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Hyperkelp
Techstars '21Encinitas, US · 11 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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Hyperkelp develops persistent, rugged maritime sensing platforms that collect real-time ocean data for defense, commercial, and environmental monitoring applications. The platforms feature edge autonomy, secure communications, and modular payloads for coastal and open-ocean deployments.
Also known as HyperKelp · HyperKelp Inc
Founders & leadership
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026HyperKelp develops distributed, attritable ocean sensing platforms for early warning and persistent maritime awareness in contested environments. Its core product is the Kelp Smart Buoy (KSB), a modular, sensor-agnostic surface platform that collects, processes and transmits ocean and atmospheric data in real time. The buoys can host a wide range of payloads to measure water quality, acoustic signals, carbon levels and other parameters, with results delivered through dashboards. The company describes its long-endurance buoy systems as combining multi-modal sensors, onboard compute and resilient communications, intended to integrate with prime contractor architectures and move from prototype to operational deployment for defense and dual-use missions.
Two product lines are marketed. KSB-M is positioned as mission-ready sensing for defense and commercial applications, emphasizing secure data transmission in contested or remote environments and on-board processing that filters noise and triggers alerts. KSB-A is a modular platform for long-duration research, commercial monitoring and environmental awareness, built around a hardware-agnostic open architecture that supports acoustic arrays, meteorological and chemical sensors, and can be networked into distributed sensing grids deployed from commercial vessels. A live operational dashboard displays real-time data streams, sensor analytics, geospatial tracks and mission overlays. Stated mission areas include maritime domain awareness and detection, remote operations and connectivity, environmental and ocean insights, climate research and monitoring, navigational safety, and tsunami detection.
Business model
HyperKelp sells and deploys buoy hardware platforms alongside a data dashboard offering described as Ocean Data as a Service (ODaaS), and has generated revenue through U.S. government research and development contracts, including awards from the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy.
Revenue is derived from government defense contracts for buoy development and deployment and from commercial sale of sensing platforms together with an Ocean Data as a Service dashboard offering.
Traction
HyperKelp received a $1.3 million U.S. Navy contract in November 2024 for counter-hypersonic detection technology and a $1.8 million U.S. Air Force Direct to Phase II contract in December 2024 for ocean surveillance. Smart buoys have been deployed in and around San Diego Bay, with the first unit deployed by May 2025 and a stated goal of five units, drawing coverage from NBC 7 San Diego, Fox News and Surfer Magazine. The company was selected for the NATO DIANA 2026 cohort under the Maritime Operations Challenge, named to the Emergent Defense Magazine Impact 100 and Connect Cool Companies lists, and selected for MetroConnect VIII. One directory estimates annual revenue in the $1M-$10M range as of August 2026.
Latest developments
HyperKelp was selected for the MetroConnect VIII cohort in September 2026, named to the Connect Cool Companies list in July 2026, and featured by NW Tech Bridge in July 2026. Earlier in 2026 it was selected for the NATO DIANA 2026 Challenge Program under the Maritime Operations Challenge, working with Cove Ocean in Nova Scotia over a six-month period, and received consumer and business press coverage of its San Diego Bay water-quality buoys.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history
Market position
HyperKelp is an early-stage maritime sensing company that has been described as the only company selected to advance buoy-based counter-hypersonic sensing technology for the U.S. Navy, and has been recognized in the Emergent Defense Magazine Impact 100 list and the Connect Cool Companies class of 2026.
The company emphasizes low-cost, long-endurance and attritable buoys as an alternative to fixed infrastructure and manned vessels, a hardware-agnostic open architecture able to host any payload, edge autonomy that processes data on-board rather than relying on satellite backhaul, and rapid deployment of large sensing grids from commercial vessels.
Technology
The Kelp Smart Buoy is a rugged, long-endurance surface platform with modular, sensor-agnostic payload bays, onboard edge compute that processes multi-modal sensor data locally to issue alerts without satellite latency, and resilient communication links for contested or remote environments. Units can be networked for distributed, wide-area detection, and the KSB is also offered as a compact sonobuoy-style system and as a hosted payload platform for third-party sensors such as conductivity, temperature and depth instruments. Data is surfaced through a live operational dashboard with dynamic graphs and geospatial tracking. Company web infrastructure reportedly includes Amazon Web Services, Cloudinary, Squarespace, WordPress, Google Workspace, Intercom and Piwik PRO.
