north.io
north.io is a Kiel-based geospatial software company that builds the TrueOcean and TrueEarth cloud-native data platforms and an AI-enabled ocean big data processing engine for offshore wind developers, navies, utilities, hydrographic offices and survey firms.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2011
- HeadquartersKiel, Germany
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What north.io does
north.io GmbH is a Kiel, Germany-based geospatial data software company founded in 2011 that builds a cloud-native ocean and land data platform used by offshore wind developers, utilities and TSOs, navies and coast guards, hydrographic offices, survey firms, and governmental authorities. Its core product suite centers on TrueOcean (the SaaS ocean data platform) and TrueEarth (a land-geodata platform variant), supported by an Ocean Data Processing Engine built on Apache Spark, Kubernetes and Apache Parquet that processes raw point-cloud sensor data (multibeam, sidescan, lidar) rather than pre-rasterized DEMs, and an Ocean Data Analytics module that applies AI for automated anomaly and object detection (UXOs, wrecks, cables, pipelines) on raw hydrographic datasets. The platform supports 40+ marine and geospatial file formats, exposes WMS/WFS APIs, and is deployable as SaaS or fully self-hosted/air-gapped on customer infrastructure, with ISO 9001:2015 certification and BSI basic protection available.
The company monetizes through a mix of recurring SaaS subscriptions, managed/processing-as-a-service, and a significant layer of professional services via its Ocean Data Advisory 5-phase consulting framework (Assessment, Design, Implementation, Training, Ongoing Support) and its EU-funded R&D project participation. Go-to-market is enterprise-led with event-driven and community-led components: a four-step engagement model (Data Readiness Check → 1-Day Workshop → Solution Design Project → Platform Procurement), participation in flagship events such as NATO REPMUS, SeaSEC, HYDRO2025 and Kiel Munition Clearance Week, and consortium-based co-selling with partners including IONOS, Fraunhofer, GEOMAR, Subsea Europe Services, IBM, NVIDIA and, as of February 2026, Chesapeake Technology (US). north.io has been part of Gabler Group AG since 2022 and closed an €8.5 million seed round in September 2024 led by Hamburg-based family office VAERING; it has been recognized by Geoawesome among the Top 100 Geospatial Companies in both 2024 and 2025, and validated as an Achilles Global Energy member since December 2025.
north.io firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- north.io
- Legal name
- north.io GmbH
- Website
- https://north.io
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2011
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- north.io is a Kiel-based geospatial software company that builds the TrueOcean and TrueEarth cloud-native data platforms and an AI-enabled ocean big data processing engine for offshore wind developers, navies, utilities, hydrographic offices and survey firms.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
north.io industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Ocean Geospatial Data Management Software
- NAICS
- Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Services-Computer Programming, Data Processing, Etc. (7370)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS) (IMAJAJAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Remote Sensing & Geospatial Vision (satellite/drone imagery) (HDAAAEAL)
Keywords
Where north.io is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Kiel
- HQ country
- Germany
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
north.io business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Ocean Data Platform (SaaS / Subscription): Recurring SaaS revenue from TrueOcean and related platforms, deployed either cloud-hosted (SaaS) or fully self-hosted/air-gapped on-prem. Customers are billed on a subscription basis to centralize ocean data workflows.
- Ocean Data Advisory & Consulting: Professional services revenue from tailored 5-phase engagements (Assessment, Design, Implementation, Training, Ongoing Support) sold as standalone advisory projects or as part of wider platform rollouts.
- Ocean Data Processing (Managed/On-Demand Processing): Managed/processing-as-a-service revenue from running customer ocean big data processing jobs on-demand in the cloud, with usage-based cloud resource consumption.
- Solution Design & Implementation Projects: One-time project revenue from Solution Design Projects that design customized roadmaps and development backlogs for transitioning customers to a centralized ocean big data ecosystem.
- EU/Government-Funded R&D Project Revenue: Revenue from participation in EU-funded and German federal R&D projects (Horizon Europe, Interreg, BMBF, BMDV, BMWE, BMWK), including Marispace-X, MMineSwEEPER, MUNIMAP, ARGUS, REMARCO, BALTWRECK, AFKUI, GEOSTOR, Fish-X, AI-4EST and KIMERA.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Quote-based engagement / not publicly disclosed |
Go-to-market motion4 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels10 records
north.io product offering
Product offeringCore offering
north.io builds and operates the TrueOcean ocean data platform and an Apache Spark and Kubernetes-based Ocean Data Processing Engine that ingests, processes and analyzes terabytes of underwater sensor data, including multibeam echosounder, sidescan sonar and LiDAR, for offshore wind, naval/defence, hydrographic and survey customers. The platform supports 40+ file formats, cloud-agnostic deployment, OGC-compliant APIs and open-format exports, and is augmented by AI-driven anomaly detection and a five-phase advisory service. Combined, these offerings let marine stakeholders centralize fragmented ocean data, automate QA/QC and shorten project timelines by up to 50%.
