Resolute Marine Energy

What Resolute Marine Energy does

Resolute Marine Energy, Inc. (RME) is a Boston-based, privately held developer of wave-powered desalination technology founded in 2007. The company's core product, Wave2OTM, is an autonomous system built around an Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) that captures the horizontal surge motion of ocean waves via a hinged flap, driving a hydraulic pump that pressurizes seawater and feeds it directly into a reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination plant on shore. By bypassing electrical generation entirely, the architecture eliminates two energy-conversion steps relative to conventional wave-to-electricity-to-desalination approaches, enabling off-grid operation without diesel or grid connections. The system is packaged in standard marine containers for modular scaling from approximately 500 m3/day (pilot) to 4,000 m3/day (commercial), with a sub-product called Nereus adapting the underlying WEC to power autonomous underwater vehicles and ocean sensing systems.

RME's primary customers are water-stressed coastal populations in developing countries and small island developing states (SIDS), with secondary segments in agricultural enterprises, island resorts, military and disaster relief organizations, and development finance institutions (DFIs). The business model is direct project sales of custom-engineered Wave2OTM deployments, typically structured as multi-year contracts with local partnerships. RME establishes wholly-owned local subsidiaries — Resolute Marine Limited (Ireland), Resolute Marine SA (South Africa), and Resolute Marine (Cabo Verde) — to execute projects in coordination with local investors, government agencies, and academic institutions. The first commercial deployment is anchored at Praia Grande, Sao Vicente, Cape Verde, supported by a $1.0M SEFA grant from the African Development Bank.

To date, RME has been funded almost entirely through non-dilutive grants (DOE, African Development Bank, EU Horizon 2020, Irish Marine Institute, DOE Waves to Water Prize) and a single $2.0M angel round from Euthenia Capital in 2014. The company maintains 1-10 employees and has built an institutional ecosystem across marine energy standards bodies (IEC TC-114), technology qualification centers (EMEC, DMEC), and U.S. research hubs (NAWI, MIT, University of Michigan, University of Minnesota, Virginia Tech). Revenue is not yet commercially generated, and the company remains in pre-revenue development status.

Name

Resolute Marine Energy

Legal name

Resolute Marine Energy, Inc.

Website

https://resolutemarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Resolute Marine Energy develops Wave2OTM, an autonomous wave-powered desalination system using an Oscillating Wave Surge Converter to directly drive reverse-osmosis membranes off-grid, targeting water-scarce coastal communities and small island developing states.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Wave-Powered Desalination Systems

SIC

Water Supply (4941)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Hydrokinetic R&D (Tidal, Wave, River Current, OTEC) (EUAMAOAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Desalination Energy Systems (Energy Recovery Devices, Power Integration, Renewables) (EUANAFAI), Marine Power Generation & Energy Storage (Generators, Batteries, UPS) (IMAJAJAB)

Keywords

• Wave energy conversion
• Wave-powered desalination
• Marine renewable energy
• Off-grid water systems
• Oscillating wave surge converter

Headquarters

HQ city

Boston

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Wave2OTM Desalination Systems: RME generates revenue through the sale and deployment of wave-powered desalination systems to water authorities, island governments, agricultural enterprises, resorts, and development finance institutions in water-stressed coastal regions. The business model involves setting up local subsidiaries in target markets in partnership with local investors, supply chain partners, academic institutions, and governments. Systems are sold with projected production capacities (e.g., 4,000 m3/day per plant).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Resolute Marine Energy develops and sells the Wave2OTM system, an autonomous wave-powered desalination plant that uses an Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) to capture ocean wave surge motion and pressurize seawater piped ashore to directly drive reverse-osmosis (RO) desalination. Systems are packaged in standard marine containers, sized from approximately 500 m3/day (pilot) to 4,000 m3/day (commercial scale), enabling off-grid deployment for water-stressed coastal regions.

