Oshen’s innovative ocean robots survived a Category 5 hurricane, collecting crucial data and attracting attention from major organizations.
Laverack realized that one reason for failure was the lack of important ocean data on weather and conditions. After attending conferences, she discovered that no one had a smart way to gather this data. People even offered to pay her to collect it, which gave her the idea to start Oshen. She co-founded the company with electrical engineer Ciaran Dowds in April 2022.
At the start, they built small robots known as C-Stars. These robots can last 100 days in the ocean and work in groups to gather data. Instead of seeking investors right away, Laverack and Dowds used their savings to buy a sailboat, live cheaply, and test their robots in real ocean conditions.
This testing wasn’t easy. They had to make sure the robots worked well in all kinds of weather, even winter storms. Laverack said tuning the technology was tough. Many companies get some parts right, but Oshen aimed to get all three things right: cost, tech, and mass deployment.
Their work caught the eye of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) two years ago. At that time, Oshen wasn’t ready to deploy reliably. But, after improving their technology, NOAA contacted them just before the 2025 hurricane season. Oshen sent 15 C-Stars, five of which were launched near the U.S. Virgin Islands, where Hurricane Humberto was expected.
Laverack was hopeful, but the unexpected happened. Three of the robots not only survived but also collected data throughout the entire storm. This made them the first ocean robots to gather information during a Category 5 hurricane.
Now, Oshen is based in a marine tech hub in Plymouth, England. They have started working with government contracts for weather and defense needs. Laverack shared that they plan to seek more venture capital to meet rising demand.