New class of ROV to take AI to the seabed

A technology company led by one of the UK’s youngest CEOs is taking artificial intelligence to the seabed with a new class of remotely operated vehicle.

Rovtech Solutions - a manufacturing and technology business with bases in Aberdeen and Cumbria - has unveiled the latest model of its VALOR ROV. which it says is built for a “new era” of subsea operations.

VALOR is the most technology ever loaded onto an ROV – purpose-built for high-bandwidth, data-driven operations.

As industries race toward automation, digital infrastructure and artificial intelligence, subsea systems have struggled to keep up. VALOR changes that.

At just 30-years-old, Rovtech CEO John Polson is leading the charge. The Aberdeenshire-born engineer is among the youngest chief executives in the UK energy sector – and is fast becoming one of its most disruptive voices.

He said: “We are surrounded by, and dependent on, high-bandwidth comms, software, and connected automated systems. Life is safer, more efficient and more comfortable because of it. But underwater, progress has barely moved since the 1990s. Until now.”

Subsea operations are entering a new era. Smarter, smaller and cheaper sensors are becoming the norm – but they generate vast amounts of data that traditional ROVs can’t handle without sacrificing size, cost or performance.

This has created a serious bandwidth bottleneck.

Mr Polson added: “ROVs haven’t evolved fast enough. Observation-class vehicles simply weren’t built for the bandwidth demands of today’s digital subsea world.

“Until now, boosting bandwidth meant making vehicles bigger, heavier and more expensive. But VALOR breaks that pattern. It’s in a class of its own – it is the first digital class ROV.”

This breakthrough platform enables high-bandwidth data transmission in real time, allowing for AI-powered analytics, remote monitoring and intelligent decision-making at the seabed; all at the same time and without any workarounds.

It is designed to evolve with the market – futureproofed for the next generation of sensors and software.

With AI and automation becoming central to offshore operations, VALOR’s digital foundation means it can adapt faster and deliver more – from smarter inspections and data capture to more sustainable and cost-efficient interventions.

“We don’t know what tomorrow’s subsea demands will look like. But we do know this – VALOR is the only ROV that’s going to keep up.”

Rovtech and the VALOR platform were recently acquired by Ventex, a climate tech venture studio focused on repurposing proven supply chain capability for renewable energy markets.

The studio is also investing in early-stage companies with technologies that have significant potential to help solve the climate crisis. 

The acquisition of Rovtech, and the Seatronics VALOR ROV, follows Ventex investments in Aberdeen-based High Performance Robotics (HPR) and decommissioning-focused artificial intelligence firm Rahd, headquartered in Perth, Australia.

HPR has extended its cost-efficient subsea inspection services using micro robotic systems from the oil and gas sector to the offshore wind market. This strategic move aims to deliver significant cost and carbon footprint savings.  

Meanwhile, Rahd’s AI technology is poised to dramatically reduce decommissioning costs for North Sea operators and net the UK Treasury several billion pounds.