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Ocean Access
Techstars '21Trondheim, NO · Founded 2019 · 9 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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Ocean Access develops submersible buoys that capture ocean data by incorporating vertical mobility to operate subsea while protected from surface conditions, addressing challenges in undersea communication and monitoring. The technology serves ocean industries and environmental research by bridging the gap between subsea sensors and land-based data systems.
Also known as Ocean Access AS
Founders & leadership
Ocean Access was founded in 2019 by Andreas Mauritzen and Fredrik Lilleøkdal.
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 2026Ocean Access is a Trondheim-based ocean technology company developing a submersible communication and data buoy for remote underwater monitoring. Conventional communication buoys are needed because no wireless technology transmits data through both water and air, but surface-moored buoys are exposed to wave loading, marine growth and biofouling, which the company says leads to frequent servicing, high maintenance and material costs, complex mooring and gaps in data. Ocean Access addresses this by giving its buoy vertical mobility within the water column: the unit can remain submerged, concealed and protected from the active wave zone, and ascend to the surface to exchange sensed data with onshore systems.
The flagship product is a spar-type submersible buoy offered in two standard diameters, 250 mm and 150 mm, with modular mission modules covering sensor/payload, antenna, battery and buoyancy engine. The buoyancy engine is designed so that no moving parts are exposed to seawater, which the company links to extended operation without complex maintenance. The platform supports two-way real-time communication with shore operations and can profile parameters such as temperature and salinity at multiple depths using a single sensor.
The company positions the buoy across four application areas: offshore energy (continuous monitoring of ageing subsea wells and seabed infrastructure as an alternative to periodic ROV inspection campaigns), aquaculture (environmental monitoring and reference measurements around fish and kelp farms, site surveys, and forecasting unfavourable water conditions), maritime surveillance and security (covert subsea-to-surface communication, underwater threat detection, undersea rescue support, and relay of data from submarines, AUVs or divers without resurfacing), and oceanographic science (time-series data on sea surface temperature, salinity, ocean heat content and flux, and currents).
Founding story
Andreas Mauritzen and Fredrik Lilleøkdal, former master's students at NTNU's School of Entrepreneurship, developed the idea into a company over a couple of years, building an early prototype through the FAKTRY hardware community and testing it in NTNU's Marine Cybernetics laboratory at Tyholt.
Business model
Ocean Access develops and supplies submersible data buoys as a configurable hardware platform, with tailored configurations for customers' remote ocean monitoring missions; prospective customers are directed to schedule a demonstration or speak with the technical team. Early development has also been supported by public grants, awards and accelerator or incubator programmes.
Traction
As of January 2024 the company had a team of 10 people and workshop and office premises at Nyhavna in Trondheim, close to the quayside and Trondheimsfjorden. It had tested a first prototype in 2020 and participated in a trade show and technology demonstration in October 2023. Recognition includes the Venture Cup Norway national win, an Equinor NTNU Energy Transition innovation grant, Research Council of Norway FORNY STUD-ENT funding, selection for the Equinor Techstars Energy Accelerator and the 2024 Adolf Øien Entrepreneurial Grant.
Latest developments
In January 2024 Ocean Access became a member company of the FI Ocean Space Incubator, citing sparring sessions with external experts and support in producing marketing material for a trade show and technology demonstration. It hosted a Croatian delegation connected to the Croatia Norway Marine Technology Innovation Network. In September 2024 it was named one of three Trøndelag companies to receive the Adolf Øien Foundation's Entrepreneurial Grant, selected from about thirty applicants.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Ocean Access describes its submersible data buoy as the first of its kind and positions it against conventional surface data buoys. The Adolf Øien Foundation noted that the company is not the first to offer remote monitoring at sea but has developed a solution that works with, rather than against, surface conditions. It is an early-stage venture described in September 2024 as being in the "Valley of Death" phase.
Vertical mobility in the water column allows the buoy to stay submerged and hidden below the active wave zone between data transmissions, which the company links to reduced wear, biofouling, maintenance cost and data gaps compared with permanently surfaced buoys, and enables covert subsea-to-surface communication for security applications. A buoyancy engine with no seawater-exposed moving parts and a modular, multi-configuration spar design support varied sensor payloads.
