Elliott Bay Design Group

What Elliott Bay Design Group does

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) is a full-service marine engineering and naval architecture firm founded in 1988 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a regional office in Metairie, Louisiana. The firm delivers end-to-end engineering services — feasibility studies, vessel design, refurbishment and repair, shipyard support, lifespan analysis, and specialty project work — across a broad vessel portfolio that includes ferries, passenger vessels, barges, tugs, workboats, and fishing vessels. EBDG has developed a domain specialization in hybrid-electric and fully electric propulsion system design, with reference projects including the hybrid-electric retrofit of the Washington State Ferry Wenatchee (the largest hybrid-electric vessel in the U.S., representing roughly 25% of Washington State Ferries' annual fuel consumption), a 65-foot hybrid-electric research vessel for the Lake Superior Research Institute, and a hybrid-electric tour boat for Port Houston.

The firm operates as a project-based professional services business. Revenue is generated through enterprise field sales — custom, technically complex engagements scoped directly with vessel owners, operators, and shipyards — rather than via subscriptions or self-serve channels. The firm is employee-owned, with ownership eligibility available to staff after one year of employment and profit sharing included in benefits; E-Verify and Title VI Civil Rights Act compliance support eligibility for U.S. public-sector maritime contracts. In February and March 2024, EBDG executed back-to-back acquisitions of Coastwise Corporation (an Alaska-focused marine engineering firm, including principal engineer Patrick Eberhardt) and Coastwise Engineering (a maritime activity reports company), extending its geographic footprint into Alaska and adding a recurring data/content capability alongside its core engineering practice.

The firm's customer base skews toward government and public-sector buyers — Washington State Ferries, Port Houston, Whatcom County Public Works, Delaware River and Bay Authority (via FTA-funded hybrid-electric ferry design) — complemented by education-sector research clients and a long tail of private vessel operators and shipyards. Combined with the Wenatchee retrofit, Lake Superior Research Institute vessel, and Port Houston tour boat projects, this reference set positions EBDG as a recognized specialist in U.S. ferry and workboat electrification at a moment when the underlying fleet is reaching end of service life and federal funding is flowing toward emissions reduction.

Name

Elliott Bay Design Group

Legal name

Elliott Bay Design Group

Website

https://ebdg.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Elliott Bay Design Group is an employee-owned, Seattle-based marine engineering and naval architecture firm delivering vessel design, refurbishment, and hybrid-electric propulsion services to ferry operators, shipyards, and government agencies across the United States.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Engineering Services

NAICS

Engineering Services (54133), Ship and Boat Building (3366)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Electrical Engineering & Power Distribution (Generation, Switchboards, Cabling, Lighting) (IMAJAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Systems Engineering (Piping, HVAC, Fuel, Ballast, Firefighting) (IMAJAGAD), Navigation, Communications & Integrated Bridge Systems Engineering (IMAJAGAH), Concept & Feasibility Naval Architecture (Requirements, Trade Studies) (IMAJAGAA), Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Naval architecture
• Marine engineering
• Vessel design
• Shipyard support
• Hybrid-electric propulsion

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture Professional Services: EBDG generates revenue through project-based engineering and naval architecture engagements with vessel owners, operators, and shipyards. Services include feasibility studies, vessel design, refurbishment, repair, shipyard support, and lifespan analysis. Revenue is project-based and service-fee driven rather than recurring subscriptions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

EBDG is a full-service marine engineering and naval architecture firm delivering project-based professional services including feasibility studies, vessel design, refurbishment, repair, shipyard support, and lifespan analysis across ferry, passenger, workboat, tug, barge, and fishing vessel categories. The firm has specialized capabilities in hybrid-electric and electric propulsion system design and integration for vessel retrofits and new builds.

