UK firm raises almost $1.6M to scale dolphin-inspired tidal energy tech (Video)

April 17, 2025, by Zerina Maksumic

Porpoise Power, a tidal energy spin-out from the University of Oxford, has exited stealth with a £1.2 million (approximately $1.58M) pre-seed round led by Zero Carbon Capital (ZCC), alongside Creator Fund and Oxford Science Enterprises (OSE).

According to ZCC, the UK startup is developing a bio-inspired tidal stream system designed to operate in a wider range of marine conditions and deliver cost-competitive, baseload renewable power. This allows tidal energy to move beyond niche applications and contribute to national grids.

The technology aims to rival offshore wind in cost while delivering more stable baseload power.

“Critically, their breakthrough system makes tidal energy cost-competitive with offshore wind, but unlike wind, it can deliver predictable baseload power like much more expensive nuclear generation,” ZCC said.

“With this innovation, Porpoise Power unlocks the potential to meet the entirety of the UK’s baseload electricity demand from tidal power alone with just four 30 km x 30 km arrays.”

The company is now progressing its technology through trials at UK tidal sites and is modeling the levelized cost of energy (LCOE) at scale.

Porpoise Power’s design is based on an oscillating hydrofoil system, drawing on biomimicry from dolphins. The company says the system increases capacity factor compared to traditional tidal turbines, while maintaining ecological sensitivity and robust performance in diverse marine environments.

“Porpoise Power changes the game,” ZCC said. “These engineering advances unlock an order of magnitude more viable tidal sites globally.”

Porpoise Power’s technology being tested at a UK tidal site

Watch video here

The founding team includes CEO John Kennedy, known for scaling Green & Black’s, Wayfair, and Adlens, and Adrian Thomas, Professor of Biomechanics at Oxford and Founder of Animal Dynamics. They are joined by former Shell Executive Hilary Struthers and Marine Systems Engineer Martin Hall.

“We were particularly impressed by the strength and diversity of the founding team,” ZCC noted. “The team combines deep technical credibility, a pragmatic commercial approach, and a strong climate mission.”

Left to right: Adrian Thomas, Hilary Struthers, John Kennedy. Source: ZCC

Porpoise Power claims its system could displace fossil-fuel peaking plants and support a stable, clean energy mix alongside solar and wind.

The company is now advancing toward pilot deployments, supported by a UK contract for difference (CfD), with plans to install grid-connected tidal generation capacity in the hundreds of kilowatts during the next phase of development.