Schmidt Ocean Institute

What Schmidt Ocean Institute does

Schmidt Ocean Institute is a private nonprofit oceanographic research organization founded in 2010 by Eric and Wendy Schmidt and headquartered in Palo Alto, California. The institute operates two global-class research vessels — R/V Falkor and R/V Falkor (too) — and provides complimentary ship time, ROV access, and technical support to qualified scientific teams worldwide through a proposal-based allocation system. The organization is not commercial: it funds ocean exploration through philanthropy (notably the Schmidts' personal foundation) and reinvests scientific output into open-access publications and data infrastructure.

Core technical capabilities revolve around advanced non-invasive marine imaging and deep-sea sampling. The institute operates ROV SuBastian, equipped with imaging systems developed in collaboration with MBARI, JAMSTEC, Stanford, and the University of Western Australia. It has deployed Stanford's 'Squid' spinning-wheel confocal microscope — the first system capable of 3D imaging of internal cellular structures of a living organism at sea — alongside deep-sea pressure simulation 'gravity machines' and environmental DNA (eDNA) sampling technology used for biodiversity detection, including the first in-situ filming of a juvenile colossal squid and detection of giant squid via water samples.

The institute's business model is philanthropy-funded grant-making and platform provision rather than commercial revenue generation. Scientists and institutions apply for vessel time at no cost; discovery outputs (new species, bathymetric data, imagery) are released through the NOVA open-access data platform and peer-reviewed publications. End users comprise academic and government research institutions, space agency science teams (notably NASA for PACE satellite validation), and international ocean conservation bodies that rely on Schmidt expedition data to inform marine conservation policy such as the High Seas Treaty and post-2020 Global Biodiversity Framework. Operational scale spans 11–50 staff coordinating 24-scientist expedition teams across 100+ countries and major ocean basins.

Name

Schmidt Ocean Institute

Legal name

Schmidt Ocean Institute

Website

https://schmidtocean.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Schmidt Ocean Institute is a Palo Alto-based nonprofit that operates two global-class research vessels and provides complimentary ship time and ROV access to scientists worldwide, enabling deep-sea species discovery, eDNA biodiversity studies, and satellite validation for partners including NASA, JAMSTEC, CSIRO, and Stanford.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oceanographic Research Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Geophysical Surveying and Mapping Services (541360), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (54169)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731), Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI)

Keywords

• Oceanographic research expeditions
• Marine biodiversity discovery
• Deep-sea imaging technology
• Research vessel operations
• Ocean exploration science

Headquarters

HQ city

Palo Alto

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Schmidt Ocean Institute operates two oceanographic research vessels (R/V Falkor and R/V Falkor (too)) along with the ROV SuBastian remotely operated vehicle, providing no-cost ship time, advanced non-invasive imaging capabilities, and technical crew support to qualified scientific teams worldwide. The institute enables deep-sea biodiversity research, species discovery, environmental DNA sampling, ocean-floor mapping, and satellite validation through competitive proposal-based allocation of expedition resources.

