Cellula Robotics has been shortlisted for Vimy Forge’s inaugural Black Flight (Cohort I), Canada’s sovereign defence and national security innovation accelerator.
Vimy Forge is built to help small and medium-sized enterprises navigate and succeed in the defence market. Many SMEs face persistent gaps when engaging the defence ecosystem, including limited access to end users, unclear or evolving requirements, difficulty validating technology in operational contexts, and a fragmented path to venture and strategic capital. Vimy Forge is designed to close these gaps by enabling direct and recurring interaction with operational stakeholders, guided interpretation of requirements, and connections to investors who understand defence timelines and procurement pathways.
For Cellula, this shortlisting aligns with our mission to enable long-range, long-endurance subsea operations that support the realities of modern maritime security. Our fuel-cell-powered autonomous underwater vehicles are designed for persistence and reach, supporting under-ice ISR, subsea monitoring, mine warfare, and infrastructure inspection.
The inaugural cohort name, Black Flight, honours the all-Canadian B Flight of No. 10 (Naval) Squadron, Royal Naval Air Service, recognized in 1917 for its distinctive all-black Sopwith aircraft. Black Flight is remembered for disciplined innovation, rapid adaptation, and decisive operational impact.
We’re also pleased to be shortlisted alongside a strong group of Canadian innovators in the cohort, including: 123 Cyber, Bloomsco, Engineering Design Lab, Prodigy Intelligence, Seafarer AI, Tehama, Vartis Space, Wuxly, and Xubin Aerospace.
Meet the Team
We’re discussing seabed security, autonomy, and operational delivery with partners and stakeholders at Navy Tech & Seabed Defence this week and AFCEA WEST next week. If you’d like to connect about long-endurance subsea autonomy, fuel-cell-enabled persistence, or collaboration on maritime security challenges, we’d welcome the conversation.