Motmot Plans First Municipal Deployments of Autonomous Underwater Robots in 2025
Pre-Seed funding to support commercialization of infrastructure tool for water main inspections
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Motmot, a Detroit-based innovator in drinking water infrastructure inspection, is thrilled to announce the close of its $1.34M pre-seed funding round led by Assembly Ventures with participation from Michigan Rise, Kalamazoo Forward Ventures, and E-Lab Ventures.
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This funding marks a critical milestone in the development of Motmot’s Autonomous Underwater Robot (AUR) technology — a modern infrastructure tool designed to address the challenges of aging water main systems. The investment will support Motmot’s efforts to scale operations, expand research and development, and begin servicing municipal pilot programs in Summer 2025.
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Per ASCE and Utah State University’s (USU) report, Water Main Break Rates in the USA and Canada: A Comprehensive Study, “The fact that nearly half a million miles of water main, need to be replaced but cannot be because of inadequate funding is concerning … Assuming a replacement cost of $1 million per mile, USU researchers arrived at a … $452 billion estimate to replace existing water mains that have exceeded their useful lives.”
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This aging infrastructure creates significant challenges for municipalities trying to maintain and respond to their system needs. Traditional inspection methods often involve high costs, lengthy processes, and disruptions to operations. Motmot’s AUR provides a new approach, aiding cities to inspect hundreds of miles of pipelines from a single-entry. This technology can cut inspection costs by 70–85%, reduce water loss, and make infrastructure management more resilient and efficient.
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Quotes:
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“Throughout my career as a municipal engineer , I consistently encountered the challenges our communities face in managing and maintaining aging drinking water infrastructure — a process often constrained by high costs and limited visibility. This frustration inspired me to start Motmot, with the mission to alleviate the budgetary strain on municipalities while moving forward the resilience and health of our critical water systems. We’re humbled to have the support of these strong Michigan investors at the table.” — Founder & CEO, Elliot Smith
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“Elliot is a founder who deeply understands this problem. As someone who’s worked with cities for years, I see he’s tackling an issue few have wanted to address — with real financial benefit to water authorities. We’re thrilled to be investing in this Detroit company right here in our backyard.”
— Assembly Ventures Co-Founder & Partner, Jessica Robinson
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Call to Action
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Motmot invites municipalities, investors, and industry partners to collaborate as they prepare for pilot program launches in Summer 2025. Visit motmot.ai to learn more or schedule a demo/consultation.
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About Motmot
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Motmot is a Detroit-based company dedicated to improving water infrastructure management through innovative autonomous technology. The team conducts research and development at The University of Michigan and Michigan State University Labs, supported by resources from the National Science Foundation (NSF) and Newlab Detroit.