Rise of AI in Maritime Startups
A recent report by Flagship Founders has revealed that the adoption of artificial intelligence (AI) among maritime startups has seen a substantial increase. The number of companies utilizing AI has almost doubled in the past year, reflecting a rapid integration of AI technologies in maritime products and operations.
Key Findings from the Global Maritime Tech Startup Map 2024
The Flagship Founders’ ‘Global Maritime Tech Startup Map 2024’ highlights several key trends in the maritime startup ecosystem:
- Mergers and Acquisitions: 16 companies from the 2023 Global Maritime Startup Map underwent mergers or acquisitions over the past year, representing over 10% of the total companies on their list.
- AI Adoption: In 2025, 45% of all featured startups reported using AI in their offerings, up from 27.5% the previous year. The ‘Condition & Maintenance’ category stands out with 72% of startups having integrated AI into their products.
- Funding: Maritime tech startups have raised around $234 million in disclosed funding rounds, a 73% increase compared to the previous year.
- Geographic Trends: Singapore, the United Kingdom, Germany, and the United States continue to dominate the global maritime startup landscape. Notable growth was observed in Greece, where the number of Greek startups increased from nine to fourteen.
Trends in AI Adoption Across Categories
The report found that AI integration is not evenly distributed across business segments. While categories like ‘Condition & Maintenance’ and ‘Communications & Information Management’ show high AI adoption rates (72% and 56% respectively), others like ‘Procurement’ and ‘Crewing & Crew Management’ lag behind with 28% and 33% respectively.
Regional Specializations
The report also highlighted regional specializations in the maritime startup ecosystem:
- The UK continues to be a global finance hub, hosting nearly half of all startups in the finance and insurance category.
- Continental Europe leads in green tech and decarbonization, with 80% of startups in this category based in the EU or EEA.
- Singapore hosts the highest overall number of startups (30) and, along with the US and Germany, leads in the number of represented categories.
The ‘Global Maritime Tech Startup Map 2024’ included 149 software startups and scaleups operating within the maritime industry, categorized into ten principal categories. The selection criteria required companies to have been founded within the last 10 years, focus solely on software, and operate independently within the maritime domain.
