ELNAV.AI

What ELNAV.AI does

ELNAV.AI is a Croatian maritime technology company founded in 2021 and headquartered at Technology Park Split. The company develops AI-based safety systems for maritime bridge operations, with its core product Aware Mate — an on-board, human-in-the-loop vigilance and watchkeeping support system that uses computer vision and audio analysis to detect sustained patterns of alertness loss, attention drift, abnormal inactivity, or weak watch engagement, and delivers local graded prompts to bridge officers. The system is designed around a strict privacy-bounded architecture: by default it performs no identity recognition, no emotion recognition, and transmits no raw video ashore, instead turning events into period-level review signals for operators. Aware Mate has completed a 72-hour continuous operational bridge test with 98.7% uptime and P95 alert latency of 2.4 seconds. Two additional projects are in development: Helm Order Monitor (automatic speech recognition to verify spoken helm orders during hand steering) and Project Sentinel (AI-enabled underwater gliders for detecting illegal marine discharges).

The company's go-to-market is sales-led, operating through direct enterprise engagement via a 'Request an Aware Mate Demo' funnel, with stated subscription/recurring revenue economics. ELNAV.AI targets maritime bridge and dynamic positioning operators as its primary use case, but explicitly positions the same architecture for at least 11 additional safety-critical environments including offshore energy (FSRUs, FPSOs, drillships), oil & gas pipeline SCADA, electric grid dispatch, air traffic control, rail operations, nuclear plant control rooms, industrial refining and chemicals, healthcare central monitoring, and cybersecurity/network operations centers. The company has built an extensive partnership network spanning Croatian government (Split-Dalmatia County, City of Split, MINGOR, Ministry of Science and Education), EU funding bodies (EIT, HAMAG-BICRO, S3E), academic and research institutions (Faculty of Maritime Studies in Split, Fraunhofer IDMT, University of Trieste, Institute of Oceanography & Fisheries), and technology providers (audEERING for speech/audio, Axis Communications for cameras, ALSEAMAR for ocean observation, Split Maritime Pilots for operational validation).

ELNAV.AI is led by founder and CEO Hrvoje Mihovilović, a master mariner with more than 30 years of seafaring experience across cargo ships, ferries, and cruise vessels, alongside Head of Software Development Ivan Biliškov. The company is privately held as ELNAV.AI d.o.o., has 1–10 employees, and has not disclosed traditional venture funding; its capital base appears to be dominated by EU grants and Croatian public-sector support. In 2025 it received the Europort Rising Star Award, including a €10,000 media package from HANSA, marking its first major external industry validation. The company explicitly aligns with the EU AI Act, EU Green Deal, and UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDG 9, 13, 14) and frames its mission as 'assist the bridge, don't audit it' — an advisory-only, human-in-the-loop stance that distinguishes it from autonomous-shipping narratives in the broader maritime AI sector.

Name

ELNAV.AI

Legal name

ELNAV.AI d.o.o.

Website

https://elnav.ai

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ELNAV.AI is a Croatian maritime AI company building Aware Mate, a privacy-preserving watchkeeping support system for ship bridges that detects alertness loss via computer vision and audio without identity or emotion recognition. It targets maritime operators and adjacent safety-critical industries through enterprise demos on a subscription model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Safety Software

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Navigational Services to Shipping (48833), Security Systems Services (except Locksmiths) (561621)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812), Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Safety, Alarm & Monitoring Systems (Fire/Gas, IAS, PA/GA) (IMAJAJAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Navigation, Communications & Integrated Bridge Systems Engineering (IMAJAGAH), Maritime Security Technology & Systems (CCTV, Radar, AIS, Perimeter Sensors) (BPAKALAI), Maritime Unmanned Systems (USV/UUV) & Control Stations (IMABAKAJ), Marine Automation, Control & PLC/SCADA Systems (IMAJAJAC)

Keywords

• Maritime AI safety
• Bridge watchkeeping systems
• Fatigue detection software
• Vigilance monitoring platforms
• Maritime navigation technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Split

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Aware Mate System: Sale/deployment of the Aware Mate active watchkeeping support system to maritime operators. The system is advisory-only, providing alerts and monitoring without replacing human decision-making.
2. Helm Order Monitor: Future revenue stream from speech recognition system for helm orders during manual steering.
3. Project Sentinel: Future revenue stream from environmental intelligence system using AI-enabled underwater gliders for pollution detection.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ELNAV.AI develops AI-based active watchkeeping and bridge safety software for maritime operators. Its core product, Aware Mate, is an on-board, human-in-the-loop vigilance system that monitors bridge personnel for alertness loss, attention drift, and abnormal inactivity, providing local graded prompts and privacy-bounded review signals without identity or emotion recognition. The company also has Helm Order Monitor (speech recognition for helm order verification) and Project Sentinel (AI-enabled underwater gliders for marine pollution detection) in its portfolio.

