Per UNCTAD, maritime transport moves over 80% of goods traded worldwide by volume in 2025, and the world’s data flows largely through undersea cables. Sea lanes are increasingly congested and becoming flashpoints for great power competition, yet maritime innovation remains undercapitalized relative to its strategic importance. Advances in critical technologies such as AI, autonomy, hypersonics, and low-cost satellite connectivity are reshaping how nations project power and supply chains move goods.
“The maritime sector is one of the last major industrial systems still operating on legacy infrastructure,” said Admiral Lorin Selby (Ret.), General Partner at Mare Liberum. “What railroads were to the 19th century and aviation to the 20th, ocean infrastructure will be to the 21st—rebuilt around AI, autonomous platforms, digital engineering, and intelligent networks.”
Mare Liberum invests at the intersection of critical technology and the maritime domain, backing founders building the infrastructure, intelligent systems, and autonomous platforms that will shape operational advantage at sea. The firm’s investment focus includes autonomous maritime platforms, maritime domain awareness software, resilient logistics and supply chain technologies, counter-UAS and force protection capabilities, and enabling systems across robotics and advanced manufacturing.
“Commercial maritime is one of the great economic engines of civilization, and it’s being remade in real time,” said Marc Baliotti, General Partner at Mare Liberum. “The convergence of AI, autonomy, and advanced manufacturing is already reshaping maritime operations—and the organizations that recognize this now will help define the next era of global trade.”
The Office of Strategic Capital was established to mobilize private investment into sectors where commercial adoption and national resilience intersect. Mare Liberum was selected as one of a limited number of participating funds after a rigorous review and due diligence process. The capital from investors and the low-cost leverage provided by the SBA is expected to support investments in mission-critical technologies spanning AI, robotics, advanced manufacturing, and autonomous systems.
Mare Liberum will attend SuperReturn North America, where Admiral Selby and Marc Baliotti will speak on the panel, “Innovation on the Front Lines: Next-Generation Defense Technologies,” on March 16, 2026, at 10:30 AM.
To learn more about Mare Liberum’s investment thesis and strategic focus, visit https://www.mareliberum.com/manifesto.
