Toqua
Toqua is a Belgian maritime AI company that builds physics-informed machine learning models (Ship Kernels) to predict vessel speed, fuel consumption, and performance from operational data, serving ship owners, charterers, ship managers, and maritime solution providers via API.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersGhent, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Toqua does
Toqua is a Belgian maritime cleantech company, founded in 2020 and headquartered in Ghent, that builds physics-informed machine learning models for vessel performance under the brand Ship Kernels. The core product ingests high-frequency operational data — either noon reports or sensor streams — and produces speed, fuel-consumption, and performance predictions normalized for weather, draft, currents, hull fouling, and other factors. Toqua positions its models as a verifiable performance layer that can be embedded into existing maritime software stacks via REST API or accessed through a visual interface, rather than as a replacement for incumbent tools. The company publishes a proprietary benchmarking methodology (the Blue Modeling Standard) and a voyage-optimization savings-validation framework to substantiate accuracy claims.
Toqua serves four primary customer segments: ship owners (Euronav, Orion Bulkers, Vroon), charterers (Weco Tankers, NOCC), ship managers, and maritime solution providers. The technology is hardware-agnostic, compatible with all data-collection providers, and applicable across all vessel segments and fuel types, including alternatives. Named use cases include hull-fouling detection, performance warranty setting and monitoring, voyage optimization validation, dry-docking assessment, and energy-saving-device (ESD) effectiveness quantification. A strategic partnership announced in October 2025 with Weathernews integrates Ship Kernels into weather routing, and the company exposes its API via an MCP server for integration with ChatGPT, Microsoft Copilot, and Claude.
The commercial model is enterprise SaaS delivered through API access on annual contracts with bespoke pricing per fleet. There is no public pricing; sales is discovery-call driven, typically beginning with a pilot and progressing to fleetwide rollout. The company has been accelerated by iMec, ESA, Pitchdrive, Google Cloud, and The Economist. Headcount is reported in the 11-50 range, and one funding round of $338,200 is publicly disclosed (February 2022), with additional unannounced capital implied by ongoing operations through 2025.
Toqua firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Toqua
- Legal name
- Toqua BV
- Website
- https://toqua.ai
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Toqua is a Belgian maritime AI company that builds physics-informed machine learning models (Ship Kernels) to predict vessel speed, fuel consumption, and performance from operational data, serving ship owners, charterers, ship managers, and maritime solution providers via API.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Toqua industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Maritime Performance Analytics Software
- NAICS
- Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)
- SIC
- Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Automation, Controls & Instrumentation Engineering (IAS, PMS, Control Logic) (IMAJAGAG), Propulsion Control, Monitoring & Automation (ECS, PMS interface) (IMAJAHAH)
Keywords
Where Toqua is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Ghent
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Toqua business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Operations
Revenue model
- Ship Kernels SaaS / API Access: Toqua provides its physics-informed AI models (Ship Kernels) as a service, accessible via API. Customers (ship owners, charterers, ship managers) subscribe to access the performance modeling capabilities. The product can be plugged into existing systems via API, giving them a boost without requiring customers to switch tools. Revenue is generated through recurring subscription fees for API/model access, with the offering compatible with all vessel segments and fuel types.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Enterprise subscription for ship performance AI — pricing individualized per fleet |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Toqua product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Toqua builds and sells Ship Kernels, a proprietary physics-informed machine learning product that turns raw vessel data (noon reports and/or sensor data) into continuously updated, accurate vessel performance models. Delivered primarily via REST API and an MCP server, Ship Kernels plug into existing maritime software stacks to enable reliable speed-fuel predictions, automated warranty monitoring, hull performance intelligence, voyage optimization validation, and quantified fuel savings for ship owners, charterers, ship managers, and maritime solution providers.
Product overview
Toqua offers a unified maritime AI platform anchored by Ship Kernels, a core physics-informed machine learning product that generates accurate vessel performance models from operational data. The platform integrates with existing systems via API or visual interface, serving ship owners, charterers, ship managers, and solution providers across all shipping segments. Supporting offerings include a Documentation Hub for developer access, Hull Intelligence for proactive hull performance management, Performance Warranty Management for commercial contract optimization, Fuel Savings Analysis for identifying savings opportunities across hull cleaning and voyage optimization, and a Benchmarking Methodology framework for model comparison. The platform is hardware-agnostic, compatible with all data collection providers, and works with both noon report data and/or sensor data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Ship Kernels: Proprietary physics-informed AI models for vessel performance modeling that turn fragmented data into verifiable performance truth.
Products and services
- Ship Kernels Physics-informed AI models that turn raw vessel data (noon reports and/or sensor data) into verifiable, accurate ship performance models covering speed-fuel relationships across all operating conditions, drafts, and weather scenarios. Delivered via REST API and continuously updated as vessel performance changes, serving ship owners, charterers, ship managers, and maritime solution providers.
- Toqua Documentation Hub Developer documentation portal providing guides, API reference, tutorials, and interactive use cases including benchmarking methodology, speed-fuel curves, voyage fuel decomposition, and grid creation.
- Ship Kernels Weather Routing Integration Integrated product offering combining Toqua's AI vessel performance models with Weathernews' weather routing to improve voyage efficiency, requiring minimal data to activate.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 3% additional fuel savings when integrated with voyage optimization systems (Weathernews partnership, 2025)
- +7 more outcomes
Companies that use Toqua
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Toqua technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration3 records
AI capability4 records
Feature5 records
Toqua partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- WeathernewscoreWeathernews (Japan-based weather intelligence firm) and Toqua formed a strategic partnership in October 2025 to integrate Toqua's vessel-specific AI performance models into Weathernews' voyage optimization systems. The integration combines real-time weather intelligence with data-driven vessel behavior analysis. Controlled validation programs demonstrated up to 3% additional fuel savings beyond existing Weathernews optimization and a 50% reduction in arrival time uncertainty.
