Anahita Laverack initially aimed for a career in aerospace engineering, but her journey took an unexpected path after participating in an autonomous robotics challenge. Motivated by the difficulties faced in the Microtransat Challenge, where contestants build autonomous sail-powered micro-robots to cross the Atlantic, she realized the scarcity of reliable ocean data was a major obstacle. Recognizing the importance of this information, she explored conferences focused on oceanology and discovered that no effective solutions existed for collecting comprehensive ocean data. Her interactions revealed a demand where others were willing to pay her to attempt data collection, inspiring her to develop a solution herself.
This led to the founding of Oshen in April 2022, alongside electrical engineer Ciaran Dowds. They created autonomous micro-robots, called C-Stars, capable of surviving at sea for up to 100 days and working in coordinated swarms to gather oceanic information. Their approach combined technological sophistication with affordability and scalability, addressing a challenge many had attempted to solve partially. Rather than securing immediate venture capital, Laverack and Dowds invested their savings in a 25-foot sailboat they used as a low-cost testing platform while living frugally within the United Kingdom’s cheapest marina.
For two years, they continuously refined the robots onshore and performed real-world trials on the water. The need for the robots to operate reliably through all seasons, including harsh winter storms, created significant testing challenges, sometimes resulting in tricky situations on the small sailboat. Developing the technology required balancing miniaturization with durability and cost-effectiveness, as it was not sufficient to simply reduce larger designs. Many companies had succeeded by getting two key aspects right, but Oshen distinguished itself by mastering all three critical criteria, leading to growing interest from defense and governmental organizations.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration engaged with the company two years ago but initially found the technology not mature enough. However, after Oshen demonstrated successful deployments in severe winter storms within the U.K., NOAA re-approached the company just before the 2025 hurricane season. Oshen responded swiftly, delivering over 15 C-Stars, five of which were deployed near the U.S. Virgin Islands ahead of Hurricane Humberto. While intended to capture data in advance of the storm, three robots endured the Category 5 hurricane itself, gathering continuous data throughout, a groundbreaking achievement for ocean robotics.
Currently headquartered in Plymouth, England, a hub for marine technology companies, Oshen is expanding its contracts, including partnerships with the U.K. government supporting weather monitoring and defense applications. With increased demand driving growth, the company plans to pursue venture capital to accelerate its development and meet emerging needs in ocean data collection and autonomous robotics.