Cosma, a startup from Nice specialized in seafloor mapping using autonomous drones and AI, has completed a €2.5 million fundraising round.
The first drones produced in-house are currently being assembled; they enable the analysis of several square kilometers of seabed.
The funding will be allocated to the production of its fleet of autonomous drones, to the strengthening of the AI platform, and to European deployment.
The operation was co-led by Wind and Ternel, with participation from 50 Partners Impact, Ifremer, and Caisse d’Épargne Côte d’Azur.
Automated seafloor mapping: an industrial model deployed from Nice
Based in Nice since 2022, Cosma is developing a technology for observing benthic ecosystems using swarms of autonomous underwater drones and a cloud-based data analysis platform. These drones collect high-resolution images over large areas, enabling modeling of the seafloor and identification of protected species and sensitive habitats.
The indicators generated by the platform are usable in regulatory, scientific, and industrial contexts. The approach is based on standardized and reproducible large-scale data.
A fundraising structured around three operational focuses
The €2.5 million fundraising, finalized on June 30, 2025, was co-led by investment funds Wind and Ternel (formerly MAIF Avenir), with participation from 50 Partners, Ifremer — a long-time partner of the startup — and Caisse d’Épargne Côte d’Azur.
The financial resources are allocated to three goals:
- the industrialization of the in-house designed drone fleet;
- the scaling up of processing capacities for the AI analysis platform;
- commercial development in European public and private markets.
Around ten drones are currently being assembled.
The company is led by its co-founders Frédéric Mittaine (CEO), Yannick Penneçot, Quentin Chennevier, and Laura Cilote-Huguenin. Following the transaction, the founders retain 65% of the capital, and Ifremer holds a 10% stake.
Cosma has ten employees. In 2024, it recorded a turnover of €150,000. The commercialization phase is underway with an initial client base in France and Europe.
Sources: Linkedin Cosma, Linkedin Ternel, Linkedin Wind, Le Marin Ouest France
Cleantech Nice Côte d’Azur France
- Blue Innovation Challenge: supporting innovation in the blue economy sector
- Leather and Yachts: artisanal expertise serving the blue economy
- The Ocean Race Europe 2025: Nice, the only French port of the adventure
- Cosma raises €2.5 million to map the seafloor on a large scale
- Team Nice Côte d’Azur at Viva Technology 2025: at the heart of technological transitions and international attractiveness
- Business Landing Nice Côte d’Azur: Support for business set up in France
- Success for the Nice Ocean Business Forum
- Team Nice Côte d’Azur in Norway: the Côte d’Azur ecosystem immersed in Nordic maritime innovation
- Strategic sector start-up acceleration program: health, blue economy, and cultural and creative industries.
- Nice Ocean Business Forum: the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis mobilizes the blue economy for UNOC-3
