Edinburgh, Scotland-based startup CSignum, which has developed a system for underground and underwater communications, has raised £6 million in a Series A funding round led by family office group Archangels, investment firm Scottish VC Par Equity and government agency Scottish Enterprise. Investors also include British Business Investment (BBI), Raptor Group, Deep Future, Blue Angel Network (a subsidiary of SeaAhead) and individual investors from the US.
Founded in 2020, CSignum has developed a wireless communication system that uses low-frequency electromagnetic fields to transmit data to the surface through water, ice, soil, rock, and concrete. According to the company’s website, the technology allows data to be transmitted from the sea or river bottom to the shore, from a ship’s hull and propulsion systems to the deck, etc. A distinctive feature of the solution is the absence of reflection at the water-air boundary, which is a common problem for acoustic systems.
Image source: CSignum
The CSignum EM-2 platform supports bidirectional data transmission up to 100 m (up to 2 km with an acoustic gateway) between underwater or subsurface sensors and near-surface modules at 400 bps. It can be used to successfully deploy and operate Internet of Underwater Things (IoUT) monitoring devices. The company also offers a cloud solution, CSignum Cloud, providing data transmission services in addition to its wireless systems. The company’s solutions have been successfully used in several river water quality monitoring projects.
CSignum has customers in the UK, EU and US. According to the company, its solutions can be used for water quality and environmental monitoring, for example to meet the requirements of the UK water industry’s AMP8 programme, wireless monitoring of underwater parts of a vessel and safety applications for critical underwater infrastructure such as offshore wind turbines and oil and gas platforms.
CSignum said the investment will allow it to “expand its global presence, accelerate product development, and meet the growing demand for reliable, real-time data transmission for subsea and subsurface applications.”