What Dockwa does

Dockwa (legally Dockwa, Inc.) is a marina-focused digital platform that operates a two-sided marketplace connecting recreational boaters with marina operators, alongside a comprehensive marina management software suite. Founded in 2015 and headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, the platform serves approximately 4,000 marinas and over 450,000 boaters across North America, with announced expansion plans into Canada and Europe. The core product includes a free mobile application (iOS/Android rated 4.9 across 32,000 reviews) where boaters can discover, reserve, and pay for slips and moorings without booking fees, plus the consumer marketplace Marinas.com (acquired 2017) which operates alongside Dockwa.com. For marina operators, Dockwa provides a free back-end operating system covering reservations, payments processing, point-of-sale, fuel management, dry stack, contracts, dynamic pricing, accounting exports, and business intelligence modules.

The company's technology stack is built on a proprietary data platform called Marine Graph, which aggregates structured operational data (vessel specifications, locations, transactions) across the network. This data layer powers the AI-native products Telescope (dynamic-pricing and revenue-intelligence engine) and Marina-X (benchmarking tool for insurers, lenders, and institutional investors), representing Dockwa's strategic shift from a booking platform to a full-stack operating system targeting the $57 billion marina economy. Distribution channels include direct field sales for marina operators, a government/municipal channel (anchored by a Baltimore City partnership), and mobile app stores for boater acquisition.

Dockwa's business model combines freemium B2B (free marina management software with implied premium tier potential), consumer subscription through the Dockwa+ membership program ($84/year offering up to 50% off transient dockage and fuel discounts), and marketplace dynamics across the Dockwa and Marinas.com properties. In June 2026, the company received a strategic growth investment from PSG (a Boston-based growth equity firm) to fund AI-native product development and international expansion; the company is privately held and led by co-founders Michael Melillo (CEO), Tyler Kneisel (COO), and Matt Fradette (CRO).

Name

Dockwa

Legal name

Dockwa, Inc.

Website

https://dockwa.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dockwa is a marina-focused digital platform operating a two-sided marketplace that connects approximately 4,000 marinas with 450,000+ recreational boaters across North America, providing free mobile booking, marina management software, and AI-native revenue and benchmarking tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marina Management Software

NAICS

Marinas (713930), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744)

akta.pro primary industry

Dock Scheduling & Appointment Management (TLAEAHAB)

Keywords

• Marina reservation software
• Marina management platform
• Boat slip booking
• Boater marketplace
• Marine hospitality software

Headquarters

HQ city

Newport

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Operations

Revenue model

1. Marina Software Subscription: SaaS subscription revenue from marina operators using the platform for reservation management, payments, point-of-sale, dynamic pricing, and accounting. Marinas receive back-end management software at no cost, suggesting either free platform with transaction/value-add revenue or subsidized by boater marketplace.
2. Dockwa+ Membership: Annual subscription at $84/year offering boaters dockage discounts (up to 50% off), fuel discounts, cruise planning tools, and premium features. Members save average of $126 per redemption.
3. Marketplace/Platform Transaction: Platform connecting boaters to marinas, potentially capturing value through bookings, though boaters pay no booking fees and prices reflect marina-set rates.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Dockwa operates a two-sided marina platform that connects recreational boaters with marina operators for slip and mooring reservations. It provides free back-end marina management software to operators (covering reservations, payments, point-of-sale, fuel, dry stack, and accounting) and a free mobile app plus Marinas.com marketplace to boaters for discovery and booking. The company monetizes through the Dockwa+ premium membership ($84/year) and is expanding into AI-native products (Telescope for dynamic pricing, Marina-X for insurer/lender benchmarking) built on its proprietary Marine Graph data layer.

