the long-standing problem that has plagued underwater operations. It is precisely a microcosm of Shenzhen’s technological innovation strength – turning wild ideas into accessible daily realities.   From conceptual design in laboratories to practical application in deep-sea operations, technological innovation has always been guided by solving real-world problems, enabling the "underwater robots" in sci-fi movies to truly enter the frontline of industries.   Shenzhen’s technological innovation miracle stems from the underlying logic of "market-oriented, enterprise-led innovation". Under this mechanism, enterprises become the main body of technological innovation, and policies and capital work together to promote the rapid transformation of scientific and technological achievements. CHASING Innovation is a beneficiary of this model – every step of its underwater robots from R&D to mass production is inseparable from Shenzhen’s complete industrial support and policy backing. The dual empowerment of hardware and software has built Shenzhen’s unique innovation ecosystem.   "Shenzhen has the construction of a ‘city of a thousand parks’ and a livable environment in terms of hardware; in terms of software, it has complete talent attraction and service policies as well as entrepreneurship support measures" – the integration of such "hard power" and "soft power" provides fertile ground for innovative enterprises.   Shenzhen’s technological innovation story has never stopped at the present: from the "Shenzhen speed" of "one floor in three days" to industrial upgrading empowered by "hard technology" – Shenzhen has always embraced changes with an open attitude, allowing every "innovative idea" to find soil for growth.   As an outstanding representative of Shenzhen’s technological innovation forces, CHASING Innovation will continue to deepen its focus on the underwater robot field, and use innovative technology to provide more advanced solutions for the development of the marine economy, underwater infrastructure construction and ecological environmental protection. CHASING Innovation is writing a new chapter in the development of underwater robots in its unique way, driving China’s underwater robot technology towards a broader and deeper marine field.      

  2025 Guangdong International Overseas Chinese Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition From September 18 to 19, 2025, the finals and award ceremony of the 2025 Guangdong International Overseas Chinese Innovation and Entrepreneurship Competition (Artificial Intelligence and Robotics Special Competition), co-hosted by the Guangdong Provincial Overseas Chinese Federation, the People’s Government of Zhongshan City, and other institutions, concluded successfully.   The competition attracted 575 projects from 23 countries and regions around the world. After three months of fierce competition, the "Multi-scenario High-end Underwater Intelligent Equipment" project by Shenzhen CHASING Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. stood out and won the Silver Award in the Growth Enterprise Group.   As the first special competition in the national overseas Chinese federation system focusing on the field of artificial intelligence and robotics, this year’s competition brought together 78 enterprises, including "Zhuan Jing Te Xin" (specialized, refined, distinctive, innovative) enterprises, high-tech enterprises, "Little Giant" enterprises, unicorns, gazelles, and above-scale enterprises. The participating teams have a total of over 100 overseas doctors and more than 1,150 patents and software copyrights, covering the entire artificial intelligence industry chain, high-end equipment, new energy, and 23 other industrial fields. It presents the "three characteristics" of internationalization, intelligence, and youthfulness, as well as the "two types" of innovative and knowledge-based features, becoming a benchmark platform for overseas Chinese innovation and entrepreneurship in the new era.   CHASING Innovation won high recognition from the judges with its core competitiveness in the field of miniaturized and intelligent underwater equipment. In a market dominated by European and American brands, relying on Shenzhen’s complete UAV industry chain, the company has achieved independent R&D of industrial-grade underwater robots, consumer-grade cleaning robots, and underwater imaging equipment, and built a world-leading production base for underwater intelligent equipment. The award won by CHASING Innovation this time is the best proof of its solid strength.   At present, the company’s products have covered core water scenarios in more than 100 countries worldwide, and are widely used in key fields such as maritime applications, emergency rescue, fishery breeding, water conservancy and hydropower, hull inspection, and scientific research. In Northern Europe, South America, and Japan, the market share has exceeded 50%. CHASING’s underwater intelligent equipment has passed the verification of actual sea conditions and complex water areas with excellent reliability, stability, and environmental adaptability, and has become the preferred observation-level and operation-level solution for global industry users. Underwater Robot Skills Competition On September 26, at the "2025 Conference of the Water Transport Monitoring Equipment Industry Branch of the China Metrology and Testing Society & Underwater Robot Industry Metrology Technology Exchange Conference" held in Tianjin, the Underwater Robot Skills Competition was a core segment and the focus of the entire event. As one of the organizers of the event, Shenzhen CHASING Innovation Technology Co., Ltd. participated in the competition with its star product, the CHASING X100 industrial-grade underwater robot, and stood out from many participating units, winning the first prize in the skills competition.   During the competition, the CHASING X100 conquered the judges and audience with its revolutionary operational capabilities and outstanding performance in complex water environments. A on-site judge commented bluntly that the product’s stable hovering in complex water flow environments, high-definition image transmission, and precise maneuverability constituted a "dimension-reduction strike" against other competing solutions.   As a result, CHASING’s booth became the most popular area at the event. Experts and peers at the conference kept stopping by to communicate, and the operation demonstration session received a lot of exclamations and praise, becoming the display highlight with the most technological content and the strongest visual impact at the entire exchange conference. From the shores of the Bohai Bay to the five continents and four oceans, CHASING Innovation’s breakthrough lies not only in technological innovation but also in building a full-chain innovation ecosystem of "R&D - Production - Application". Just as the core concept of the competition is "Intelligence Creates the Future", CHASING Innovation is redefining the standards and possibilities of underwater intelligent equipment with the innovative wisdom of a Chinese enterprise. When "Made in China (Intelligent Manufacturing)" goes global with a more intelligent form and a more affordable price, it is not only an inevitable trend of industrial upgrading but also a vivid practice of scientific and technological inclusion.   CHASING Innovation will continue to deepen its focus on the field of underwater intelligent equipment, take innovation as an oar and quality as a sail, ride the wave in the tide of the artificial intelligence and robotics industry, create more value for global users, and write a "underwater legend" belonging to Chinese technology enterprises!