- iMecminoriMec is listed as an accelerator/program partner on Toqua's company page, alongside The Economist, ESA, Pitchdrive, and Google Cloud. iMec is a Belgian research and innovation hub for nanoelectronics and digital technologies.
- ESA (European Space Agency)minorESA is listed as an accelerator/program partner on Toqua's company page. ESA supports technology companies in the space and satellite data application ecosystem.
- Google CloudminorGoogle Cloud is listed as an accelerator/program partner on Toqua's company page. Toqua's AI products use cloud infrastructure (specifically Microsoft Azure AI and OpenAI per the privacy policy), suggesting Google Cloud may be a partner in the broader startup ecosystem rather than a primary cloud provider.
- The EconomistminorThe Economist is listed as an accelerator/program partner on Toqua's company page, suggesting participation in The Economist's startup programs or editorial/visibility initiatives.
- Malte Mittendorf (Technical University of Denmark - DTU)minorToqua collaborated with Malte Mittendorf from DTU on a research paper examining the role of high-frequency in-service sensor data in ship performance modeling, benchmarking various wave correction factors and demonstrating that ML outperforms traditional weather correction factors.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Toqua competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Nautilus Labs: AI-driven ship performance optimization platform serving owners, charterers, and operators. Most directly comparable to Toqua across vessel performance modeling, voyage optimization, and hull performance analytics — overlapping customer base (Euronav, etc.) and similar ML-on-vessel-data value proposition.
- StormGeo: Voyage optimization and weather routing provider for shipping. Directly competes with the Weathernews+Toqua integration on routing fuel savings; comparable on shipowner/charterer customers, but its performance models are typically rule-based/sea-trial, creating the exact gap Toqua's Ship Kernels exploit.
- ZeroNorth: Maritime optimization platform combining voyage optimization, bunker procurement, and vessel performance analytics. Targets the same shipowner/charterer buyer and competes for the same budget line (fuel savings, CII compliance).
- BMT: Provides vessel performance monitoring, fleet management, and voyage optimization solutions to commercial shipping and naval clients. Comparable in ship performance modeling and hull fouling analytics; incumbent with deeper integration into shipmanager IT estates.
Broad incumbents
- ABB Marine & Ports: Global marine automation, propulsion, and digital solutions provider, including the OCTOPUS vessel performance and fleet optimization suite. Competes with Toqua in performance monitoring but as part of a much broader hardware-software portfolio aimed at shipyards and shipowners.
- Wärtsilä SmartShip: Marine technology major offering SmartShip route optimization, voyage analytics, and vessel performance services. Overlaps with Toqua on fuel savings and performance analytics, typically bundled with engine/sensor hardware and lifecycle services.
- Kongsberg Maritime: Provider of vessel automation, navigation, and fleet performance solutions including vessel performance and fuel monitoring modules. Broader scope than Toqua but competes for the same digital-ship performance budget.
Emerging players
- Ocean Signal /Voyage Management (Ocean Technologies Group): Offers onboard operational performance, voyage reporting, and compliance tools for ship operators and managers. Adjacent to Toqua in serving shipmanagers and addressing CII/decarbonization workflows but lighter on physics-informed ML.
- Veson Nautical: Maritime software vendor focused on voyage, chartering, and commercial freight management; increasingly expanding into voyage optimization and emissions analytics. Compares to Toqua at the charterer-side, performance-versus-warranty workflow.
- BunkerEx: Bunker procurement optimization platform for shipowners and charterers. Adjacent rather than directly competing, but targets the same fuel-cost reduction budget that Toqua's performance models unlock.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Toqua social profiles
Digital presenceToqua financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Toqua leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Toqua funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Toqua M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Toqua
What does Toqua do?
Toqua builds and sells Ship Kernels, a proprietary physics-informed machine learning product that turns raw vessel data (noon reports and/or sensor data) into continuously updated, accurate vessel performance models. Delivered primarily via REST API and an MCP server, Ship Kernels plug into existing maritime software stacks to enable reliable speed-fuel predictions, automated warranty monitoring, hull performance intelligence, voyage optimization validation, and quantified fuel savings for ship owners, charterers, ship managers, and maritime solution providers.
Is Toqua a public or private company?
Toqua is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Toqua founded?
Toqua was founded in 2020. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Toqua based?
Toqua is headquartered in Ghent, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does Toqua make money?
One revenue line is on record: ship Kernels SaaS / API Access.
Who are Toqua's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Nautilus Labs, StormGeo, ZeroNorth and BMT. Broad incumbents are ABB Marine & Ports, Wärtsilä SmartShip and Kongsberg Maritime. Emerging players are Ocean Signal /Voyage Management (Ocean Technologies Group), Veson Nautical and BunkerEx.
Does Toqua have an API?
Yes. REST API with endpoints for ships, models, data ingestion/query, performance metrics, fleet management, notifications, and warranty management. Available via OpenAPI specification at https://api.toqua.ai/docs/openapi.json for building API clients or automation in tools like Postman. Authentication via API key (X-API-Key header) or HTTP Bearer tokens (OAuth 2.0 via identity provider). MCP server available at https://api.toqua.ai/mcp with Streamable HTTP transport for connecting to AI agents. Developer documentation is at docs.toqua.ai.
What industry is Toqua in?
Toqua's product category is Maritime Performance Analytics Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAJAI, Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring), with a secondary code of IMAJAGAG, Automation, Controls & Instrumentation Engineering (IAS, PMS, Control Logic). Its NAICS code is 334511 and its SIC code is 3812.