DAIVIN Raises Y Combinator–Backed Funding to Develop Tankless Oxygen Generation System for Underwater and Extreme Environments
DAIVIN, a San Francisco–based deep tech startup developing tankless underwater breathing systems, has raised early-stage funding to advance its electrolysis-based oxygen generation platform and expand prototype testing for extreme-environment mobility applications. The company is part of the Y Combinator Winter 2026 cohort and is working on what it describes as “breath autonomy” technology aimed at removing the need for traditional pressurized oxygen tanks in underwater and other constrained environments.
The funding round includes backing from Y Combinator, which provides seed capital alongside its accelerator program, technical mentorship, and access to its global network of investors and operators. DAIVIN joins a group of early-stage hardware and deep tech startups in YC’s Winter 2026 batch focused on frontier engineering, robotics, and energy systems.
DAIVIN was founded in 2025 by Leo Kankkunen, an electrical engineer and certified diver with experience in regulated electrical infrastructure and industrial systems engineering. The company is building a wearable system that uses electrolysis to extract breathable oxygen directly from water, eliminating the need for compressed gas cylinders traditionally used in scuba diving and other underwater operations.
The startup’s core concept is based on generating oxygen on demand rather than storing it in pressurized tanks. According to company materials, the system uses electrical energy to split water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, producing breathable gas for the user while removing the logistical and safety constraints associated with gas storage and transport. The company argues that this approach could significantly reduce equipment bulk, operational complexity, and mission limitations in underwater environments.
DAIVIN positions its technology as a broader “energy-to-oxygen” platform rather than a diving-only product. The company has described potential future applications extending beyond underwater use cases into areas such as aerospace, high-altitude operations, and remote field environments where oxygen logistics are a limiting factor.
The system under development includes a wearable vest equipped with redundant electrolysis units and a battery-powered energy source designed to provide continuous oxygen generation during dives. The company is currently in prototype development and early testing phases, with a focus on improving efficiency, safety systems, and operational duration under real-world conditions.
According to publicly available startup data, DAIVIN has also attracted early pre-seed interest from climate tech and deep tech investors, with reported funding activity of approximately $500,000 prior to or alongside its accelerator participation. This capital is being used to support engineering development, prototype iterations, and early field demonstrations in controlled environments.
The involvement of Y Combinator is intended to support DAIVIN in refining its technical architecture, validating market applications, and preparing for potential commercialization pathways in industrial and defense-related sectors. The company is also engaging with commercial and professional diving stakeholders to gather operational feedback on real-world use cases.
DAIVIN’s approach sits within a broader wave of innovation in underwater robotics, energy systems, and life-support technologies, where startups are exploring alternatives to legacy compressed-gas systems. By shifting oxygen production from storage-based logistics to on-demand electrochemical generation, the company is attempting to redefine constraints around underwater endurance and mobility.
As it continues early-stage development, DAIVIN is focused on improving system reliability, energy efficiency, and safety redundancy while scaling prototype testing in increasingly complex environments. With backing from Y Combinator, the company is now positioned to advance its engineering roadmap and further explore applications of its tankless breathing technology across multiple extreme environments.
