How Sunfish is Turning Deep Tech into Deep Impact

Walk us through your childhood… what played a part in you becoming the founder you are today?

For Alberto Lopez, growing up on the island of Puerto Rico shaped much of his perspective and curiosity as a founder. As an only child raised primarily by his mother, he learned resilience and self-reliance from an early age.

“I grew up on the island of Puerto Rico, an only child raised by my mom. My dad was supportive but from afar, so it was mostly just the two of us, muscling through life,” Alberto shares. Despite the challenges, he reflects on how fortunate he was to receive a great education.

Beyond academics, Alberto’s fascination with mechanical things and adventure laid the groundwork for his entrepreneurial journey. “If I had a car, it was usually in pieces because I was either modifying or repairing it,” he says with a laugh. Whether it was tinkering with machinery or exploring the outdoors through surfing and travel, Alberto’s hands-on nature and drive to explore have defined his path.

What inspired you to start Sunfish?

The creation of Sunfish wasn’t a solo endeavor, and Alberto is quick to point that out. The foundation of the company began with a group of explorers and innovators who had spent years developing underwater technology in a laboratory setting but hadn’t yet commercialized it.

“The technology wasn’t entirely my idea—Sunfsh came from a group of brilliant people who had been working on underwater technology for years,” Alberto explains. After leaving a larger firm, he was ready for a new challenge and joined the team.

At the time, the technology they were working on was innovative with immense untapped potential but not yet commercial ready. Together, they decided to spin off the project into a company that could tackle global water-related challenges. “We wanted to solve some of the world’s biggest problems related to water and the ocean,” he says.

“Sunfish wasn’t just a concept; it was a team with a proven track record,” Alberto also emphasizes. “We have some of the best robotics engineers in the field and extensive experience in underwater deployments. My role was to help translate those core talents into commercial opportunities and execute on them.”

What has been the toughest challenge Sunfish has faced so far, and how did you overcome it?

For Sunfish, the challenges are twofold: navigating the capital-intensive nature of robotics and defining the value their technology brings to customers.

“Robotics is a tough space,” Alberto admits. “Building hardware is expensive, and when things don’t work, rebuilding them adds even more cost.” The team has had to think strategically about balancing innovation with cost efficiency to remain competitive.

Beyond the financial challenges, they’ve also worked hard to pinpoint where their technology can provide the most value. “It’s about proving that our robots can solve problems humans can’t—or do so in a way that’s more efficient and financially sustainable.” Finding this niche, Alberto says, is an ongoing process, but it’s also where the opportunity lies.

If you had to start over, what would you do differently?

Every founder looks back and sees opportunities to improve, and for Alberto, it comes down to two key lessons: prioritize affordability and engage with customers earlier.

“I would focus on making everything cheaper, from development to production,” he says. “Robotics can quickly become overly complex and expensive, and that detracts from the value we provide.”

He also believes Sunfish waited too long to go to market. “We should have started building relationships with customers earlier, even with a minimal viable product,” he reflects. Early customer feedback, he says, is invaluable for refining both the product and the company’s approach to growth.

What impact do you hope Sunfish leaves on the world?

At its core, Sunfish is about creating technology that has a meaningful impact on the planet. Alberto envisions a future where their robots are deployed worldwide, gathering critical data about water environments to drive sustainable development.

“I hope that our robots will be collecting data about both natural and man-made water environments, helping us make better decisions to protect our resources,” he says. By providing insights that currently don’t exist, Sunfish aims to empower governments, industries, and communities to reduce pollution, maintain infrastructure, and build more sustainably. “We have a vision of becoming one of the top maritime robotics companies in the world, and we believe that our technology has the potential to make a significant contribution to the health of our oceans and waterways,” Alberto concludes

Favorite quote and/or source of inspiration?

“Any time you have an opportunity to make a difference in this world and you don’t, then you are wasting your time on Earth.” – Roberto Clemente

If you’d like to learn more about Sunfish, visit: https://sunfishinc.com/
And to learn more about Alberto Lopez, visit: https://www.linkedin.com/in/alberto-lopez-77a19123/