Blueye Robotics
Blueye Robotics is a Norwegian underwater drone (ROV) manufacturer serving defense, offshore energy, aquaculture, shipping, and research customers with a modular ecosystem of ROVs, software, and payload accessories built on a proprietary operating system.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersTrondheim, Norway
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Blueye Robotics does
Blueye Robotics AS is a Norwegian underwater robotics company founded in 2015 in Trondheim by Erik Dyrkoren, Martin Ludvigsen, and Christine Spiten, emerging from the NTNU maritime research environment. The company designs, develops, and manufactures Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) — currently the X1 (entry-level, 150m depth), X3 Ultra (compact AI-ready, 305m depth, 4K UHD), and X7 (flagship, 500m depth, 6 DoF, Nvidia Jetson Orin NX AI). All ROVs run on the proprietary Blunux operating system and are controlled via the Blueye App on iOS, Android, and now Windows, with integrations including Microsoft Teams live streaming, Apple Vision Pro, and Samsung Galaxy XR mixed-reality control. The broader ecosystem includes the Blueye Python SDK and Blunux SDK for custom development, Blueye Cloud for fleet management and AI-generated inspection reports, and a modular payload library of sonars (Oculus, Tritech, Imagenex), grippers (Reach Alpha, Newton), positioning systems (DVL A50, SeaTrac USBL, Blueye GPS), and environmental sensors. The company also offers rental services in Norway, paid and free training courses, and post-warranty service and repair programs.
The business model combines hardware sales (primary revenue driver across X1, X3, X7 with quote-based pricing), accessories and spare parts e-commerce (priced in NOK), equipment rental (usage-based, weekly), training and certification (professional services), and service/warranty programs. Distribution is hybrid: direct sales via the website and sales team for enterprise and government deals, an e-commerce storefront for accessories, a Blueye Partner network for international reach, and rental booking for the Norwegian market. Pricing is quote-based for ROVs and is not publicly disclosed. Marketing combines content (Blueye blog, Blueye Explains video series, webinars), industry events across naval, aquaculture, and maritime verticals, and active social media presence.
Blueye serves seven primary verticals: aquaculture (fish farm inspection), defense and military (mine countermeasures, hull inspection), offshore oil and gas (platform and pipeline inspection), shipping and maritime (hull inspection), research and academia (marine research), border control and customs (vessel inspection and contraband detection), and water and energy (dam and pipeline inspection). Reference customers include the Norwegian Coast Guard (entire fleet equipped), Royal Netherlands Navy, Norwegian Customs and Excise, Equinor, SalMar, Oceaneering, TechnipFMC, and the University of Tromsø. Cumulative disclosed funding is approximately $6.1M (primarily a 2018 round of $6.0M), and the company operates with a team of 20+ experts across software, robotics, mechanical, and industrial design.
Blueye Robotics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blueye Robotics
- Legal name
- Blueye Robotics AS
- Website
- https://blueye.no
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Blueye Robotics is a Norwegian underwater drone (ROV) manufacturer serving defense, offshore energy, aquaculture, shipping, and research customers with a modular ecosystem of ROVs, software, and payload accessories built on a proprietary operating system.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blueye Robotics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Underwater Robotics (Remotely Operated Vehicles)
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational, Measuring, Electromedical, and Control Instruments Manufacturing (33451)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Aircraft & Parts (3720)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Underwater Robotics (USVs/UUVs) (HDAAAIAH)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) & Autonomous Submersible Manufacturing (IMAJAOAC), Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUV) & Autonomous Subsea Platforms (IMABAIAF)
Keywords
Where Blueye Robotics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Trondheim
- HQ country
- Norway
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blueye Robotics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- ROV Hardware Sales: Sale of underwater drones (X1, X3 Ultra, X7) and bundled packages including accessories, cables, batteries, controllers, and transport cases. Revenue is primarily from product sales with customization options based on customer requirements.
- Accessories and Spare Parts: Online store selling grips, controllers, batteries, chargers, cables, lighting, external cameras, transport cases, and service/repair parts.
- Equipment Rental: Short-term rental of Blueye X3 ROVs for customers who prefer to rent rather than purchase. Weekly and monthly rental rates available.
- Training and Certification: Free digital courses and paid in-person training sessions at Blueye HQ covering ROV operation, maintenance, and advanced topics like sonar usage.