Product overview

Resolute Marine Energy offers a single unified product called Wave2OTM, an autonomous wave-powered desalination system. The Wave2OTM system employs Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) technology that captures horizontal wave motion (surge) to generate hydraulic power, which directly drives seawater reverse-osmosis desalination without electrical grid connections. The entire system is packaged in standard marine containers for rapid deployment and scalability. A related sub-product, Nereus, adapts the wave energy conversion technology specifically for powering autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) and ocean sensing systems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wave2OTM: Wave-powered desalination system that harnesses ocean wave energy to produce fresh water and electricity in off-grid areas, featuring oscillating wave surge converter technology.

Products and services

• Wave2OTM An autonomous wave-powered desalination system that uses Oscillating Wave Surge Converter (OWSC) technology to capture horizontal ocean wave motion via a flap, driving a hydraulic pump that pressurizes seawater piped ashore to directly power reverse-osmosis desalination without grid connection. Systems range from ~500 m3/day (pilot) to 4,000 m3/day (commercial scale), packaged in standard marine containers for modular scaling and rapid deployment in remote off-grid locations. Targeted at water authorities, island governments, agricultural enterprises, resorts, military and disaster relief organizations, and development finance institutions in water-stressed coastal regions.
• Nereus

Quantifiable outcome

• Five 4,000 m3/day Wave2OTM plants eliminate 40,900 tons/year of CO2 emissions, equivalent to taking 7,100 cars off the road
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Re Vision ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 March 2021RME engaged with Re Vision Consulting through the U.S. DOE's TEAMER program to develop techno-economic optimization tools for the Wave2OTM technology, enabling adaptation and optimization across a wide range of site conditions. The collaboration focuses on parametrically scalable cost and economic models and explores cost-reduction pathways through sensitivity studies and cost validation. Re Vision Consulting brings over 15 years of experience in hydro-kinetic energy resources and has developed assessments for DOE, NREL, Sandia, EPRI, IEA, and private equity investors.
• European Marine Energy Centre (EMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2020RME collaborated with EMEC on a technology qualification (TQ) workshop in December 2020, analyzing Wave2OTM components for design integrity and risk factors. EMEC is coordinating the Blue-GIFT project (€2.5M European Regional Development Fund) and MEA project. EMEC also participated in IEC TC-114 standards development with RME.
• Dutch Marine Energy Centre (DMEC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 7 December 2020RME collaborated with DMEC on a technology qualification (TQ) workshop in December 2020 alongside EMEC. DMEC and RME are participants in IEC TC-114 and the Marine Energy Alliance project. DMEC provides technical expertise and certification services for marine energy developers.
• National Alliance for Water Innovation (NAWI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 5 August 2020RME became a member of the NAWI Energy-Water Desalination Hub, a select group of public and private entities, academia, and research institutions supporting early-stage applied research to lower the cost of desalination. NAWI is a U.S. DOE Energy Innovation Hub led by Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory.
• PLOCANminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 July 2020RME's Irish subsidiary Resolute Marine Limited was awarded a Blue-GIFT individual support voucher to test an advanced prototype of its Wave2OTM autonomous wave-powered desalination plant at the PLOCAN test site in the Canary Islands.
• National Institute for Fisheries Development (INDP) - Cape VerdecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 August 2017RME and the Cape Verde National Institute for Fisheries (INDP) signed a Memorandum of Understanding for site characterization and resource assessment studies at Praia Grande on the island of Sao Vicente. INDP is providing local personnel and infrastructure for the Cape Verde project, including capacity building through state-of-the-art bathymetric, geotechnical studies, and wave energy resource assessment in compliance with international standards.
• University of MinnesotaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017The University of Minnesota has been a sub-contractor to RME on DOE R&D projects since 2017, focused on modelling and testing hydraulic powertrain systems.
• Re Vision ConsultingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 August 2015RME partnered with Re Vision Consulting on DOE SPA 1 and SPA 2 grants to investigate advanced control strategies for improving energy conversion efficiency of the SurgeWEC technology and to develop methods for converting bidirectional WEC movements to unidirectional rotational motion for driving pumps.
