10 New Ship Retrofitting Companies & Startups: Leading Marine Innovation

Gain data-driven insights on ship retrofitting, an industry consisting of 840+ organizations worldwide. We have selected 10 standout innovators from 40+ new ship retrofitting solutions, advancing the industry with smart navigation systems, unmanned surface vessels, nauti-craft suspension, and more.

This article highlights 10 new ship retrofitting companies and startups. These companies reduce operating costs and carbon footprint using e-navigation, hull air lubrication, and self-driving vessels. By integrating advanced technologies, these ship retrofitting companies drive significant progress in vessel performance, sustainability, and operational efficiency. This article highlights their contributions to modernizing the maritime industry. The last update of this report was 5 days ago. If you spot incomplete or incorrect info, please let us know.

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Key Takeaways

Drawing insights from the Big Data & AI-powered StartUs Insights Discovery Platform that provides data on over 4.7+ million emerging companies globally, we explore the evolving landscape of the shipbuilding industry. This sector is marked by key trends and a substantial workforce, shaping its future. Here are some key insights at a glance:

  • Current Ship Retrofitting Trends: Some of the major trends impacting the ship retrofitting industry are hybrid propulsion, autonomous navigation, cybersecurity upgrades, energy storage, and ballast water treatment.
  • Ship Retrofitting Industry Stats: The sector comprises 840+ organizations worldwide. Out of these, 40+ new ship retrofitting companies were founded in the last five years, witnessing 2020 as the average founding year. On average, each of these companies employs about 13 people. Moreover, the average funding received by these companies per round in the same span is USD 3.3 million.
  • 10 New Ship Retrofitting Startups & Companies to Watch:
    1. Mythos AI – Shipping Decarbonization
    2. Armada Technologies – Hull Air Lubrication
    3. Orbyt Global – e-Navigation
    4. Fisk Tech – Carbon Footprint Reduction
    5. BlueNav – Electric-Hybrid Boat Conversion
    6. K2sea – Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs)
    7. Si6nal – Smart Navigation System
    8. Tocaro Blue – Situational Awareness Display
    9. MASEC – Custom Control & Visualization
    10. Aloft Systems – Wind Propulsion Technology

Discover 10 out of 40+ Emerging Ship Retrofitting Startups & Companies

In this section, we spotlight 10 new ship retrofitting companies that offer solutions for hull air lubrication, e-navigation, nauti-craft suspension, situational awareness, and emission reduction. These companies integrate advanced technologies to enhance vessel performance, operational efficiency, and sustainability. They reduce emissions, improve navigation, and increase situational awareness. Read on to explore many more innovative solutions that these companies offer in the ship retrofitting industry.

Note on Signal Strength
One of the unique metrics we feature for each company is Signal Strength, a proprietary data point generated by our Discovery Platform. It gauges the extent to which a company’s influence has permeated the global ecosystem of startups, scaleups, and emerging companies. This proprietary metric serves as a valuable guidepost for understanding a company’s standing in the broader market landscape.

1. Mythos AI

  • Founding Year: 2020
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: USA
  • Signal Strength: Very Strong
  • What they do: Mythos AI enhances port resilience and decarbonizes shipping using enterprise autonomy solutions for the marine sector. Its product, Archie, leverages autonomy, self-driving, and a cloud back-end to provide critical navigation information on demand. Archie optimizes loading and scheduling, maintains port channels, and supports port authorities to keep ports operational. It integrates with vessel manufacturers, original equipment manufacturers (OEMs), and fleet operators to automate task-specific workflows.

2. Armada Technologies

  • Founding Year: 2020
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: UK
  • Signal Strength: Strong
  • What they do: Armada Technologies increases vessel performance and efficiency with low-power, sustainable solutions for hull air lubrication. Its passive air lubrication system (PALS) utilizes the ship’s movement to generate an air-water mix for hull lubrication. PALS employs minor boost pumps instead of high-energy compressors to optimize bubble distribution and minimize power usage. The company’s Venturi system harmonizes with the vessel’s propulsion, maintaining peak performance even at slow speeds or higher sea states. PALS benefits shipowners by reducing drag and fuel consumption, contributing to significant savings and CO2 reductions.

3. Orbyt Global

  • Founding Year: 2022
  • Employee Range: 51-100
  • Location: Greece
  • Signal Strength: Weak
  • What they do: Orbyt Global provides specialized communication and navigation solutions for the maritime industry. The company’s platform, Nexus Shark, integrates modular marine solutions for connectivity, navigation, data, and safety. It supports a range of communication and business applications to improve operational efficiency and crew welfare. Nexus Shark also features proactive IT monitoring and maintenance to increase the reliability of retrofitted vessels. The system’s emergency and alert solutions offer uninterrupted cybersecurity, securing digital fleets against potential threats.

4. Fisk Tech

  • Founding Year: 2020
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: Italy
  • Signal Strength: Medium Strong
  • What they do: Fisk Tech offers retrofit solutions for maritime vessels to ensure compliance. The company manages data for performance optimization and decarbonization efforts. It addresses specific needs such as ballast water management and hull repair specifications. The company improves operational efficiency and regulatory compliance of marine vessels, such as EEXI or CII requirements. Additionally, Fisk Tech reduces fuel costs through effective hull and propeller cleaning while improving operational efficiency and environmental sustainability.