- Service and Warranty: Post-warranty service, troubleshooting, repairs, and water damage repairs. Also offers extended warranty programs.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Blueye X3 Rental - 1 week |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Blueye X3 Rental - 4 weeks |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Blueye Pro Rental - 1 week |
| Usage-based | Pay-as-you-go | Blueye Pro Rental - 4 weeks |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Accessories and Parts |
| Other | Pay-as-you-go | Service and Repair |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
Blueye Robotics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blueye Robotics designs, manufactures, and sells observation-class underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) — the X1, X3 Ultra, and X7 — together with the Blunux operating system, Blueye Cloud platform, Blueye App, and a modular ecosystem of third-party payload accessories (sonars, grippers, positioning sensors, environmental sensors). The products are sold to professional buyers in defense, offshore energy, aquaculture, shipping, research, customs, and water/energy utilities for safe, cost-effective underwater inspection and observation without the need for divers or certified ROV pilots.
Product overview
Blueye Robotics is a Norwegian underwater robotics company that offers a modular ecosystem of Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs), software platforms, and payload accessories. The current product portfolio consists of three ROV models — the Blueye X7 (flagship, 500m depth, AI-capable), Blueye X3 Ultra (compact AI-ready, 305m depth), and Blueye X1 (entry-level, 150m depth) — all built around the proprietary Blunux operating system and controlled via the Blueye App on iOS, Android, or Windows. The ecosystem is extended through a growing suite of modular payloads including sonar systems (Oculus, Tritech, Imagenex), gripper arms (Reach Alpha, Newton), positioning sensors (DVL A50, SeaTrac USBL, Blueye GPS), environmental sensors (Aqua TROLL, Cygnus thickness gauge), and external cameras and lights. Blueye Cloud provides cloud-based fleet management, mission planning, and AI-powered inspection reports, while the Blueye Python SDK and Blunux SDK enable custom integration and autonomous mission development. The company also offers rental services, training courses, and service/repair programs.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Blunux: The operating system running on Blueye drones, consisting of control systems, logging, telemetry, built-in firmware, video streaming and more.
- Blueye Cloud
Products and services
- Blueye X7 Flagship observation-class underwater drone for demanding professional operations, featuring 500m depth rating, full 6 degrees of freedom maneuverability, onboard Nvidia Jetson Orin NX AI for object detection and tracking, 4K UHD HDR camera with 8x digital zoom, 10,000 lumen LED lights, and 7 modular guest ports for third-party payloads. Targets offshore energy, defense, and complex inspection sectors.
- Blueye X3 Ultra Compact AI-ready ROV upgraded with 4K UHD video, enhanced IMU for improved positioning, built-in AI functions including real-time turbidity filtering, 305m depth rating, 3 guest ports for payloads, and up to 5 hours runtime with high-capacity battery. Designed for advanced inspection and data collection tasks.
- Blueye X1
Quantifiable outcome
- Cost savings of 1 million NOK per inspection avoided offshore vessel rental
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Blueye Robotics
Customer profileNamed customers9 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
Blueye Robotics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration29 records
AI capability11 records
Feature8 records
Blueye Robotics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Maritime RoboticscoreCollaboration on the Eelume WP960 Unmanned Surface Vessel (USV) for mine countermeasures. Blueye inspection ROVs are integrated into the WP960 system alongside Eelume S AUVs and Biodrone's AI-based automatic object recognition for real-time mine classification.
- EelumecoreBlueye ROVs integrated into Eelume's mine countermeasures system-of-systems. The WP960 optionally-manned USV integrates Blueye inspection ROVs, Eelume S AUVs, and Biodrone AI for mine detection and classification.
- TidewiseminorBrazilian underwater technology company visited Trondheim to explore collaboration opportunities. Both companies are active in defense sector developing subsea surveillance and mine detection solutions.
- KongsbergminorNorwegian maritime technology company based in Trondheim. Tidewise visited Kongsberg during Trondheim ecosystem tour to explore potential collaboration.
- NTNUminorNorwegian University of Science and Technology. Blueye originated from NTNU's maritime research environment. Tidewise visited NTNU as part of Trondheim ecosystem tour.
- EquinorminorNorwegian energy company and Blueye customer. Tidewise visited Trondheim and met with Equinor among other local companies during collaboration exploration.
- Fortune Business InsightsminorBlueye Robotics profiled as one of the top 10 companies in the robotic non-destructive testing (NDT) systems sector in Fortune Business Insights market report.