On September 23, 2025, Ye Jianchun, Deputy Secretary of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Governor of Jiangxi Province, accompanied by Huang Xizhong, Member of the Standing Committee of the Jiangxi Provincial Party Committee and Secretary of the Ganzhou Municipal Party Committee, inspected Ganzhou Chasing Technology Co., Ltd., injecting strong momentum into the development of the underwater drone industry. As the underwater drone production base of Shenzhen Chasing Innovation Technology, Ganzhou Chasing Technology Co., Ltd. is located in Ganzhou Economic and Technological Development Zone. It is a major project in Jiangxi Province, one of the first batch of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and a specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprise. It is deeply engaged in the R&D and manufacturing of industrial-grade underwater drones, consumer-grade pool cleaning robots, and consumer underwater imaging equipment, having formed a full-chain innovation system from cutting-edge research to product development.   Chasing's industrial base in Ganzhou is the world's most complete and largest manufacturing base for underwater intelligent robots with a full industrial chain.   During the inspection, Governor Ye Jianchun encouraged the enterprise to strengthen industry-university-research cooperation, promote the innovation and upgrading of vertical field tracks, and strive to forge deeper into the underwater drone market. He emphasized the need to actively and orderly undertake industrial transfer, systematically implement the "2030 Sail Plan" and "2030 Pioneer Project", improve the "1+M+N" scientific and technological achievement transfer and transformation service system, cultivate clusters of innovative small and medium-sized enterprises, and stimulate the vitality of industrial innovation.   At the science and technology exhibition hall of Ganzhou Chasing, Governor Ye and Secretary Huang watched the demonstration of the "Mako P200 PRO" underwater drone by the technical team. Equipped with an image sonar and an underwater AI visual recognition system, this product can complete underwater target recognition and recording, underwater structural anomaly detection, and assist in geomorphic mapping, maintaining stable operations even in complex water environments. General Manager Zhou Changen introduced that Chasing has leveraged the advantages of drone technology and the drone industrial chain to cross-integrate underwater navigation algorithms, lightweight structures, and AI technology, completely reshaping the technical path of traditional underwater drones. This equipment has been applied in various industries such as water conservancy hubs, bridge structures, and offshore oil and gas platforms for regular inspections, and has been exported to high-end markets such as Japan and Sweden, successfully replacing imported products from Europe and the United States. Through the independent R&D of the entire chain of core components, Chasing has controlled the total machine cost to 1/10 of that of similar foreign products, truly achieving a dual breakthrough in technology and price for "Made in China". Technical personnel also demonstrated the flagship product, the Mako X100 underwater intelligent operation platform. Its disruptive intelligent omnidirectional anti-current system can operate stably in 4.5-knot strong currents.   In addition, General Manager Zhou also introduced the latest achievements of pool cleaning robots and innovative products in the intelligent fishing product line to the leaders.   This inspection has greatly encouraged the Chasing team. Taking this opportunity, Ganzhou Chasing will adhere to independent innovation, deepen cooperation with universities and research institutes, accelerate technological iteration and product upgrading, and continuously explore application scenarios for underwater unmanned equipment. In the future, Ganzhou Chasing Technology Co., Ltd. will embrace industrial innovation with a more open attitude, contribute to promoting the deep integration of science and technology industries in Jiangxi Province and building a full-chain innovation ecosystem, forge ahead courageously in the blue ocean of underwater technology, and write a new chapter in the development of specialized, sophisticated, distinctive and innovative enterprises!