Product overview

Dockwa is a marina economy operating system consisting of a core platform for marina management and boater reservations, supplemented by multiple add-on modules and sub-brands. The platform includes Dockwa (core marina software), Dockwa Mobile App (iOS/Android for boaters), Marinas.com (consumer marketplace), and Dockwa+ (premium membership with discounts). AI-native products include Telescope (dynamic pricing/revenue intelligence) and Marina-X (benchmarking for insurers/lenders), built on the proprietary Marine Graph data platform. Marina operators can access modules for leads, transient booking, point-of-sale, fuel management, boat storage, dry stack, revenue management, and business intelligence. Boater-facing features include Dockwa Deals (discounts), Boater Wallet (document storage), and cruise planning tools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Dockwa+: Premium boater membership program offering up to 50% off transient dockage, fuel discounts, cruise planning tools, and a Boater Wallet for $84/year.
• Marinas.com

Products and services

• Dockwa Marina Management Software Free back-end marina operating software for marina operators, providing reservation management, payments, point-of-sale, dynamic pricing, fuel management, dry stack, contracts, and accounting exports for nearly 4,000 marinas across North America.
• Dockwa Mobile App Free iOS and Android app for recreational boaters to discover marinas, search by services and amenities, reserve slips and moorings, message marina staff, store vessel and payment information, and access Dockwa+ membership benefits.
• Dockwa+ Membership Premium annual boater membership priced at $84 per year, providing up to 50% off transient dockage, exclusive fuel discounts, cruise planning tools, and a Boater Wallet for vessel and payment storage; members save an average of $126 per redemption.
• Marinas.com Marketplace Consumer marketplace connecting over 450,000 boaters to harbors for marina discovery, reviews, and booking across North America and select international destinations.
• Telescope AI-native revenue intelligence and dynamic pricing engine for marina operators, optimizing transient and seasonal pricing decisions based on demand, occupancy, and aggregated market data from the Marine Graph data layer.
• Marina-X AI-native benchmarking and risk analytics tool for marine insurers, lenders, and institutional investors, providing standardized performance metrics and risk assessment across marina assets.
• Municipal Piers Reservation System White-label online reservation platform for municipal harbor authorities, providing 24/7 availability viewing, slip and mooring reservation, fee payment, and reservation management for public piers; deployed for the Baltimore City Department of Transportation Harbormaster Office.

Quantifiable outcome

• Members save an average of $126 per Dockwa+ redemption
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability5 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and notable.

• Weil, Gotshal & MangesminorOthers · 10 June 2026Weil, Gotshal & Manges served as legal advisor to PSG on the strategic growth investment transaction.
• SterlingtonminorOthers · 5 June 2026Sterlington served as advisor on executive compensation arrangements related to the PSG investment transaction.
• Baltimore City Department of Transportation Harbormaster OfficenotableStrategic or Co-development PartnerBaltimore City Department of Transportation Harbormaster Office uses Dockwa's platform to power online reservation systems for Inner Harbor and Fells Point municipal piers, modernizing operations and generating revenue for maritime infrastructure.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Dockmaster: Dockmaster is marina management software used by marina operators for reservations, billing, and operations. It directly competes with Dockwa's marina management software suite targeting the same operator customer base.
• Marinalife: Marinalife is a marina reservation and membership platform serving transient boaters, providing a competing marketplace for booking marina slips and dockage across North America with overlapping marina-side and boater-side offerings.
• Snag-a-Slip: Snag-a-Slip is a marina reservation marketplace offering boaters the ability to find and book transient slips at marinas, directly competing with Dockwa's core marketplace functionality and serving the same two-sided marina/boater customer base.

Emerging players

• GetMyBoat: GetMyBoat is a boat rental marketplace connecting boat owners with renters. While primarily focused on rentals rather than slips, it operates an adjacent two-sided marketplace model targeting recreational boaters with similar discovery and booking dynamics.
• Boatset: Boatset is a peer-to-peer boat rental marketplace offering a similar platform model to Dockwa but focused on rental bookings rather than marina slip reservations, illustrating a competing platform approach to recreational boating customers.

Broad incumbents

• ActiveCaptain: ActiveCaptain, owned by Garmin, is a boating companion app with a very large boater user base including marina information, trip planning, and community features, overlapping with Dockwa's boater-facing tools while operating within Garmin's broader marine hardware portfolio.
• ReserveAmerica: ReserveAmerica is one of the largest outdoor recreation reservation platforms in North America, handling campgrounds and some marina facilities, with overlapping reservation infrastructure capabilities though a broader recreation focus.
• BoatUS: BoatUS, owned by GEICO, provides towing, insurance, and member services to recreational boaters. While not a direct marketplace competitor, it serves the same boater customer base with broad services and a large installed member base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dock_wa
• Facebookfacebook.com/Dockwa
• Instagraminstagram.com/Dockwa
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dockwa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Dockwa