Atomarine, a startup developing nuclear-powered floating data centers, has raised USD 19 million in a seed round led by Y Combinator, with contributions from Pantera Capital, Soma Capital, Seven Seven Six, Liquid 2 Ventures, Audacious Ventures, and E14 Fund.

The Cambridge, Massachusetts-based startup plans to mount small modular nuclear reactors on ships serving AI compute at sea, with a first deployment targeted for 2031 or 2032.

Founded by MIT students

The company was founded by MIT students Dimitris Koutentakis and Emile Germonpré. Atomarine intends to mount small modular nuclear reactors (SMRs) on ships to power floating platforms of modular data centers.

The company believes its nuclear ships will eventually be able to provide 150 MW of power, which it says would be enough to power two platforms.

Natural gas first, nuclear later

Because no SMR has yet reached the market, none of the vendors working in the space have released a commercial model or achieved regulatory approval for the US or any other market, Atomarine intends to first rely on natural gas generators mounted on its ships.

Earlier this year, Koutentakis said, "We've been talking to some potential partners about getting access [to an SMR]. But with the minor engineering changes that would be required and the regulatory timelines, we're targeting a first deployment in 2031 or 2032."

Moving compute offshore

Writing on LinkedIn following the funding announcement, Koutentakis laid out the company's pitch for placing data centers at sea.

"By moving offshore, we do not compete with communities for water, power, or land, and we do not drive up their electricity bills or rent," he said. "This allows America to stay competitive in the AI race without putting the burden on local communities, while fighting climate change by scaling AI on nuclear instead of fossil fuels."

He also noted that the company has already built a functional proof of concept. "We have already built a functional proof of concept, and we are now racing towards our next big milestone," Koutentakis wrote.

Hiring plans

Armed with its seed funding, the company is hiring engineers with specialisms in naval architecture, nuclear, or data center design, according to Koutentakis.

A growing market

Atomarine is one of numerous companies in the US and around the world looking to put AI compute at sea.

The funding comes amid broader investment activity in the sector.

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