Aquabotix Appoints David Batista as Chief Executive Officer

UUV Aquabotix Ltd. has announced the appointment of David Batista as Chief Executive Officer. The Company’s current CEO and founder, Durval Tavares, will assume the role of Chief Technology Officer.

“The underwater drone market is growing rapidly and, thanks to Durval’s leadership, Aquabotix has emerged as a formidable competitor,” said Batista, an experienced business leader in the small-cap listed space. “I look forward to working closely with Durval to continue expanding Aquabotix’s technology and capabilities and positioning Aquabotix as an unsurpassed leader in underwater robotics.”

In his new role as Chief Technology Officer, Tavares will lead development of the company’s underwater ROV (remotely operated vehicle) and Hybrid AUV/ROV (autonomous underwater vehicle/remotely operated vehicle) technology, with a particular focus on application in high-demand verticals such as military, security and law enforcement, aquaculture and marine construction and maintenance.

“When I founded Aquabotix six years ago, my goal was to develop and build leading-class technology designed to change how we view the underwater world,” said Tavares. “This remains my goal to this day. I look forward to devoting my time to leading the development of our new technologies and working with David to bring several new innovations to market in the near future. David’s market expertise makes him the perfect choice to help make the company scalable for growth.”

Batista is the former Senior Managing Director of independent financial services firm Viriathus Holdings LLC. He has more than 20 years of experience working with small-cap listed companies, both in the U.S. and Australia. While at Viriathus Holdings, Batista closed more than 40 investment and M&A transactions for domestic and international clients, in addition to managing the day-to-day operations of the firm. Batista previously held roles with HPC Capital Management Corp., SoundView Technology Group and Lehman Brothers Inc. A graduate of C.W. Post College, Batista also has several post-graduate qualifications from The New York Institute of Finance.