Backed by a $140 million Series B led by Peter Thiel, startup Panthalassa plans to deploy autonomous, wave-powered floating nodes that run AI inference at sea, using seawater for cooling and satellites for connectivity. The company aims to complete a pilot manufacturing facility near Portland, Ore., and launch Ocean-3 pilot units in the North Pacific later in 2026, with commercial deployments targeted for 2027. The approach could ease onshore constraints around power, cooling and siting, but faces hurdles including satellite bandwidth limits, harsh marine conditions and costly maintenance. Prior efforts such as Microsoft’s Project Natick showed promise for underwater reliability, yet broad adoption remains uncertain pending proof of durability, economics and regulatory clarity in offshore environments.
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