5. BlueNav

  • Founding Year: 2020
  • Employee Range: 11-50
  • Location: France
  • Signal Strength: Very Strong
  • What they do: BlueNav converts boats with combustion engines into electric hybrid vessels through its BlueSpin technology. This technology integrates electric propulsion for improved navigation with connected technology. It optimizes fuel efficiency and reduces emissions while supporting sustainable navigation by improving speed through biomimetic design, inspired by humpback whale fins. The company increases thrust and propeller power using computational fluid dynamics (CFD) which shapes the blades for optimal performance.

6. K2sea

  • Founding Year: 2019
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: Poland
  • Signal Strength: Weak
  • What they do: K2sea develops solutions for the automation of surface vessel control, specializing in unmanned systems and components. Its product, mKurs, is an unmanned surface vessel that supports surveys like bathymetric measurements. mKurs features all-electric propulsion, reducing carbon footprint. It integrates with hydrographic data acquisition software like NORBIT DCT for high-quality data. The vessel’s autonomous capabilities, using GPS/GNSS RTK positioning, support efficient and precise operations. Surveyors and engineers benefit from its ability to operate in difficult-to-access water areas.

7. Si6nal

  • Founding Year: 2021
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: Finland
  • Signal Strength: Medium
  • What they do: Si6nal offers a smart navigation system that combines space data, Internet of Things (IoT) sensors, and 3D mapping to optimize navigation within river networks. Its accurate space data integration provides real-time, precise navigation and route planning. Smart IoT sensors support maritime decision-making and vessel safety by gathering and analyzing comprehensive data. The system’s 3D mapping technology provides detailed visualization of river networks to improve operational safety.

8. Tocaro Blue

  • Founding Year: 2019
  • Employee Range: 11-50
  • Location: USA
  • Signal Strength: Very Strong
  • What they do: Tocaro Blue provides marine navigation systems that enhance situational awareness. The company’s product, PROTEUS, integrates with existing vessel sensors via NMEA 2000 and ethernet to provide intuitive 3D and 2D displays. PROTEUS utilizes information from radar, depth transducers, very high frequency (VHF) radio, and other sensors to present a clear, actionable interface on the MFD. Mariners benefit from decluttered displays and enhanced visibility of navigational hazards. This solution is essential for retrofitting projects for modernizing navigation systems and improving vessel safety.

9. MASEC

  • Founding Year: 2021
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: Poland
  • Signal Strength: Weak
  • What they do: MASEC offers marine automation and electrical system engineering, offering comprehensive services for ship retrofitting and maintenance. It includes diagnostics, repair, and regeneration of electrical installations and automation systems. The company provides design modifications, technical documentation, and system modernization by implementing human-machine interaction (HMI) and programmable logic controller (PLC) systems. It conducts ROV-powered underwater inspections for hulls, thrusters, and cathodic protection. Maritime operators benefit from professional guidance and reliable inspection services, enhancing operational efficiency.

10. Aloft Systems

  • Founding Year: 2020
  • Employee Range: 2-10
  • Location: USA
  • Signal Strength: Medium Strong
  • What they do: Aloft Systems develops modular sail units for wind propulsion to reduce fuel consumption and shipping emissions. The modular sail avoids service interruptions by integrating with vessels using standard dock equipment. This technology supports autonomous operation by continuously adjusting sails based on real-time data. The system optimizes deck space and fits various layouts while maximizing wind propulsion efficiency. Ship operators install this solution for immediate reductions in fuel consumption and emissions without costly modifications.

Quick Tip to Find New Ship Retrofitting Companies & Startups

Utilizing a SaaS platform like the Discovery Platform for identifying new ship retrofitting companies provides significant benefits compared to traditional scouting methods:

  • Increased Efficiency: The Discovery Platform offers advanced tools that streamline the scouting process. It replaces your hours of conventional desk research, saving time and resources in identifying ship retrofitting innovations.
  • Access to Real-time Insights: Gain a competitive edge with up-to-date information on the latest trends in the ship retrofitting industry. The platform keeps you informed with near real-time updates on emerging ship retrofitting companies and news, enabling you to make swift and informed decisions.
  • Precise Scouting: Customize your search to focus on specific niches within the ship retrofitting sector, such as emission reduction wind propulsion, custom control & visualization, or nauti-craft suspension. The platform’s diverse filtering options allow you to target your scouting efforts precisely, ensuring that you find the most relevant and groundbreaking companies in the field.

Ready to Explore All New Ship Retrofitting Companies & Startups?

We’ve explored the dynamic landscape of the ship retrofitting industry, examining the latest trends and spotlighting exceptional companies driving innovation. To dive deeper, download our free Maritime Report or schedule a demo of the Discovery Platform for a customized exploration of these groundbreaking developments. If you’re an expert in startups or emerging tech, we invite you to contribute to our insights.