BlueArch Inc. Established: A Domestic AUV Startup Shaping the Future of the Ocean Industry

BlueArch Inc. (Headquarters: Meguro-ku, Tokyo; Representative: Motoki Muto) has been established to engage in the development and manufacturing of domestic autonomous underwater vehicles and underwater robots (AUV/UUV).

The company will work on the social implementation of domestic AUVs based on cutting-edge robotics and AI technology through joint research with the Maki Laboratory at the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo. It has conducted a third-party allotment of shares with Incubate Fund Inc. as the underwriter to raise funds and will begin full-scale recruitment activities to expand its business.

## Background of the Company's Establishment

AUVs (Autonomous Underwater Vehicles) are robots that autonomously navigate deep seas or hazardous waters inaccessible to humans and collect data. They are globally recognized as a technology for inspecting submarine infrastructure, resource exploration, and environmental surveys. In the Japanese government's growth strategy, 'Ocean' and 'Marine Unmanned Vehicles' are listed as one of the '17 fields to be supported with priority.'

The company's predecessor, the General Incorporated Association BlueArch, actually developed and operated AUVs for blue carbon surveys. Experiencing firsthand the potential of AUVs to solve challenges such as cost and physical demands in underwater surveys, the decision was made to establish a corporation to accelerate the social implementation of AUVs, driven by the desire to 'grow this into an industry Japan can be proud of on the world stage.'

## Business Description

The company will develop and sell the 'HATTORI Neo,' a long-endurance, compact hovering AUV equipped with edge AI processing capabilities for real-time recognition and identification of acquired data by the vehicle itself, as well as advanced position control and motion freedom.

Furthermore, using the 'HATTORI Neo' as a starting point, the company will develop technologies and products as an AUV manufacturer catering to diverse applications, expanding its business into a wide range of areas:

- Building a software platform for integrated operation and control of multiple AUVs
- Developing an in-house simulator for accelerating development through virtual testing and pre-designing AUV mission scenarios
- Developing systems for cooperation and coordinated operation with heterogeneous unmanned vehicles, including USVs (Unmanned Surface Vehicles)

## Joint Research with the Maki Laboratory, Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo

The company is advancing technological development through joint research with the Maki Laboratory at the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, which has a proven track record in AUV research in Japan.

The Maki Laboratory promotes research and development of advanced and efficient underwater exploration systems centered on AUVs. It has developed multiple AUVs capable of actual sea operations and has successfully demonstrated cable-free AUVs in areas such as Kagoshima Bay, the Okinawa Trough, Ishigaki Island, and Antarctica.

The company's product, 'HATTORI Neo,' also leverages the knowledge and technology cultivated in the 'HATTORI' AUV, which has been developed and refined for over a decade at the same laboratory.

The company is also based in the incubation room of the collaborative research building on the University of Tokyo's Komaba Campus, utilizing the campus's top-level underwater robot research facilities to advance AUV development.

## Vision

To become a global No.1 AUV manufacturer originating from Japan.

Exploration and observation in the sea, where radio waves do not reach, involve high costs and risks. The ocean is an area expected to offer various possibilities such as communication and resources, yet it remains a frontier that humanity has not fully utilized. If AUVs can realize efficient and highly safe wide-area exploration, the potential for ocean utilization will expand fundamentally.

The company believes that AUVs will support the development of the ocean industry as 'marine information infrastructure' and become a means to unlock the ocean's potential further. Surrounded by the sea on all sides with deep waters close at hand, the company aims to grow from Japan into a globally recognized No.1 manufacturer.

## Team Introduction

**Representative Director & CEO: Motoki Muto**

Experienced in DX consulting and corporate sales for major manufacturing and construction companies, as well as business planning for smart aquaculture using AI at SoftBank Corp. In 2024, established the General Incorporated Association BlueArch, which specialized in developing underwater drones and AI models for blue carbon surveys and creating blue credits. Founded BlueArch Inc. in 2026. Holds licenses as a Small Vessel Operator (Grade 1) and a Diver.

**Director & CRO (Chief Robotics Officer): Yushi Kaida**

Engaged in research on automatic tracking technology for swimming organisms using AUVs, combining image recognition and control algorithms, at the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo. After completing his master's degree, joined SoftBank Corp., where he was involved in the design and development of autonomous mobile robots and next-generation autonomous robots equipped with VLA (Vision-Language-Action models). Has a proven track record at the forefront of robot development for many years, including a 3rd place finish at the RoboCup World Championship. Currently serves as the head of AUV body design and integrated development.

**AUV Technical Fellow: Yuki Sekimori**

Studied engineering and commerce at the University of British Columbia (UBC) in Canada. During his studies, he worked on mechanical design of underwater robots at the local AUV manufacturer Cellula Robotics and also experienced an exchange program at ETH Zürich. Subsequently, he earned a Ph.D. (Environmental Studies) from the Graduate School of Frontier Sciences, the University of Tokyo. As a member of the 66th Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition, he played a central role in AUV operations, contributing to the success of cable-free autonomous navigation in the Southern Ocean, including off the Totten Glacier. Currently, as a JSPS Research Fellow at the Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo, he researches scalable distributed localization methods for underwater robot swarms. Holds an SSI Master Diver certification.

**Outside Director: Toshihiro Maki**

Associate Professor at the Center for Ocean Observation Implementation Engineering, Institute of Industrial Science, the University of Tokyo. Specializes in underwater platform systems engineering. Completed his doctoral program in Environmental and Ocean Engineering at the Graduate School of Engineering, the University of Tokyo, earning a Ph.D. in Engineering. Held a position as a visiting researcher at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution in the USA before assuming his current role. Serves as a Policy Advisor to the Cabinet Secretariat (in charge of Economic Security), involved in formulating and proposing national strategies for the industrialization of AUVs. In the Japan Society of Naval Architects and Ocean Engineers, he chairs a research committee on marine unmanned observation platforms spanning underwater (AUV, ROV), surface (USV), and aerial (UAV) domains. He also contributes to nurturing the next generation through underwater robot competitions as a board member of the NPO Japan Underwater Robot Network.

## Comments from Investors

**Yusuke Murata, Managing Partner, Incubate Fund Inc.**

'Amidst the significant emergence of geopolitical risks worldwide and a fundamental shift in the nature of security, a startup with a very important role for the nation has been born. We will accompany them in building the next-generation marine industry infrastructure based on the research results from the University of Tokyo's Maki Laboratory, which has been leading the AUV industry.'

**Ryoto Iwasaki, Associate, Incubate Fund Inc.**

'We have made an initial investment in BlueArch. My first meeting with Mr. Muto was in the fall of two years ago, introduced by Professor Maki.'