Hi everyone,
I’ve been digging deeper into $PNG (-4,02%)
Kraken Robotics lately and the more I look into it, the more interesting the story becomes. I already have a position, and I’m honestly considering adding more, but before doing that I’d really like to hear some other perspectives.
For those unfamiliar: Kraken Robotics develops advanced subsea robotics, synthetic aperture sonar, and subsea battery systems used for seabed mapping, underwater drones (UUVs), offshore infrastructure inspection, and naval defense applications.
A few things that make me increasingly bullish:
1️⃣ The “Google Maps of the ocean” thesis $GOOGL (+0,43%)
Around 80% of the ocean floor is still not properly mapped. Kraken’s high-resolution sonar technology can produce extremely detailed 3D images of the seabed.
If offshore wind, subsea cables, deep-sea exploration and defense surveillance keep expanding, someone will need to map and monitor the oceans in a way similar to how Google Maps mapped the land.
Could companies like Kraken essentially become the mapping layer of the oceans?
2️⃣ Massive defense spending tailwind
With everything happening geopolitically, navies are investing more and more in unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) for mine detection, surveillance and protection of underwater infrastructure.
Underwater cables and pipelines are suddenly considered critical infrastructure, and protecting them is becoming a priority.
Kraken’s sonar and battery systems seem well positioned for that trend.
3️⃣ Offshore wind and subsea infrastructure growth
We’re building an enormous amount of offshore energy infrastructure, and all of it sits on the seabed. That means inspection, mapping and monitoring will become more important over time.
Autonomous subsea robots could end up being the cheapest and safest way to do that.
4️⃣ A niche technology company in a specialized market
Kraken seems to operate in a fairly specialized niche where technical expertise and intellectual property matter a lot. If their technology truly stays ahead of competitors, the company could scale quite nicely.
But obviously there are risks too:
small cap volatility, reliance on large contracts, competition from bigger defense players, etc.
So I’m curious what people here think.
A few questions for the community:
- Do you believe the subsea robotics / ocean mapping sector could become a major growth industry?
- Could increasing defense spending on underwater drones drive this market much bigger?
- Is the “Google Maps of the ocean” analogy realistic, or just a nice story?
I might be missing something here, but it feels like the market still underestimates how big subsea robotics and ocean mapping could become.
The bull case seems pretty clear to me, but I’m genuinely curious what the bear case would be here.
If the oceans are really the next frontier for mapping and robotics, are we still in the early innings of this industry?
I’m leaning bullish and thinking about increasing my position, but I’d really value hearing some counterarguments or alternative views before doing that.
Curious to hear your thoughts.
