In a major step toward solving one of the toughest problems in industrial IoT, Scottish deeptech startup CSignum has raised £6 million in Series A funding to accelerate the deployment of its breakthrough underwater wireless communication technology. Based in Bathgate, Scotland, the company is pioneering a new era of real-time, cable-free data transmission from submerged environments to surface-level networks.
Traditional wireless solutions have long failed to deliver reliable connectivity across the water-air boundary. Radio frequencies struggle underwater. Acoustic signals degrade over distance. Optical systems falter in murky or dynamic conditions. These limitations have left industries with little choice but to rely on wired infrastructure—often expensive, fragile, and impractical for remote or environmentally sensitive locations.
CSignum is changing that. The company’s patented electromagnetic field signalling (EMFS) allows sensor data to move wirelessly through water, ice, soil, rock, and even concrete—barriers that once rendered wireless communication impossible. Its flagship EM-2 product line promises to eliminate the need for underwater cabling, helping utilities, maritime operations, and environmental regulators collect real-time data more easily and cost-effectively.
This funding round was led by Archangels, Par Equity, and Scottish Enterprise, with additional backing from British Business Investment (BBI), the Raptor Group, Deep Future, SeaAhead’s Blue Angel Network, and several US-based angel investors. The investment will drive product development, team expansion, and global market reach as CSignum prepares for large-scale deployments.
CEO Jonathan Reeves noted that the investment validates the growing need for next-gen underwater connectivity. He said the new capital would allow the company to scale operations and deliver on its mission to support industries working in the world’s harshest environments. With rising global demand for digital infrastructure that works below the surface, CSignum’s timing couldn’t be better.
A Game-Changer for Remote Monitoring and Subsurface IoT
Founded in 2020 by Reeves, alongside entrepreneurs Rob Soni, Graeme Boyce, and Fraser Galloway, CSignum was built to challenge the status quo in subsurface and underwater wireless communication. Reeves—credited as one of the original inventors of digital through-water radio—joined forces with venture and engineering leaders to develop a platform capable of pushing data through the water-air interface without wires or human intervention.
This innovation arrives just as regulatory demands tighten. In the UK, initiatives like AMP8 and the Environment Act 2021 are setting strict new standards for water quality monitoring, requiring thousands of real-time sensor points. Doing this with wired or manual methods would be prohibitively costly and time-consuming. CSignum offers a faster, smarter alternative.
The company is already working with partners across the UK, EU, and US, helping them meet monitoring requirements in sectors ranging from aquaculture and offshore energy to climate resilience and disaster prevention. With its EMFS-powered EM-2 technology, CSignum is poised to lead the underwater IoT transformation as the global market doubles in size—from $5.1 billion in 2024 to a projected $10.2 billion by 2032.
CSignum’s platform also includes a companion data service, CSignum Cloud, which offers customers real-time dashboards and analytics. This end-to-end solution has already proven itself in live deployments, including remote river quality projects.
Backers see this as a watershed moment. Dan McKiddie of Archangels called the company’s tech “a game-changer” for industries that need consistent access to underwater data. Claire Clamm at Par Equity added that CSignum’s cost-efficient model makes it uniquely capable of addressing global demand.
As pressure mounts for more sustainable and digitally connected infrastructure, CSignum’s EMFS innovation could reshape the entire underwater communication landscape—cutting costs, removing cables, and unlocking real-time insights from the depths.