Product overview

ELNAV.AI offers a portfolio of maritime AI safety systems focused on bridge operations and environmental protection. The core product is Aware Mate, an active watchkeeping support system that monitors bridge personnel for alertness patterns and provides privacy-bounded review signals. Additional products include Helm Order Monitor (speech recognition for helm order verification) and Project Sentinel (underwater gliders for pollution detection). The company operates a human-in-the-loop model with advisory-only AI outputs, emphasizing that AI should assist the bridge rather than audit it. All systems are designed to augment human decision-making rather than replace it.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aware Mate: On-board, human-in-the-loop vigilance and watchkeeping support system providing local graded prompts for alertness loss, attention drift, abnormal inactivity or weak watch engagement.
• Helm Order Monitor
• Project Sentinel

Products and services

• Aware Mate On-board, human-in-the-loop vigilance and watchkeeping support system for maritime bridges. Provides local graded prompts when sustained patterns indicate alertness loss, attention drift, abnormal inactivity, or weak watch engagement. Converts events into period-level, privacy-bounded review signals without identity recognition, emotion recognition, or raw video ashore by default. Designed for ship bridge operators and Dynamic Positioning (DP) desk personnel.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98.7% uptime during 72-hour continuous operational bridge test
• +1 more outcomes

Segments12 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

AI capability7 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Split-Dalmatia CountycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government support providing funding and institutional backing for ELNAV.AI's operations in Croatia. Part of the company's supported-by network indicating local government commitment to maritime innovation.
• City of SplitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government support for the company's headquarters and operations in Split, Croatia.
• University of Split / Faculty of Maritime Studies in SplitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research validation, ethics review, and talent pipeline. The Faculty of Maritime Studies provides operational relevance testing and maritime domain expertise.
• Split Maritime PilotscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOperational partnership with maritime pilots providing real-world operational input and testing environment for bridge safety systems.
• MINGOR (Ministry of Economy and Sustainable Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCroatian ministry providing regulatory alignment and government support for sustainable maritime innovation.
• Digital DalmatiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional digital innovation initiative supporting technology companies in the Dalmatia region.
• Ministry of Science and Education in CroatiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry supporting research and development activities through funding and institutional alignment.
• S3E – Southern European Entrepreneurship Engine consortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded entrepreneurship consortium providing support, networking, and resources for innovative startups in Southern Europe.
• Institute of GeosciencesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership contributing to environmental monitoring aspects of the Sentinel project.
• ALSEAMARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime technology partner for environmental sensing and ocean observation systems.
• University of TriesteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for research collaboration in maritime sciences and technology.
• Institute of Oceanography & FisheriesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership supporting the environmental intelligence aspects of Project Sentinel.
• Fraunhofer IDMTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with Fraunhofer Institute for Digital Media Technology for audio and speech processing research.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Orca AI: Israel-based AI startup applying computer vision and situational-awareness AI to ship bridges and fleet operations; the closest direct comparable to ELNAV.AI in maritime AI, though Orca focuses more on situational/collision awareness than watchkeeping-vigilance.

Broad incumbents

• ABB Marine & Ports: Sells marine automation, vessel control and bridge/operations software for commercial shipping; relevant as a broad incumbent whose automation roadmap could absorb watchkeeping-vigilance functionality.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Supplies integrated bridge systems, automation and dynamic-positioning control across offshore and merchant shipping; comparable to ELNAV.AI as a broad incumbent in bridge/automation that could integrate or compete with vigilance AI.
• Wärtsilä Voyage: Major marine-electronics and integrated bridge systems supplier whose ECDIS, bridge automation and fleet optimisation portfolio overlaps with the buyer ELNAV.AI targets; a likely competitor if Wärtsilä bundles watchkeeping AI into its bridge stack.
• Furuno Electric: Established Japanese marine-electronics maker of radar, ECDIS and bridge navigation equipment; comparable as a broad incumbent targeting the same bridge operator with sensor-driven bridge systems.

Emerging players

• Maritime Robotics: Norwegian provider of unmanned surface vessels and autonomous marine technology; comparable to ELNAV.AI's Project Sentinel concept and to maritime AI more broadly, focused on unmanned surface platforms.
• Bedrock Ocean: Autonomous underwater survey company using subsea robots for ocean data acquisition; directly comparable to the underwater-glider thrust of Project Sentinel for marine environmental intelligence.
• ShipIn Systems: AI fleet-operations platform that uses onboard cameras and computer vision to monitor vessel operations and crew safety in real time; the closest emerging-player comparable to Aware Mate in the bridge-monitoring AI category.
• Avikus (HD Hyundai): HD Hyundai's autonomous-shipping spin-off applying AI and computer vision to vessel navigation and situational awareness; comparable emerging player in maritime AI for bridge operations and fleet autonomy.
• Sea Machines Robotics: US-based developer of autonomous marine technology and computer-vision situational awareness for commercial vessels; comparable as an emerging AI-on-the-bridge player, though focused more on autonomy than watchkeeping.

Market position

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ELNAVai
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCVDTmDIFqqh3WCQDkDFb3sg
• Facebookfacebook.com/elnavai
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/72718444
• Instagraminstagram.com/elnav.ai

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 ELNAV.AI