Product overview

Schmidt Ocean Institute is a nonprofit organization that operates research vessels (R/V Falkor and R/V Falkor (too)) and provides ocean research infrastructure and expedition support for the scientific community. The organization does not offer commercial software products or services; instead, it provides ship time, remotely operated vehicles (such as ROV SuBastian), and technical equipment to scientists conducting oceanographic research. Schmidt Ocean Institute's work focuses on marine biodiversity discovery, ocean mapping, and environmental monitoring through partnerships with research institutions worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• R/V Falkor Schmidt Ocean Institute's original state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessel providing deep-sea exploration capability and ship time to qualified scientific teams worldwide at no cost through a proposal-based allocation system.
• R/V Falkor (too) Second state-of-the-art oceanographic research vessel operated by Schmidt Ocean Institute, used for deep-sea expeditions including NASA satellite validation campaigns conducted off Uruguay.
• ROV SuBastian Remotely operated vehicle deployed on Schmidt Ocean Institute expeditions, equipped with advanced non-invasive imaging technologies developed in collaboration with MBARI, JAMSTEC, Stanford University, and the University of Western Australia.
• Research Vessel Access Program Competitive proposal-based program awarding no-cost ship time on R/V Falkor and R/V Falkor (too), including ROV operations, advanced imaging equipment, and full technical crew support, to qualified scientific teams worldwide.
• NOVA Open-Access Data Platform Open-access platform used by Schmidt Ocean Institute to catalogue and share marine species discoveries from its expeditions, supporting international research and conservation policy.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean CensuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Flagship partnership for the Ocean Census initiative discovering 1,121 new marine species through 13 expeditions. Schmidt Ocean Institute provides research vessel access and operational support for expeditions across remote ocean regions, with discoveries catalogued on the open-access NOVA platform to support international marine conservation policy.
• JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with JAMSTEC on deep-sea exploration technology and expeditions. JAMSTEC contributed advanced technologies to ROV SuBastian operations, and Schmidt Ocean Institute participated in JAMSTEC-led expeditions including Nazca and Salas y Gómez ridge research.
• CSIRO (Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organisation)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAustralian national science agency partnership for Ocean Census expeditions. CSIRO contributes expertise and technology to deep-sea exploration efforts in Australian waters and the broader Indo-Pacific region.
• Stanford UniversitycoreTechnology or IntegrationStanford University developed the 'Squid' spinning-wheel confocal microscope enabling first-ever 3D imaging of internal cellular structures of a living organism at sea. This novel technology was deployed during Schmidt Ocean Institute expeditions for non-invasive deep-sea organism study.
• MBARI (Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute)coreTechnology or IntegrationMBARI contributed advanced non-invasive imaging technologies to ROV SuBastian. MBARI develops state-of-the-art underwater robotics and imaging systems deployed on Schmidt Ocean Institute research vessels.
• University of Western Australia - Minderoo OceanOmics CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed giant squid detection research using environmental DNA technology. The expedition collected over 1,000 samples identifying 226 species including the first recording of giant squid in the area in over 25 years.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNASA PACE satellite validation partnership conducted off Uruguay coast. Oregon State University researchers used Schmidt Ocean Institute's R/V Falkor (too) to collect ocean biology measurements and validate PACE satellite data, with datasets submitted to NASA's data repository.
• University of Buenos AirescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerArgentine-led deep-sea expeditions documenting rare species including giant phantom jellyfish. Dr. María Emilia Bravo led the expedition that documented only the 118th recorded sighting of the species in 110 years, also discovering active cold seeps and coral reefs.
• University of EssexcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLed the groundbreaking 35-day expedition that filmed a juvenile colossal squid in its natural habitat for the first time. The discovery on March 5, 2025, near South Sandwich Islands, provided the first in-situ footage of a juvenile of this species.
• Seabed 2030 Project (The Nippon Foundation-GEBCO)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative to map the entire ocean floor by 2030. Seabed 2030 has increased global ocean floor mapping from 6% to 26.1%, with Schmidt Ocean Institute contributing data from research vessel expeditions.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI): Largest private nonprofit oceanographic research institution in the US, operating multiple research vessels and deep-submergence vehicles (Alvin, Jason) globally — directly comparable to Schmidt's research-vessel-and-ROV operating model.
• Ocean Exploration Trust: Nonprofit that operates E/V Nautilus for deep-sea exploration and live-streamed expeditions; functionally comparable to Schmidt's R/V Falkor fleet in mission, funding model, and use of telepresence/ROV technology.
• REV Ocean: Norwegian nonprofit foundation operating the superyacht-sized research vessel REV Ocean for global deep-sea and ocean health expeditions — near-identical philanthropic-funder, free-ship-time model with overlapping deep-sea mission.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI): Nonprofit oceanographic research institute operating advanced ROVs and deep-sea imaging systems. MBARI is both a direct collaboration partner (ROV SuBastian imaging suite) and a like-for-like operating model for sustained deep-sea research.

Broad incumbents

• JAMSTEC (Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology): Government-backed oceanographic agency operating deep-sea vessels (Kaimei, Yokosuka, Mirai) and contributing imaging/ROV tech to ROV SuBastian; overlaps as a deep-sea research platform and a key collaboration partner.
• Scripps Institution of Oceanography: University-affiliated oceanographic institution with one of the largest academic research fleets and broad expedition portfolio — comparable in scale and mission to Schmidt but with longer institutional history and federal grant base.
• NOAA Office of Ocean Exploration and Research: US federal program operating Okeanos Explorer and partner vessels for deep-sea exploration and open data — comparable expedition output and open-data philosophy at much larger institutional scale.

Emerging players

• The Nippon Foundation–Nekton Ocean Census: Flagship philanthropic initiative to discover 100,000+ marine species; Schmidt Ocean Institute is the operational vessel partner, but Nekton itself is the most strategically adjacent emerging program with shared open-data ethos.
• Minderoo OceanOmics Centre (University of Western Australia): Philanthropy-backed eDNA and marine genomics program; Schmidt partnership on giant squid eDNA detection makes it an emerging peer in molecular biodiversity discovery on the deep sea.

Others

• Inkfish: Private marine research and expedition operator providing vessels and technical services to science; commercial adjacent to Schmidt's philanthropic research-vessel model, useful as a commercial benchmark.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SchmidtOcean
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• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/1594721

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Schmidt Ocean Institute