What Aidea does

Aidea Inc. is a Tokyo-based private company founded in January 2018 that develops and operates the Aisea maritime industry platform, an AI × IoT stack for ship-to-shore digitization used by Japanese coastal shipowners, shipping operators, vessel management firms, port authorities, and maritime construction contractors. The platform is built on cloud infrastructure with real-time data processing, satellite communications, and the company's proprietary Agent Unit edge IoT device, and is composed of specialized modules — Aisea PRO for vessel operations, Aisea Operation for voyage/scheduling management, Aisea Crew for seafarer labor and assignment management aligned with the revised Seafarer Act, Aisea Maintenance for work/trouble management (co-developed with Kawasaki Heavy Industries), Aisea Constr. for marine civil engineering sites (NETIS-registered), and RADAR GRiD, an AI-powered sea-area scanning system that fuses radar, AIS, and camera data to detect non-AIS vessels and obstacles.

Aidea earns revenue primarily through subscription access to its Aisea modules with pricing tailored per vessel and fleet, supplemented by hardware sales of the Agent Unit and a freemium trial for Aisea Crew. The go-to-market combines direct enterprise field sales (on-site demos, pilots, implementation) with channel partnerships, most notably Tokyo Keiki as a sales agency targeting 2,000 Aisea PRO vessels over three years. Strategic investors include Tokio Marine & Nichido (lead investor from a 2020 capital and business alliance, with an executive serving as outside director), Mizuho, and SPARX Group, alongside partnerships with Japan Weather Association (POLARIS Navigation), Safie (cloud cameras), Trackimo GPS, AE-Dr. (engine diagnostics), Sangiyoui (crew health), Imabari Shipbuilding, Mitsubishi Shipbuilding, and an open API platform built with TIS and Briscola on Kong Gateway.

Aidea has secured ClassNK Innovation Endorsement for Aisea PRO, ISO/IEC 27001:2013 and JIPDEC Privacy Mark certifications, and participates in government programs including MEGURI2040 autonomous vessel demonstration and MLIT SBIR Phase 3, with revenue figures undisclosed publicly and an installed footprint that is Japanese-domestic today with stated international expansion plans for MENA and Europe.

Name

Aidea

Legal name

株式会社アイデア (Aidea Inc.)

Website

https://aidea.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Aidea Inc. is a Tokyo-based software and IoT company that operates the Aisea maritime platform, providing ship-to-shore digitalization, crew labor management, maintenance, scheduling, and AI-powered sea-area scanning for Japanese shipping operators, vessel managers, shipbuilders, and port authorities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Software Platform

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Services-Computer Integrated Systems Design (7373)

akta.pro primary industry

Maritime EDI / API Connectivity & Messaging Networks (TLAHAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Navigation, Communications & Integrated Bridge Systems Engineering (IMAJAGAH), Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)

Keywords

• Maritime software platform
• Ship operations management
• Vessel monitoring IoT
• Crew labor management
• Maritime AI solutions

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. SaaS Platform Subscriptions (Aisea Series): Subscription-based access to the Aisea maritime platform, with modules for vessel operations (Aisea PRO), crew management (Aisea Crew), work management (Aisea Maintenance), and voyage/construction management (Aisea Constr.). Pricing is tailored per vessel and fleet size for enterprise customers.
2. Scheduling / Vessel Allocation System (配船システム): Dedicated scheduling system for steel hub and other shipping operators, generating dispatch plans, management tables, and invoices from order imports. Sold as a standalone or integrated module.
3. Agent Unit (IoT Hardware): Proprietary IoT device developed by Aidea that connects vessels to the Aisea platform, enabling real-time data collection and satellite/cloud connectivity. Sold alongside the SaaS platform as a hardware component.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Aidea develops and operates the Aisea maritime industry platform, a SaaS suite that digitizes vessel operations, crew labor management, maintenance, and voyage scheduling for Japanese shipping companies. The offering combines subscription-based software modules (Aisea PRO, Crew, Maintenance, Operation, Constr.) with proprietary IoT hardware (Agent Unit) and AI-powered sensing (RADAR GRiD) to enable real-time ship-to-shore communication, regulatory compliance (revised Seafarer Act), and collision avoidance.