• Virginia TechminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Virginia Tech has been performing an ongoing series of geotechnical surveys related to a feasibility study RME was conducting for a rural electrification project in Yakutat, AK, and was a partner on DOE SPA 2 grants for developing a method for converting bidirectional WEC movements to unidirectional rotational motion.
• Applied Renewables ResearchminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Led by Dr. Matt Folley, world-renowned for work in marine renewables and specifically for research and practical experience with the WEC type developed by RME.
• Water Globe ConsultantsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Led by Nikolay Voutchkov, world-renowned for work in desalination technologies and specifically for research and practical experience with desalination systems powered by renewable energy resources.
• Department of Commerce / U.S. Commercial ServiceminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2014The Department of Commerce/U.S. Commercial Service has supported RME's participation in several trade missions and events through the years, including the Oceanology International trade mission to Europe.
• U.S. Army Corps of EngineersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013In 2013 and 2014, RME partnered with the USACE to conduct a series of ocean trials at its Duck, NC field research facility.
• UNC-Coastal Studies InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012In 2012, the UNC-Coastal Studies Institute provided valuable support for the quarter-scale ocean test program at Jennette's Pier in Nags Head, NC. CEO Bill Staby serves as an advisor to the Institute.
• University of VictoriaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012RME and the University of Victoria partnered in 2012 on the 'West Coast Wave Initiative,' during which U.Vic. validated and updated RME's hydrodynamic modeling tools.
• University of MichiganminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2011The University of Michigan was a sub-contractor to RME on DOE R&D projects awarded in 2011 and 2013, focused on advanced control systems for WEC arrays.
• Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2007In 2007, RME began working with MIT on the development of early versions of its hydrodynamic code. Co-founder Olivier Ceberio holds a joint degree from MIT/Harvard Kennedy School.
• International Energy Agency - Ocean Energy Systems (IEA-OES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRME CEO Bill Staby was interviewed by IEA-OES for the publication 'Alternative Markets for Ocean Energy.' RME is featured in this IEA-OES publication discussing the challenges of proving wave-powered desalination can form a profitable, scalable, and sustainable business, with cooperation from multiple stakeholders including the African Development Bank.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• AW-Energy: Finnish developer of the WaveRoller oscillating wave surge converter, the same OWSC device class used by RME. Most directly comparable technology peer, although AW-Energy targets electricity production rather than mechanical coupling to RO.
• Eco Wave Power: Israeli-Swedish wave energy company using floating wave energy converters near shoreline installations. Comparable wave energy peer pursuing commercial deployments, though not specifically focused on desalination applications.
• Bombora Wave Power: Australia/UK-based wave energy developer with a submerged membrane WEC. Comparable emerging wave energy company pursuing commercial-scale ocean deployments in the same general marine energy technology category.
• CorPower Ocean: Swedish wave energy developer using a compact point-absorber WEC architecture. Comparable emerging player in the wave energy sector pursuing commercial-scale deployments, but focused on electricity generation rather than direct desalination coupling.

Broad incumbents

• Energy Recovery Inc: Public U.S. company supplying energy recovery devices (PX Pressure Exchanger) that reduce energy consumption in seawater reverse osmosis. Operates in the broader desalination energy systems market that RME targets, though with a focus on grid-connected, large-scale plants.
• SUEZ Water Technologies & Solutions: Global water and wastewater major with extensive desalination technology portfolio including renewable-powered systems. Serves the same end-customers (water utilities, industrial users) as RME, but at much larger scale and across broader geographies.

Direct peers

• Ocean Power Technologies: U.S.-listed wave energy company developing PowerBuoy wave energy converters for offshore power, surveillance, and subsea charging. Direct competitor to RME in the marine/wave energy space, though OPT converts wave energy to electricity rather than directly driving desalination.
• Carnegie Clean Energy: Australian wave energy developer behind CETO technology, targeting off-grid power and desalination applications. Operates in the same wave energy category as RME with similar focus on water-energy nexus, and is a comparable emerging-market desalination adjacency.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/resolutemarine
• Facebookfacebook.com/resolutemarine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/resolute-marine-energy-inc

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Subsidiaries3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds7 records

Investors6 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 Resolute Marine Energy