SmartCatch

What SmartCatch does

SmartCatch builds ruggedized IoT-based underwater video and sensor systems that give commercial trawl fishermen real-time visibility and control over the contents of their nets. The core DigiCatch hardware combines a remotely controllable HD camera, dimmable lighting, temperature/depth/salinity sensors, and digital image filters, deployable on a standard third-wire coax cable to depths of up to 1,000 meters; this is paired with SmartNet, which allows captains to remotely open escape panels in the net and selectively release bycatch from the wheelhouse. A proprietary high-speed digital backbone connects the wheelhouse to the net and to a secure cloud data repository, where the DigiServices subscription layer organizes point-of-harvest data for fleet oversight, catch-density analytics, and operational optimization.

The business model is hybrid hardware-plus-subscription: DigiCatch units are sold to vessel operators while DigiServices and DigiLog (a blockchain-authenticated digital logbook that automates landing reports and Fish Tickets for state and federal compliance) generate recurring software revenue. Go-to-market is direct enterprise field sales to the largest US fishery companies and independent captains, with public customer references concentrated in Alaska and Bering Sea operations. The company holds patents pending on both the trawl-net monitoring system and its blockchain data-authentication method, and was selected as one of five Google Cloud IoT / Tensorflow proof-of-concept customers for AI-driven species identification and stock assessment.

Since July 2022 SmartCatch has operated as a brand within Inov8v Marine Group, a marine technology conglomerate consolidating SmartCatch with Western Marine Electronics (WESMAR, sonar and stabilization since 1965) and Arcturus Marine Systems (ABT-TRAC, yacht hydraulics) under owner Roger Fellows. The company has raised approximately $4.5 million across a 2016 seed round (~$2M from angel investors and Baader Group, a global seafood processing equipment supplier) and a 2019 Sustainable Ocean Alliance-led round (~$2.5M), and is currently seeking additional capital to accelerate AI development and a fourth-generation stereo-camera + LIDAR system.

Name

SmartCatch

Legal name

SmartCatch, Inc.

Website

https://smart-catch.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SmartCatch builds IoT-based underwater video and sensor systems for US commercial trawl fishermen, providing real-time catch monitoring, bycatch reduction, and blockchain-authenticated digital logbook compliance. Now a brand within Inov8v Marine Group alongside WESMAR and ABT-TRAC.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Fishing Electronics

NAICS

Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Computer Communications Equipment (3576)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)

Keywords

• Commercial fishing technology
• Underwater video monitoring
• Trawl net IoT
• Bycatch reduction systems
• Marine electronics

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. DigiCatch Hardware Sales: Sale of the DigiCatch device - a ruggedized deep sea data capture device for digitizing commercial fisheries. The system includes HD camera, lighting, cables, sensors, and deployment hardware.
2. DigiServices Subscriptions: Subscription services providing data management, analytics, fleet oversight, and operational transparency tools. Helps fishermen organize and analyze catch data at the point of harvest.
3. DigiLog Software Platform: Digital logbook application with compliance automation for landing reports and fish tickets. Data-driven services for the seafood supply chain.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

SmartCatch builds and sells the DigiCatch underwater IoT monitoring system — a ruggedized, real-time HD video, lighting, and sensor platform that is deployed inside commercial trawl nets up to 1,000 m deep and connected to the wheelhouse by a proprietary high-speed digital backbone — combined with the SmartNet remote-controlled net-release mechanism, DigiServices data-management subscriptions, and the DigiLog blockchain-authenticated digital logbook. The company sells and supports this integrated system directly to commercial trawl fishing operators in the United States.

Product overview

SmartCatch offers a comprehensive trawl-net monitoring and control platform consisting of hardware and software products designed to give fishermen real-time visibility and control over their catch. The core system includes DigiCatch (real-time HD video and sensor monitoring deployed in nets), DigiServices (subscription data management), SmartNet (robotic net control for selective catch release), and DigiLog (digital logbook with blockchain authentication). The proprietary digital backbone connects fishermen in the wheelhouse to trawl nets under the ship and to cloud data repositories. The company is now part of Inov8v Marine Group, consolidating with WESMAR (sonar/stabilizers/thrusters) and ABT-TRAC (stabilizers/thrusters/hydraulics) brands.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DigiCatch: Real-time catch monitoring system with remote-controlled HD camera, lighting, and sensor platform for trawl nets.
• DigiServices
• SmartNet
• DigiLog

