Team
The people
behind the project.
A multidisciplinary collective — communications, ecology, artificial intelligence — united by a shared conviction: technology can serve the living world.
environmental problem → mission → scientific protocol → design → engineering → construction → field operation → data → communication
Core team
A field entrepreneur, sailor and media strategist, Elven turns complex scientific and environmental questions into projects able to mobilise the public, partners and territories.
Drawing on nearly ten years running international ocean-protection campaigns, he leads BIUTOPIC's vision, its strategic development, its partnerships and its field operations.
Through HYDRONAUTE and the Studio, he brings navigation, research, technology and storytelling together to make knowledge of aquatic environments more accessible — and to turn it into concrete action.
- Nearly ten years of international campaigns
- Offshore sailing and Pacific passages under sail
- Expeditions as far as the Arctic Circle
- Took part in a record plastic-removal operation in the Pacific
Former researcher at the National Academy of Sciences of Armenia, he led projects in contrastive learning, natural language processing and image recognition using PyTorch, AWS and GCP.
Holding a master's in theoretical physics from the Moscow Institute of Physics and Technology, David has over 7 years of R&D experience in machine learning solutions applied to computational biology and predictive modelling. At BIUTOPIC he develops the autonomous systems, onboard computing, data architecture and navigation intelligence — including the AI module for wildlife detection and obstacle avoidance.
LinkedIn →An environmental engineer holding a Master's in environmental sciences, she combines a scientific background in ecology with professional experience in environmental management, safety and risk management. Her work in ecology and conservation focuses in particular on migratory birds in arid environments — their habitat-use strategies and their responses to environmental pressures — notably through radio‑telemetry movement tracking.
After several years as an HSE engineer in industry, she now leads BIUTOPIC's scientific and environmental programmes. She also covers safety and the operational coordination of L'Hydronaute's missions.
- Master's in environmental sciences
- Migratory birds in arid environments · radio-telemetry tracking
- HSE engineer in industry
- Safety & operational coordination Hydronaute
Arpie joined the project through her architecture thesis. Her work operates across two parallel branches: a practical branch, focused on thoughtful design solutions, and an experimental branch, where she develops systems, prototypes and visual languages to explore contemporary questions in architecture and design.
Through L'Hydronaute, her research also questions the tools used today by architects and designers: how they shape ideas, what they make possible, and where their limits begin.
LinkedIn →Partner workshop · La Mutine
La Mutine carried out the structural work on L'Hydronaute and is building the EXO‑01 assembly in its workshop (2026).
La Mutine is an artisanal workshop where bespoke construction and fit-out projects are imagined, shaped and built. At the crossroads of technical craft and creativity, La Mutine stands out for its ability to imagine and create one-of-a-kind projects.
lamutine.com →Structural fabrication, metalwork, EXO‑01 construction and physical integration — and solving the inevitable “how do we actually build this?” problems.
Custom fabrication, assembly, onboard integration and iterative workshop development — from prototype to the part that holds at sea.
Associate investor
A facilitator of dreams, Patricia takes her first leap into investment with L'Hydronaute. It is not the numbers that drive her most, but the values: transmission, ecology, solidarity. She chose to support this project because it moves her — and because it resembles her.
Join the adventure
L'Hydronaute is looking for scientific partners, artist residencies, institutions and investors who share the same vision. If this project speaks to you, let's write the next chapter together.