Go-to-market
The company pursues government research and development contracts and accelerator or innovation programs as entry points, including NSIN Propel Hawaii, the NATO DIANA 2026 Challenge Program with Cove Ocean in Nova Scotia, and the San Diego MetroConnect VIII cohort. It has added defense-focused advisors to help bring the KSB and ODaaS dashboard into the U.S. Department of Defense, works with prime contractors such as Northrop Grumman as a hosted payload provider, and uses a "Request a Briefing" / partnership model on its website.
Defense and national security customers, including the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy and large prime integrators, as well as commercial and port operators, climate and marine research organizations, and environmental monitoring bodies.
Geography
Headquartered in Encinitas, California, with press releases also associating the company with San Clemente, California; buoy deployments in San Diego Bay, Arctic CTD sensor work with Northrop Grumman, NATO DIANA work with Cove Ocean in Nova Scotia, Canada, and reported office expansion in Pacific, Missouri along with growth efforts in Europe and the South Pacific.
History
The company collaborated with Northrop Grumman on Project Glacier Watch to deploy CTD sensors in the Arctic using the Kelp Smart Buoy as a hosted payload platform, announced in January 2022. It joined the NSIN Propel Hawaii accelerator in March 2023 and added Pat Sullivan to its board of advisors in April 2023 to help bring the KSB and ODaaS dashboard to the U.S. Department of Defense. Defense contracts followed in late 2024 from the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force, with San Diego Bay buoy deployments beginning in 2025 and NATO DIANA, Impact 100, Cool Companies and MetroConnect VIII selections announced between December 2025 and September 2026.
Compiled by commissioned research from 8 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Non-dilutive funding · 1 SBIR/STTR award
Federal grants — no equity taken| Agency | Phase | Year | Amount |
|---|---|---|---|
| U.S. NavyNavy | Phase I | 2023 | $137.6K |
Source: SBIR.gov award data (U.S. Small Business Administration). SBIR/STTR awards are competitive federal R&D grants and contracts — non-dilutive capital alongside any venture rounds above.
Timeline · 12
launches, deals, and filingsHyperKelp was selected for the MetroConnect VIII cohort.
HyperKelp was named in the Cool Companies class of 2026.
HyperKelp reportedly expanded offices in Pacific, Missouri and pursued growth in Europe and the South Pacific.
HyperKelp was selected as one of 150 companies in the NATO DIANA 2026 Challenge Program cohort under the Maritime Operations Challenge, working over six months with Cove Ocean in Nova Scotia, Canada and DIANA's network of mentors and test centers.
HyperKelp was named one of the Emergent Defense Magazine Impact 100 companies.
Costas Soler, HyperKelp CTO and founder, was named to the Forbes 30 Under 30 list for 2026.
HyperKelp's first smart buoy was deployed in San Diego Bay to collect continuous data on water health, with a goal of eventually deploying five units in and near the bay.
HyperKelp was awarded a $1.8 million Direct to Phase II contract from the U.S. Air Force to advance Kelp Smart Buoy technology for ocean surveillance and intelligence gathering.
$1.8M source ↗
HyperKelp was awarded a $1.3 million contract by the U.S. Navy, described as the only company selected to advance buoy-based counter-hypersonic sensing technology using the Kelp Smart Buoy platform.
$1.3M source ↗
Pat Sullivan joined HyperKelp's board of advisors to help bring the Kelp Smart Buoy and Ocean Data as a Service dashboard to market in the U.S. Department of Defense.
HyperKelp was among twelve startups selected from over 200 applicants for the National Security Innovation Network Propel Hawaii accelerator, working with U.S. Navy Pacific Fleet N6 and INDOPACOM commands.
HyperKelp collaborated with Northrop Grumman to deploy Conductivity, Temperature and Depth (CTD) sensors in the Arctic using the Kelp Smart Buoy as a hosted payload platform.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Hyperkelphyperkelp.com · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Hyperkelp do?
- HyperKelp builds modular Kelp Smart Buoy ocean sensing platforms for defense, commercial and environmental maritime awareness.
- Who founded Hyperkelp?
- Hyperkelp was founded by Costas Soler.
- Who are Hyperkelp's investors?
- Hyperkelp's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Hyperkelp headquartered?
- Hyperkelp is headquartered in Encinitas, US.