Products and services

• DigiCatch Ruggedized, real-time, remotely controllable HD video, lighting, and sensor system designed to be deployed on any trawler via a standard 3rd-wire coax, giving commercial fishermen eyes inside their trawl nets so they can assess catch composition, determine tow profitability, and avoid bycatch in real time; rated for depths up to 1,000 m with up to 3 km of stainless steel coax cable.
• DigiServices Annual subscription service that captures and organizes DigiCatch point-of-harvest data, providing commercial fishermen with fleet oversight, catch density assessments, and analytics to optimize fleet deployment.
• DigiLog Digital logbook software that automatically records tow start/end points, boat path, gear depth, and time-stamped sensor logs from DigiCatch systems, generates Landing Reports and Fish Tickets for state and federal compliance, and uses blockchain to authenticate catch data.

Quantifiable outcome

• Even a 2% bycatch reduction pays for the technology in one season
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability8 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GooglecoreTechnology or IntegrationSmartCatch was selected as one of five proof of concept customers for Google's Edge Cloud and Tensorflow Processor. The partnership utilizes Google Cloud IoT technology for Seafood Species Identification, Enumeration and Stock Assessments using machine learning and AI toolsets. This partnership brings intelligence to the edge with Cloud IoT technology.
• Sustainable Ocean AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSmartCatch participated in the Sustainable Ocean Alliance's Accelerator at Sea program, a five-day program in Alaska bringing together conservation-focused startups with industry experts and investors.
• WESMARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWestern Marine Electronics (WESMAR) and SmartCatch are now both brands under Inov8v Marine Group, formed in July 2022. WESMAR specializes in sonar, vessel stabilizers, and bow and stern thrusters since 1965.
• ABT-TRACcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArcturus Marine Systems (ABT-TRAC) and SmartCatch are now both brands under Inov8v Marine Group, formed in July 2022. ABT-TRAC specializes in stabilizers, bow and stern thrusters, and hydraulic systems for the yachting industry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WESMAR: Co-brand under Inov8v Marine Group providing sonar, vessel stabilizers, and bow/stern thrusters since 1965. Targets the same commercial fishing fleet customers with marine electronics, creating a directly comparable go-to-market overlap with SmartCatch.
• Airmar Technology: Specialized manufacturer of marine transducers, sensors, and ultrasonic technology used in fishing and commercial marine applications. Closest direct peer in underwater sensing instrumentation for marine use, with comparable target customers in commercial fishing.
• Imenco: Norwegian provider of underwater cameras, lights, and hydroacoustic equipment specifically for fishing trawls and aquaculture. Direct peer in deploying ruggedized underwater video and lighting systems into trawl nets, addressing the same bycatch and catch-monitoring use case.

Broad incumbents

• Furuno Electric: One of the largest global manufacturers of marine electronics — fish-finding sonars, navigation radars, and integrated bridge systems widely used on commercial fishing vessels. Broad incumbent with overlapping customer base in commercial fishing but a much wider product portfolio than SmartCatch.
• Simrad (Navico): Major brand under Navico providing professional fish-finding sonar, echo sounders, and marine electronics for commercial fishing fleets. Directly comparable customer base, broader product line, and well-established global distribution channels.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Global marine technology leader providing sensors, automation, and integrated vessel systems including fisheries research and underwater instrumentation. Broad incumbent serving commercial fishing with overlapping underwater sensing capability and substantially larger scale.
• Teledyne FLIR: Global leader in thermal imaging and machine-vision cameras with marine-grade products used in vessel monitoring and situational awareness. Broad incumbent whose imaging technology overlaps with SmartCatch's underwater video capture, though it does not target trawl monitoring specifically.
• Garmin: Major consumer and commercial marine electronics brand offering sonar, GPS, and chartplotters widely used in the sport-fishing and small commercial segments. Broad incumbent with potential to extend into commercial underwater monitoring if SmartCatch's market develops.

Emerging players

• OceanMind: Provides satellite-based monitoring and AI-driven analytics of fishing activity for governments and seafood companies, including VMS data analysis and compliance tools. Comparable in using data/AI to improve sustainable fishing outcomes, though at the macro fleet level rather than on the net itself.
• Satlink: Spanish technology company providing satellite IoT connectivity, onboard electronic reporting systems, and fisheries monitoring solutions. Comparable focus on digitizing fishing operations through connectivity and onboard electronics, addressing similar compliance and data needs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about SmartCatch