- BiodronecoreAI-based automatic object recognition technology integrated into the Eelume WP960 USV system alongside Blueye ROVs for real-time mine classification.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Blueye Robotics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Bedrock Ocean: US-based autonomous underwater survey company building subsea data acquisition platforms. Adjacent competitor in autonomous subsea inspection, though focused on service delivery rather than ROV hardware sales.
- Saildrone: US-based developer of autonomous unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) for ocean data collection and defense. Comparable in unmanned marine autonomy positioning and the system-of-systems trend Blueye is pursuing with Eelume.
- Chasing Innovation: Chinese manufacturer of consumer and prosumer underwater drones (M2, M2 Pro, Dory). Currently below Blueye's professional depth/quality tier but rising fast and a potential long-term commoditization threat.
- Sublue: Chinese underwater robotics company with both consumer and emerging professional offerings. Relevant as an emerging competitor in the lower end of Blueye's addressable market.
Broad incumbents
- Teledyne Marine: Division of Teledyne Technologies offering a wide portfolio of underwater imaging, sonar, and vehicle systems. Relevant adjacent incumbent whose imaging and sonar payloads Blueye integrates via guest ports.
- Kongsberg Maritime: Norwegian marine technology incumbent with subsea, AUV, HUGIN, and underwater robotics products. Same Trondheim ecosystem as Blueye and competes for the same offshore and defense customers.
- Saab Seaeye: Defense and commercial ROV manufacturer owned by Saab. Competes in the same underwater vehicle category as Blueye but with a much broader portfolio and deeper defense procurement relationships.
- Oceaneering International: Global subsea robotics operator and manufacturer serving offshore energy, defense, and aerospace. Already a Blueye customer (uses Blueye ROVs for inspections), but also a potential broader competitor in subsea services.
Direct peers
- VideoRay: US-based professional ROV manufacturer serving defense (mine countermeasures, EOD), public safety, and underwater inspection. Directly comparable to Blueye's defense and inspection customer base.
- Deep Trekker: Canadian manufacturer of portable, battery-powered observation ROVs serving defense, inspection, and aquaculture customers. Closely comparable in target verticals, product form factor, and ease-of-use positioning to Blueye.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blueye Robotics social profiles
Digital presenceBlueye Robotics compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance2 records
Blueye Robotics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blueye Robotics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Blueye Robotics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blueye Robotics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blueye Robotics
What does Blueye Robotics do?
Blueye Robotics designs, manufactures, and sells observation-class underwater Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs) — the X1, X3 Ultra, and X7 — together with the Blunux operating system, Blueye Cloud platform, Blueye App, and a modular ecosystem of third-party payload accessories (sonars, grippers, positioning sensors, environmental sensors). The products are sold to professional buyers in defense, offshore energy, aquaculture, shipping, research, customs, and water/energy utilities for safe, cost-effective underwater inspection and observation without the need for divers or certified ROV pilots.
Is Blueye Robotics a public or private company?
Blueye Robotics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Blueye Robotics founded?
Blueye Robotics was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Blueye Robotics based?
Blueye Robotics is headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, in the Europe region.
How does Blueye Robotics make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. ROV Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are accessories and Spare Parts, equipment Rental, training and Certification and service and Warranty.
Who are Blueye Robotics's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Bedrock Ocean, Saildrone, Chasing Innovation and Sublue. Broad incumbents are Teledyne Marine, Kongsberg Maritime, Saab Seaeye and Oceaneering International. Direct peers are VideoRay and Deep Trekker.
Does Blueye Robotics have an API?
Yes. Blueye offers a Python SDK that is open source and available on pypi.org, giving developers the ability to create custom control clients, retrieve data, and integrate with existing systems. The communication protocol is openly available and under continuous development, enabling work across different programming environments. For advanced needs, the Blunux SDK provides access to the drone's operating system, with access to libraries and the ability to replace parts of the Blueye software with custom code. Developer documentation is at github.com/BluEye-Robotics/blueye.sdk.
What industry is Blueye Robotics in?
Blueye Robotics's product category is Underwater Robotics (Remotely Operated Vehicles). Its primary akta.pro industry code is HDAAAIAH, Marine & Underwater Robotics (USVs/UUVs), with a secondary code of IMAJAOAC, Unmanned Underwater Vehicle (UUV) & Autonomous Submersible Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.