Product overview

Aidea operates the Aisea maritime industry platform, a comprehensive digital platform designed to accelerate DX across the maritime sector. The platform consists of a core Aisea platform that provides real-time vessel positioning, data collection, and system integration capabilities. Built on this platform are multiple specialized services: Aisea PRO for ship operations management, Aisea Operation for scheduling and voyage management, Aisea Crew for seafarer labor management, Aisea Maintenance for work/maintenance management, Aisea Constr. for marine civil engineering, and RADAR GRiD for AI-powered sea area scanning and collision prevention. The ecosystem is supported by proprietary Agent Unit IoT hardware, an open API platform for partner integrations, and partnerships with POLARIS Navigation (weather/routing), Safie (cloud cameras), Trackimo GPS, and Tokyo Keiki's DAC collision prevention technology.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aisea（アイシア）: 海事産業向けプラットフォーム。船舶のデジタル化、リアルタイム動静把握、船陸間コミュニケーション、安全管理などの機能を提供。
• Aisea PRO
• Aisea Constr.（アイシアコンスト）
• Aisea Crew（アイシアクルー）
• Aisea Operation（アイシアオペレーション）
• Aisea Maintenance（アイシアメンテナンス）
• RADAR GRiD（レーダーグリッド）
• Agent Unit（エージェントユニット）

Products and services

• Aisea Platform Core maritime industry platform providing real-time vessel positioning, data collection, and integration with ship systems and sensors. Accessible from both ship and land via smart devices and web. Foundational infrastructure for all Aisea services.
• Aisea PRO Ship operations management system for shipping and port operators. Digitizes vessel operations with real-time position tracking, radar and instrumentation data visualization, camera integration, engine monitoring, collision prediction (DAC), and land-based operational management.
• Aisea Crew Seafarer labor management service compliant with revised Seamen's Law. Includes seafarer clock-in app and land-based web labor management with simple button-tap clocking, offline operation, automatic labor records, fatigue alerts, assignment management, and salary calculation.
• Aisea Maintenance Work management DX solution for vessel maintenance and engineering management. Digitizes complex maintenance operations with data collection and aggregation foundation; includes 'Medical Record' function for trouble response history management jointly developed with Kawasaki Heavy Industries.
• Aisea Operation Operations and voyage management DX solution digitizing ship-to-shore business operations. Features dynamic reporting, bunker ordering, safety document management with real-time acknowledgment tracking, and workflow automation across operations.
• Aisea Constr. Marine civil engineering application for ship-land communication and construction site management. NETIS-registered. Provides real-time vessel position tracking, work vessel status sharing, and construction site visualization for marine civil engineering safety.
• RADAR GRiD AI sea-area scanning system integrating radar, AIS, and camera data in real time. Recognizes, identifies, and predicts danger levels of AIS non-equipped vessels (fishing boats, small vessels) and obstacles like driftwood. Supports wave, wind, rough weather, and nighttime watch operations.
• Agent Unit Proprietary IoT edge device connecting vessels to the Aisea platform. Aggregates AIS data, sensors, and instrumentation data and uploads to cloud for real-time monitoring and analysis. Embeds VDR functions plus Agent, IoT, and AI capabilities.
• Vessel Scheduling System (配船システム) Dedicated vessel scheduling system that automatically generates dispatch plans from order data, manages cargo information by date and factory, displays routes to destinations, and auto-generates scheduling management forms and invoices. Sold as a standalone module.