Product overview
north.io offers a unified ocean big data platform architecture composed of four core solutions. The Ocean Data Platform (TrueOcean / TrueEarth) is the central, secure, cloud-agnostic foundation combining GIS and geophysical data management, deployed as SaaS or self-hosted with RBAC, API integrations, and OGC standards compliance. The Ocean Data Processing Engine is the distributed, Apache Spark and Kubernetes-powered core technology that transforms terabytes of raw point cloud data at scale. Ocean Data Analytics adds the AI/ML layer, applying automated anomaly detection to raw hydrographic datasets. Ocean Data Advisory provides the consulting and onboarding services that align stakeholders, design architectures, and enable adoption—completing the platform-plus-modules plus services portfolio for marine and offshore stakeholders.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- TrueOcean: Flagship SaaS ocean data platform from north.io for managing, visualising, sharing, and processing ocean big data; deployed in projects such as MMinE-SwEEPER, ARGUS, KIMERA, and others.
- TrueEarth
Products and services
- TrueOcean Ocean Data Platform Secure, scalable, cloud-agnostic SaaS or self-hosted platform combining geospatial (GIS) and geophysical data management for marine stakeholders. Supports 40+ file formats, 2D/3D browser-based preview of multibeam/sidescan/point cloud, GeoSearch spatial search, RBAC, API integrations and OGC compliance. Deployed as SaaS or fully self-hosted/air-gapped on-prem.
- TrueEarth Geodata Platform Platform variant of north.io's ocean data technology adopted by MEKUN of Schleswig-Holstein for statewide digitalization strategy, managing, visualizing and distributing geo data across environmental and energy ministries.
- Ocean Data Processing Engine
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 75% operational gain through seamless collaboration and scalable analytics
- +5 more outcomes
Companies that use north.io
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles7 records
north.io technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability8 records
Feature7 records
north.io partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
20 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Chesapeake Technology, Inc.flagshipAnnounced in February 2026 a collaboration between north.io GmbH (Kiel, Germany) and Chesapeake Technology, Inc. (New York, USA), the developer of sonar data processing software, to bring improved ocean big data workflows to hydrographic and offshore customers.
- GEOMAR - Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research KielflagshipLong-standing research and project partner across multiple EU-funded projects: project lead for ARGUS, MMineSwEEPER, GEOSTOR and KIMERA; co-develops AI analytics, AUV image data analysis and risk-assessment tools integrated into TrueOcean.
- IONOScoreJoint lead (with north.io) of the €15M Marispace-X consortium; cloud provider partner delivering the secure maritime data space infrastructure for collecting and analysing maritime sensor data across Europe.
- Fraunhofer (IGD)coreCore consortium member of the Marispace-X project alongside north.io, IONOS, GEOMAR, Kiel University, University of Rostock and Stackable, contributing computer graphics research to the maritime data space.
- Kiel University (CAU)coreConsortium partner in the Marispace-X project, contributing research expertise into the maritime data space platform.
- University of RostockcoreConsortium partner in the Marispace-X project, contributing to the maritime sensor data space research and use cases.
- Stackable GmbHcoreConsortium technology partner in the Marispace-X project, contributing open-source data infrastructure components to the maritime data space platform.
- Subsea Europe Services GmbHcoreProject partner in the ARGUS project (BMDV/mFUND), providing marine data collection via autonomous surveying systems, and field-testing of the Track-Planning Module.
- NVIDIAcoreTechnology partner in the ARGUS project, working with north.io on AI-supported processing of survey data from near-seabed KRITIS using NVIDIA Physics AI (NVIDIA Modulus) for sound-velocity prediction and modeling.
- IBMminorProject partner in the AFKUI project alongside north.io and the German Aerospace Center (DLR), contributing technology for AI-based threat detection against critical undersea infrastructure.
- Deutsches Zentrum für Luft- und Raumfahrt (DLR)minorProject partner in the AFKUI project (BMWE-funded) developing AI-based systems to detect threats to critical undersea infrastructure.
- SeaTerra Geophysics & Explosive Ordnance Services GmbHcoreProject partner in REMARCO and MMineSwEEPER projects focused on UXO detection and remediation in the North and Baltic Seas.
- CarbonStackminorCo-developer in the BMBF-funded AI-4EST project, building an AI application that combines satellite, LiDAR and radar data with tree cadastres for reforestation and CO₂ compensation.
- Cortina Consult GmbHminorExternal data protection officer and CLOUD DSE service provider for north.io's privacy policy management.
- LinkedIn (Ireland Unlimited Company)minorJoint controller for north.io's LinkedIn page and provider of LinkedIn Ads and analytics for marketing and audience engagement.
- YouTube / Google LLCminorJoint controller for north.io's YouTube channel hosting product and event videos.
- Optics11minorCo-host of a webinar on securing Germany's underwater lifelines alongside SeaSEC, with north.io acting as the data integration layer between underwater sensing technologies and operational users.
