DJI Veterans Launch AI Underwater Exploration Company Deeplore with Seed Funding
Deeplore, a Shenzhen-based startup specializing in AI-driven underwater natural exploration technology, has successfully closed a seed funding round of tens of millions of yuan, co-led by Qinyuan Capital and Shunwei Capital. The capital injection is earmarked for expanding the research and development team and deepening its expertise in underwater AI technologies. This funding will accelerate the development and iteration of its pioneering AI diving mask and establish the technical foundation for an intelligent platform for underwater exploration.
The company was founded in 2025 by a team of veterans from DJI, a company renowned for its consumer electronics innovations. These founders bring extensive experience in product definition, hardcore R&D, and global commercialization, embodying a typical 'technology + mass production + globalization' model. Notably, all three co-founders are passionate divers and outdoor enthusiasts. Qiu Li, the lead founder, is a rescue diver with over 200 dives and a former core structural expert and energy BU head at DJI, possessing comprehensive experience in launching new ventures. Co-founder Zhou Zhenhao spent over a decade at DJI, leading the power system development for flagship products like the Phantom and Mavic, and is also a qualified rescue diver. Co-founder Gu Minming brings 20 years of global marketing and channel experience, having successfully penetrated major Western retail channels with her previous venture, Neakasa.
Deeplore's mission, 'Explorers for Explorers,' stems from their firsthand experience with the inconveniences of traditional diving equipment and the realization that the long-monopolized overseas market has failed to meet modern users' needs for recording, safety, and sharing. They aim to disrupt this market by developing an AI-powered smart underwater mask system. Key innovations include native multi-medium optical design, underwater HUD (Heads-Up Display), and edge AI for marine life identification, all designed to enhance the underwater exploration experience and capture clearer memories. The company plans a phased market entry, starting with the professional diving community and expanding globally through both specialized channels and mainstream Western retail markets.
This venture capital funding round for Deeplore, a startup founded by former DJI employees, highlights a strategic pivot from aerial to underwater exploration, leveraging established expertise in consumer electronics development and global market penetration. The company's focus on integrating AI, advanced optics, and AR displays into diving equipment addresses a clear market gap for intelligent, user-centric underwater exploration tools. By emphasizing proprietary technologies such as native underwater optics and edge AI for marine life identification, Deeplore aims to establish a defensible technological moat in a sector historically dominated by legacy brands. The founders' deep personal engagement as divers provides a strong foundation for product-market fit, suggesting a development process grounded in authentic user needs. The long-term vision of expanding into a broader natural exploration platform indicates a strategy to build a scalable ecosystem beyond the initial diving niche, capitalizing on the growing interest in outdoor and adventure activities.
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