Named customers6 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability7 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 川崎重工業株式会社 (Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Joint development of Aisea Maintenance 'Karte' function: Kawasaki proposes the feature to ship management companies, conducts requirements gathering and functional specification, and performs technical sales; Aidea handles software development, Aisea platform operation, and customer sales. Both companies aim for practical deployment by end of fiscal year 2026.
• 東京海洋大学 (Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2026Joint research on collision avoidance systems and autonomous vessel technology. Aidea opened a research lab at Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology's Etchujima Campus in April 2019, leveraging AI technology implemented in the Aisea platform.
• TIS株式会社 (TIS Inc.)coreTechnology or Integration · 30 June 2023TIS is helping build Aidea's open API platform using Kong Gateway and BAMs Series (full-lifecycle API management product from Briscola). TIS is responsible for cloud infrastructure setup, API platform deployment, OpenID Connect authentication integration, and ongoing operational support. This enables external systems and third-party data to integrate with the Aisea platform.
• 株式会社ブリスコラ (Briscola Inc.)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 30 June 2023Briscola provided API platform requirements definition consulting using its expertise in API management and Kong open-source technology. It helped organize Aidea's existing and future external APIs, defined the API platform scope and process, and supported the overall platform architecture design.
• さんぎょうい株式会社 (Sangiyoui Inc.)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 January 2023Partnership for comprehensive maritime worker health management services. Aidea's Aisea Crew labor management data informs the health consultation and occupational physician services provided by Sangiyoui, supporting compliance with expanded Seafarer Act health requirements.
• 一般財団法人 日本気象協会 (Japan Weather Association)coreTechnology or Integration · 27 September 2021Integration of POLARIS Navigation (weather/ocean data and optimal routing) with Aisea PRO, enabling real-time weather/ocean information display alongside AIS vessel tracking on the Aisea map interface. Supports fuel efficiency and route optimization for shipping operators. Target of 10 customer companies in the fiscal year of partnership launch.
• 今治造船株式会社 (Imabari Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2021Business partnership with Imabari Shipbuilding (one of Japan's largest shipbuilders, headed by outside director Higaki) to lead maritime DX through the Aisea platform, with a goal of establishing a de facto standard for autonomous vessels globally.
• 東京海上日動火災保険株式会社 (Tokio Marine & Nichido Fire Insurance Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 6 January 2021Tokyo Marine entered a capital and business alliance with Aidea in 2020 to promote 'ocean systems platformization' and 'autonomous navigation.' Tokyo Marine provides strategic investment and collaborates on new maritime insurance product development aligned with autonomous vessel operations. Their executive Ishijima serves as Aidea's outside director.
• 三菱造船株式会社 (Mitsubishi Shipbuilding Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2020Joint participation in Japan Foundation's autonomous vessel MEGURI2040 program. Aidea developed the shore-based monitoring system for a large car ferry autonomous navigation demonstration conducted jointly with Mitsubishi Shipbuilding and Shin Nihonkai Ferry. Aidea was responsible for the secure data platform ensuring data integrity and authenticity.
• 新日本海フェリー株式会社 (Shin Nihonkai Ferry Co., Ltd.)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 August 2020Partner in the MEGURI2040 autonomous vessel demonstration program. Provided the large car ferry vessel for autonomous navigation testing. Aidea developed the shore-side monitoring system integrated with the ferry's operational systems.
• 東京計器株式会社 (Tokyo Keiki Co., Ltd.)coreTechnology or Integration · 3 August 2020Aidea integrated Tokyo Keiki's DAC (Dangerous Area of Collision) algorithm — a collision risk visualization technology with 20+ years of research history — into the Aisea PRO platform. DAC displays collision danger zones color-coded for intuitive risk assessment. Tokyo Keiki also serves as a sales distribution partner for Aisea PRO (targeting 2,000 vessels in 3 years).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Orca AI: Israeli startup applying computer vision and AI to maritime collision avoidance and watchkeeping. Orca AI is an emerging peer with strong technology overlap to Aidea's RADAR GRiD vision/AI sensing, but focused internationally rather than on the Japanese coastal market.
• Avikus (HD Hyundai): Autonomous vessel technology subsidiary of HD Hyundai delivering autonomous navigation and ship autonomy solutions. Avikus is an emerging peer overlapping with Aidea's autonomous-vessel R&D through MEGURI2040 and shore-side monitoring ambitions, and represents a potential competitor as autonomy commercialization accelerates.

Direct peers

• ZeroNorth: Maritime SaaS focused on voyage optimization, bunker procurement, and emissions compliance for commercial shipowners. ZeroNorth is a direct SaaS peer to Aidea's Aisea Operation / POLARIS-based routing, with a comparable subscription business model, but a broader international customer base.
• Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. Japan's leading marine electronics manufacturer producing radar, AIS, navigation, and fish-finding systems. Furuno is a direct comparable because Aidea's RADAR GRiD and Aisea PRO are increasingly competing with or partnering around the same onboard sensor and bridge-system stack that Furuno dominates in Japan.
• Tokyo Keiki Inc. Japanese marine electronics and instrumentation company that supplies marine radar (BR-3440), navigation sensors, and the patented DAC collision-avoidance algorithm embedded in Aisea PRO. Tokyo Keiki is simultaneously Aidea's technology partner and a direct competitor in maritime sensing/bridge products.
• NAPA: Finnish maritime software vendor offering ship design, safety (stability), and operational software to shipyards and operators. NAPA is a direct peer as a maritime vertical SaaS platform, and overlaps with Aidea's Aisea Maintenance and operational digitalization modules.
• Japan Radio Co., Ltd. (JRC): Japanese marine electronics and communications specialist producing navigation radar, GMDSS, and integrated bridge systems. JRC is a direct peer to Aidea's Aisea PRO and RADAR GRiD in selling digitalized bridge and ship-to-shore solutions to Japanese commercial shipowners.

Broad incumbents

• ABB Marine & Ports: Global provider of marine automation, control, and digital solutions for ship propulsion and onboard systems. ABB is a broad incumbent whose marine automation and vessel control portfolio overlaps with Aidea's Aisea platform ambitions, particularly for shipyard-installed and engine-monitoring integrations.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Maritime division of Kongsberg Group providing integrated bridge, navigation, automation, and remote operations for vessels globally. Kongsberg is a broad incumbent with overlapping capability to Aidea's Aisea PRO, RADAR GRiD, and autonomous-vessel monitoring R&D, and competes for similar Japanese shipyard integration opportunities.
• Wärtsilä Voyage: Global maritime digital and navigation business of Wärtsilä, offering fleet operations, voyage optimization, and integrated bridge systems. Wärtsilä Voyage is a broad incumbent with overlapping capabilities to Aidea's Aisea PRO, Aisea Operation, and POLARIS routing integration, but at vastly larger scale and with a global installed base.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/aidea_2018_official
• Xx.com/Aidea2018
• Facebookfacebook.com/aidea.info

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

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 Aidea