Latvian deep-tech startup SUBmerge Baltic is developing autonomous underwater drones and autonomous navigation technologies designed for critical infrastructure inspections, port security, hydrographic surveying, mine countermeasure operations, and other complex underwater missions. The company has already moved beyond the technology development phase into commercialisation, working with its first customers in Latvia and abroad while expanding export projects across Europe, the Middle East, and Ukraine. This year, the company plans to manufacture between 20 and 30 underwater drones, with production expected to increase to around 100 units next year.
Support instruments provided by the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) have played an important role in the company’s growth. SUBmerge Baltic has benefited from the Innovation Voucher Programme, participates in the Business Incubation Programme at LIAA’s Technology Representative Office in Riga, and regularly takes part in international trade fairs and trade missions organised with LIAA support.
With funding from the LIAA Innovation Voucher Programme, the company developed a high-precision underwater physics simulator that enables autonomous underwater drones to be tested in a virtual environment before entering the water. This significantly accelerates software development by identifying errors earlier in the process, reducing both development time and costs.
“We would have completed the project even without the support, but it would certainly have taken much longer. At that stage of the company’s development, the funding was extremely important because it enabled us to bring additional specialists into the project and reach a market-ready solution much more quickly,” says Kārlis Bērziņš, CEO of SUBmerge Baltic.
Alongside technology development, the company actively makes use of LIAA’s export support services. Over the past few years, SUBmerge Baltic has participated in international trade fairs and trade missions in France, Germany, Sweden, the United Arab Emirates, and other countries, building relationships with prospective customers and business partners.
“Our business is built on long-term relationships. You do not always see immediate results, but over time you realise that a particular trade fair or trade mission generated valuable contacts. In many markets, the presence of official state support is also important. Participating in LIAA-organised business delegations gives our company additional credibility and makes it much easier to establish the first contacts,” says Bērziņš.
The company’s CEO also speaks positively about the practical aspects of working with LIAA, noting that administrative procedures have become considerably simpler in recent years.
“Compared with our earlier experience, bureaucracy has been significantly reduced over the past two years. Communication has become much easier, and the LIAA team genuinely works with the objective of helping businesses rather than creating additional administrative burdens. Compared with many other public funding programmes, the documentation requirements are relatively modest, and LIAA itself takes responsibility for a number of administrative tasks,” he explains.
Another valuable form of support, according to SUBmerge Baltic, is LIAA’s network of international representative offices, which assist companies with market intelligence, business contacts, and advice on entering specific export markets.
“We regularly work with LIAA representatives in various export markets. This kind of support is extremely valuable for a company developing advanced technologies while operating internationally. It helps us not only establish contacts more quickly but also begin discussions with potential partners with much greater confidence,” says Bērziņš.
The programme is financed under Specific Objective 1.2.1 “Strengthening Research and Innovation Capacities and Introducing Advanced Technologies in Enterprises”, Measure 1.2.1.4 “Support for Improving the Technology Transfer System”, of the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027.
