A possible protogalaxy near M 81.

CCD images covering the region of a molecular complex east of M 81 show no optical counterpart. This excludes the presence of unembedded massive (>10 M_sun_) stars and an association with a low surface brightness (<=27.0^m^/arcsec^2^ in B for B - R = 1.5^m^) galaxy. The complex is thus quite different from any of the presumably young active dwarfs observed in the vicinity of interacting systems. It is likely the first known `protogalaxy', representing the missing link between tidal HI arms and active star forming regions well displaced from the centers of the associated interacting galaxies. An irregular shaped object of unknown nature (size: 20"; B - R = 1.3^m^) is detected 50" NW of the molecular complex.