Product overview

Elliott Bay Design Group (EBDG) is a full-service marine engineering and naval architecture firm offering a unified suite of services including feasibility studies, vessel design, refurbishment and repair, shipyard support, and lifespan analysis. The company's portfolio encompasses specialized vessel design categories (Ferries, Passenger Vessels, Barges, Tugs, Workboats, Fishing Vessels), Infrastructure Services, Analysis, and Specialty Projects. EBDG operates as a single integrated service offering rather than a modular product platform. The firm expanded its capabilities through the 2024 acquisition of Coastwise Corporation, gaining additional marine engineering expertise and regional growth in Alaska.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Marine Engineering and Naval Architecture Services
• Hybrid-Electric Propulsion System Design
• Ferry Design
• Passenger Vessel Design
• Tug and Barge Design
• Workboat Design
• Fishing Vessel Design
• Marine Infrastructure Services
• Analysis and Specialty Projects

Quantifiable outcome

• Washington State Ferry Wenatchee (largest hybrid-electric vessel in U.S.) responsible for 25% of ferry system's total annual fuel allotment
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Coastwise CorporationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2024EBDG acquired Coastwise Corporation and its assets, including principal engineer Patrick Eberhardt, to expand its marine engineering footprint in Alaska. The partnership combines Coastwise's expertise and design portfolio with EBDG's solutions, enabling larger projects and regional growth. The acquisition was also reported on March 20, 2024 via MarineLink.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Aurora Marine Design: Aurora Marine Design is a smaller U.S. naval architecture firm providing design and engineering support for commercial workboats, ferries, and small passenger vessels. It overlaps with EBDG's service mix and target clients at a smaller scale and may either be a future acquisition target or regional competitor.

Direct peers

• Jensen Maritime Consultants: Jensen Maritime is a naval architecture and marine engineering firm focused on Jones Act vessels, tugs, and offshore support. It is comparable to EBDG in scale and service mix, serving U.S. operators and shipyards with newbuild and refurbishment design, including hybrid-electric and emissions-reduction projects.
• Bristol Harbor Group: Bristol Harbor Group is a Rhode Island-based naval architecture and marine engineering firm that performs vessel design, structural analysis, and shipyard support for commercial and research clients. Comparable in size and service scope to EBDG, with an emphasis on U.S. ferry, research, and small commercial workboats.
• Glosten: Glosten is a Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy providing vessel design, hybrid-electric, and lifecycle support services. Like EBDG, it serves ferry operators (including Washington State Ferries), research institutions, and shipyards on complex naval architecture engagements and shares both geography and target clientele.
• Robert Allan Ltd. Robert Allan Ltd. is a Vancouver-based naval architecture firm specializing in tugboats, workboats, and fireboats. EBDG and Robert Allan both deliver custom vessel design to commercial marine operators and shipyards, with overlapping expertise in hybrid and electric propulsion retrofits and newbuilds.

Others

• Wärtsilä Marine: Wärtsilä supplies ship electrical, hybrid, and propulsion systems and lifecycle services. Comparable to ABB, it is an enabling technology provider rather than a competing design firm, but intersects with EBDG wherever hybrid-electric propulsion systems are specified on U.S. ferry and small-vessel projects.
• ABB Marine & Ports: ABB is a global supplier of marine propulsion, electrical, and hybrid-electric power systems. While not a peer design firm, ABB is an adjacent ecosystem participant whose technology EBDG integrates into ferries and workboats (e.g., Wenatchee), and is a key channel partner for hybrid-electric vessel programs.

Broad incumbents

• Incat Crowther: Incat Crowther is a specialist ship design house for high-speed ferries, passenger vessels, and workboats, with strong hybrid/electric propulsion capabilities globally. It overlaps with EBDG's ferry and passenger vessel design practice and represents an international benchmark for low-emission vessel design.
• BMT Group: BMT is a large international marine engineering and naval architecture consultancy serving commercial, defense, and offshore markets. It offers overlapping services (vessel design, hybrid/electric propulsion, fleet support) to many of the same operators EBDG targets, but at greater scale and broader geographic footprint.

Regional players

• Herbert Engineering: Herbert Engineering is a U.S. West Coast naval architecture firm providing vessel design and marine engineering support. It overlaps with EBDG on ferry and small commercial vessel projects in the U.S. Pacific market but is smaller in scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/elliottbaydg
• Facebookfacebook.com/elliottbaydesigngroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elliott-bay-design-group

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors

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

M&A1 record

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Elliott Bay Design Group