Technology
The core technology is a fully submersible spar buoy with a buoyancy engine that provides precise control of vertical movement in the water column at the deployed site, with no moving parts exposed to seawater. It is built as a modular platform with interchangeable sensor/payload, antenna, battery and buoyancy-engine modules, available in 250 mm and 150 mm diameters, and supports two-way real-time data exchange with onshore operations plus sensor profiling of parameters such as temperature and salinity at varying depths.
Go-to-market
The company engages customers directly through demo requests and technical consultations on its website, and builds visibility through Norwegian ocean-technology ecosystems, including membership in the Ocean Autonomy Cluster and the FI Ocean Space Incubator, corporate accelerator and innovation programmes, trade shows and technology demonstrations.
Offshore energy operators managing subsea wells and seabed infrastructure, fish and kelp farming operations, defence and coastal security agencies requiring maritime domain awareness, and oceanographic and climate research institutions.
Geography
Headquartered in Trondheim, Norway, with offices and workshop facilities at Nyhavna; ecosystem ties include the Ocean Autonomy Cluster and FI Ocean Space Incubator in Trondheim, participation in the Croatia Norway Marine Technology Innovation Network delegation, and earlier competition participation in Houston, Texas.
History
Founders Andreas Mauritzen and Fredrik Lilleøkdal were master's students at NTNU's School of Entrepreneurship before building the venture. In October 2019 Ocean Access received an Equinor innovation grant through the NTNU Energy Transition Initiative and won first place in both the regional and national finals of Venture Cup Norway; in November 2019 it joined the hardware startup community FAKTRY to build its first prototype. In February 2020 it joined the Ocean Autonomy Cluster, tested its first prototype in the Marine Cybernetics laboratory at Tyholt, and was one of 42 teams selected from over 400 applicants for the Rice Business Plan Competition in Houston. In April 2020 it received FORNY STUD-ENT funding from the Research Council of Norway and was featured by Norwegian SciTech News (Gemini), republished in Teknisk Ukeblad and Tech Xplore. It participated in Kongsberg Innovation's KongsbergHOW programme from autumn 2020 and was accepted into the 2021 class of the Equinor Techstars Energy Accelerator. In 2023 the team moved into premises at Nyhavna in Trondheim, and in January 2024 it joined the FI Ocean Space Incubator. In September 2024 it received the Adolf Øien Foundation Entrepreneurial Grant.
Risks & controversies
The company is early stage and was publicly characterised in September 2024 as being in the high-risk "Valley of Death" development phase.
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.
Timeline · 12
launches, deals, and filingsOcean Access was one of three Trøndelag companies selected from around thirty applicants to receive the Adolf Øien Foundation's Entrepreneurial Grant, presented at the Manifestation 2024 business event.
Ocean Access became a member company of the FI Ocean Space Incubator, gaining access to expertise, capital and networks for developing and commercializing its communication buoy.
The company moved into office and workshop facilities at Nyhavna, near the quayside and Trondheimsfjorden.
Ocean Access joined the Equinor Techstars Energy Accelerator's 2021 class, collaborating with Equinor, Kongsberg and Capgemini.
Ocean Access was invited to KongsbergHOW, meeting industry leaders from Kongsberg Group, TechnipFMC and Semcon.
Ocean Access received NOK 1,000,000 in FORNY STUD-ENT funding from the Research Council of Norway to develop its solution.
Ocean Access was one of 42 teams invited from over 400 applicants to the Rice Business Plan Competition in Houston, Texas.
Ocean Access tested its first prototype in the Marine Cybernetics laboratory at Tyholt.
Ocean Access was accepted as a member at the kick-off of the Ocean Autonomy Cluster in Trondheim.
Ocean Access joined FAKTRY, a community for hardware-oriented startups, to use its prototyping labs and workshops to build its first prototype.
Ocean Access won both the regional and national finals of Venture Cup Norway 2019, receiving an award of NOK 130,000.
Ocean Access was one of three projects awarded an innovation grant by Equinor through the NTNU Energy Transition Initiative.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 8
primary sources listed
- Ocean Accessoceanaccess.no · web
8 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Ocean Access do?
- Norwegian developer of a submersible data buoy that operates subsea and surfaces to relay ocean sensor data to shore.
- Who founded Ocean Access?
- Ocean Access was founded by Andreas Mauritzen, Fredrik Lilleøkdal in 2019.
- Who are Ocean Access's investors?
- Ocean Access's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Ocean Access headquartered?
- Ocean Access is headquartered in Trondheim, NO.