Manchester-based ocean intelligence start-up NeuWave Technologies has raised £570,000 in pre-seed funding to tackle one of the offshore industry’s most costly bottlenecks, inaccurate wave forecasts that stall projects and waste billions every year.

The round was backed by EHE Ventures’ AI Growth Fund, alongside Insurtech Gateway and QVentures, and will be used to accelerate product development, expand commercial roll-out, and make key technical hires.

At the heart of NeuWave’s solution is a proprietary AI-powered forecasting engine that delivers wave predictions with up to 20 times more accuracy than standard marine models. Forecasts refresh in minutes rather than hours, enabling operators to make smarter real-time decisions across navigation planning, emergency rerouting, and metocean reporting.

“Marine weather errors cost the industry over £1.2bn a year — and that figure is growing,” said Jana Stella, Founder and CEO of NeuWave. “A single bad forecast can halt operations, with each idle vessel costing £100,000–£700,000 per day depending on asset class and liabilities. We’re solving that with precision forecasting that adapts to local conditions in real time.”

Stella, who holds a PhD in environmental engineering from the University of Manchester, has shaped NeuWave into a scalable SaaS model with immediate industry relevance. The company is already working with major organisations including EDF, National Grid, Celtic Sea Power, and Catapult Offshore Renewable Energy, with further roll-out planned later this year.

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For investors, the potential impact is clear. “Offshore logistics is a high-friction space where AI can unlock immediate value financially, operationally, and environmentally,” said Neil Vose, CEO of EHE Venture Studio. “NeuWave’s platform has the potential to become the default intelligence layer for marine infrastructure.”

The timing is significant. As global investment in offshore infrastructure accelerates, from renewable energy to subsea cabling, operators face rising pressure to cut downtime and meet ambitious net-zero targets. Traditional marine weather tools, meanwhile, are struggling to keep up with the demands of a fast-changing ocean economy.

By positioning itself as the critical data layer for offshore operations, NeuWave aims to reduce project delays, safeguard assets, and boost resilience across the sector.

With fresh funding in place and momentum building, NeuWave is now focused on scaling its AI technology internationally, positioning itself as a leading force in the digital transformation of marine operations.