- SeaSEC (Maritime Safety & Security)coreCollaboration through SeaSEC Challenge Weeks 'Data2Sea' where north.io supports German Navy use of the Ocean Data Platform and participates in data fusion exercises for maritime infrastructure protection.
- NATO REPMUS Exercise CommunitycoreParticipation in NATO REPMUS 2025 (Portugal) as a digital enabler, demonstrating near-real-time processing of multi-platform sonar data via the NODW (Naval Ocean Data Workspace); also confirmed for REPMUS 2026.
- EU Horizon Europe / Interreg / BMBF / BMDV / BMWE / BMWKflagshipLong-term funding relationships across multiple EU and German federal programs: Marispace-X (BMWK), MMineSwEEPER (EU Horizon Europe), MUNIMAP (EU Interreg), REMARCO (EU Interreg/EMFF), BALTWRECK (Interreg South Baltic), GEOSTOR (BMBF), AI-4EST (BMBF), ARGUS (BMDV mFUND), AFKUI (BMWE).
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
north.io competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Kongsberg Discovery: Kongsberg Discovery offers hydrographic, oceanographic, and marine autonomy systems (including Hugin AUVs and SIS seabed mapping software), competing with north.io in the broader ocean data value chain with deeper hardware and naval integrations.
- Esri: Esri (ArcGIS and ArcGIS Maritime) is the dominant geospatial incumbent offering broader ocean and maritime capabilities within a wider GIS portfolio; competes with north.io at the platform layer for enterprise GIS buyers in defence, utilities, and government.
- Hexagon: Hexagon's Geospatial division (Luciad, ERDAS, M.App Enterprise) provides marine situational awareness and geospatial analytics capabilities to defence, government, and offshore clients — a broad incumbent with overlapping ocean data analytics functionality.
Direct peers
- HYPACK: HYPACK (now part of Teledyne) provides hydrographic survey acquisition, processing and product generation software widely used by marine survey contractors — overlapping directly with north.io's processing engine for multibeam, sidescan, and sub-bottom data.
- EIVA: EIVA (Denmark) offers naviPac, naviEdit and naviModel hydrographic/ocean survey software — a directly comparable platform suite to TrueOcean serving the same offshore wind, defence, and survey customer base, particularly in Northern Europe.
- QPS (Quality Positioning Services): QPS develops QINSy acquisition and Qimera processing software widely used in hydrographic and offshore surveys, directly competing with north.io on data ingestion, processing, and visualization of multibeam/sidescan sonar datasets.
- Teledyne CARIS: Teledyne CARIS provides hydrographic data processing and chart production software (HPD, Onboard, Bathy DataBASE) used by navies, hydrographic offices, and surveyors worldwide — the most direct competitor to north.io's TrueOcean ocean data platform in the geospatial/marine survey stack.
Emerging players
- OceanWise: UK-based OceanWise provides marine data management and Maritime Data Management solutions for ports, harbours, and coastal authorities — a smaller niche peer whose ocean data platform overlaps with TrueOcean for public-sector customers.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses1 record
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
north.io social profiles
Digital presencenorth.io compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance3 records
north.io financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
north.io leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
north.io subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
north.io funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds5 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
north.io M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A2 records
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about north.io
What does north.io do?
north.io builds and operates the TrueOcean ocean data platform and an Apache Spark and Kubernetes-based Ocean Data Processing Engine that ingests, processes and analyzes terabytes of underwater sensor data, including multibeam echosounder, sidescan sonar and LiDAR, for offshore wind, naval/defence, hydrographic and survey customers. The platform supports 40+ file formats, cloud-agnostic deployment, OGC-compliant APIs and open-format exports, and is augmented by AI-driven anomaly detection and a five-phase advisory service. Combined, these offerings let marine stakeholders centralize fragmented ocean data, automate QA/QC and shorten project timelines by up to 50%.
Is north.io a public or private company?
north.io is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was north.io founded?
north.io was founded in 2011. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is north.io based?
north.io is headquartered in Kiel, Germany, in the Europe region.
How does north.io make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Ocean Data Platform (SaaS / Subscription) is the primary driver. The others are ocean Data Advisory & Consulting, ocean Data Processing (Managed/On-Demand Processing), solution Design & Implementation Projects and EU/Government-Funded R&D Project Revenue.
Who are north.io's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Kongsberg Discovery, Esri and Hexagon. Direct peers are HYPACK, EIVA, QPS (Quality Positioning Services) and Teledyne CARIS. OceanWise is listed as an emerging player.
Does north.io have an API?
Yes. north.io provides open APIs for data transfer, system integrations, and custom connector development. The platform supports API-based integrations, WMS (Web Map Service) / WFS (Web Feature Service) for geospatial interoperability. APIs facilitate uploads, downloads, and integrations with existing GIS or planning tools.
What industry is north.io in?
north.io's product category is Ocean Geospatial Data Management Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAJAE, Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS), with a secondary code of HDAAAEAL, Remote Sensing & Geospatial Vision (satellite/drone imagery). Its NAICS code is 541360 and its SIC code is 3812.