As global competition intensifies, the seabed has quietly become one of the most strategic and vulnerable domains of modern conflict. With 95% of internet traffic flowing through undersea cables, a single attack could paralyse economies. Alain Gavin examines how Europe and NATO are responding, and why dual-use startups are leading the innovation charge.
What If the First Strike Isn’t in Space, but on the Seabed?
In 2022, a coordinated explosion crippled the Nord Stream gas pipeline.
In 2023, UK intelligence tracked Russian vessels surveying Atlantic subsea cables.
This year, U.S. officials warned of Chinese “repair ships” hovering near critical Pacific networks.
95% of the world’s internet traffic runs through undersea cables. Sever them, and you don’t just cut communication, you paralyse entire economies.
This is no longer theory. It’s hybrid warfare, happening now.
Europe Just Responded — Big
In May, the European Commission committed €8 billion to reinforce submarine cable infrastructure and security.
The seabed has officially become a strategic asset.
But the real question is: Do we have the software layer to defend it?
Dual-Use Startups Are Building That Layer
Here are a few quietly building the next line of defence:
🔹 Optics11 (Netherlands) – Advanced fibre sensing for cable and seabed monitoring (Series B, €17M)
🔹 Indeximate (UK) – AI-powered diagnostics for subsea infrastructure health (Series A trajectory)
🔹 Saildrone (US/EU) – Autonomous maritime drones for persistent surveillance (Series B, $60M)
🔹 LevelQuantum (Italy) – Quantum-secure communication over subsea links (NATO DIANA-backed)
🔹 Goldilock (UK) – Remote “kill switch” for critical comms infrastructure (also DIANA-backed, earlier stage)
What’s Still Missing?
We urgently need:
Real-time sensor fusion
AI-powered threat detection
Seamless, operator-grade command and control (C2) interfaces
NATO-aligned secure information-sharing protocols
The sensors exist. What’s missing is the software orchestration layer.
LPs & Sovereigns: This Is the Time to Lean In
The EU has committed billions. NATO is accelerating pilots. But scalable innovation is still coming from agile, dual-use startups.
If you’re a sovereign fund, defence ministry, or institutional LP looking to back a specialist VC fund focused on space, cyber, and subsea resilience — let's talk.
The seabed is the new frontline. And it’s time to invest accordingly.

