What Glosten does

Glosten is a privately held naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy founded in 1958 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, with a second office in Providence, Rhode Island. The firm provides vessel design, marine engineering, ocean engineering, electrical engineering, and technical consulting services to research institutions (MBARI, WHOI, Scripps, University of Washington, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Xiamen University), government and port authorities (WSDOT, Port of Portland, Kitsap Transit, US Navy and Coast Guard, Seaway Corporation), and commercial operators (Matson, Foss Maritime). Glosten operates a portfolio of proprietary vessel concepts including the SA series tugs (with the 2025-launch SA-80(E) all-electric variant), the Foil Ferry hydrofoil-assisted passenger ferry developed with Bieker Boats, Coastal Class Research Vessels, an autonomous wind-powered cargo concept with Clippership, and is engaged in next-generation programs covering autonomous vessels with Fleetzero/Thoma-Sea and floating nuclear power plants with Core Power/Seaborg.

The firm's underlying technology stack centers on numerical hydrodynamics and structural analysis (CFD, FEA), electrical power and propulsion system design including its proprietary Electrical Vessel Analysis, Trading, and Switchgear (EVATS) system held as a trade secret, classification-society-compliant structural design, and specialized acoustical engineering delivered through its wholly-owned subsidiary Noise Control Engineering (NCE). Quality management is ISO 9001 certified. The 2025 Ship of the Year award for the R/V David Packard validates Glosten's research vessel design capability at the highest tier of the oceanographic community.

Glosten's business model is project-based professional services: fees are generated under design contracts, engineering service agreements, and consulting engagements, with revenue recognized over multi-year program lifecycles. Go-to-market is largely direct-to-client and relationship-driven, anchored by long-tenured relationships with research institutions and government agencies that produce repeat engagements including newbuild designs, mid-life refits, and feasibility studies. Customer segments span oceanographic research, public ferry and port authorities, defense and coast guard, and commercial shipping, providing diversification across cyclical end-markets.

Name

Glosten

Legal name

Glosten

Website

https://glosten.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1958

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Glosten is a privately held naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy founded in 1958, providing vessel design, marine engineering, and consulting services to research institutions, government agencies, and commercial maritime operators from offices in Seattle and Providence.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Naval Architecture & Marine Engineering

NAICS

Other Specialized Design Services (541490), Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

Keywords

• Naval architecture
• Marine engineering
• Vessel design
• Shipbuilding consulting
• Hybrid propulsion design

Headquarters

HQ city

Providence

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering and Design Consulting Services: Glosten generates revenue by providing naval architecture, marine engineering, ocean engineering, electrical engineering, production engineering, and consulting services to clients across government, research, and commercial maritime sectors. Revenue is project-based, derived from concept development, contract design, detail design, construction support, and on-site engineering engagements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Glosten is a naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy that provides vessel concept design, contract design, detail design, and construction support for commercial, government, and research clients. The firm also delivers on-site engineering, program management, feasibility studies, and specialized technical services such as stability analyses and dynamic mooring studies. Its work spans tugs, ferries, research vessels, barges, dredges, and other marine structures.

Product overview

Glosten is a full-service naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy with over 65 years of experience. The company offers a comprehensive portfolio of adaptable vessel concept designs across multiple categories: Ship Assist Tugs (SA series including SA-67, SA-80, SA-80(E) electric, SA-100 methanol-hybrid), Ocean Tugs (CT-120, ET-125), Harbor Tugs (HT-60, HT-67), Multi-Purpose Tugs (MP-80, MP-124), Work Tugs (GT-70), Cutter Suction Dredges, Passenger Vessels (Foil Ferry zero-emission hydrofoil, 75-Passenger Electric Ferry, Hybrid Catamarans, 160'/180' Vehicle Ferries), Barges (300 CY and 6,000 CY Split-Hull Hopper Barges), and Research Vessels (Regional, Coastal, Ocean, and Global Class). These designs serve commercial, government, and defense customers across applications including towing, ship assist, dredging, passenger transport, and ocean research. The company also provides engineering services including naval architecture, marine engineering, ocean engineering, electrical engineering, shipyard production support, and acoustical engineering through its subsidiary Noise Control Engineering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Foil Ferry: A zero-emission, high-speed hydrofoil passenger ferry concept developed in partnership with Bieker Boats for Kitsap Transit and Puget Sound operations.

Products and services

• Ship-Assist Tug Series (SA-67, SA-80, SA-80(E), SA-100) Family of ship-assist tug designs for harbor and terminal operators needing bollard pull and escort performance for moving large vessels in confined waters.
• Ocean/Escort Tug Designs (CT-120, ET-125) Ocean and escort tug designs intended for operators requiring higher seakeeping capability and escort performance beyond harbor limits.
• Harbor Tug Designs (HT-60, HT-67) Compact harbor tug designs targeted at harbor operators for ship-handling in confined port environments.
• Multi-Purpose Tug Designs (MP-80, MP-124) Multi-purpose tug designs offering flexibility for ship-assist, escort, and ancillary marine duties.
• Work Tug Design (GT-70) Work tug design for operators needing a utility vessel for marine construction or support tasks.
• Cutter Suction Dredge Design Cutter suction dredge design for dredging contractors and government marine construction agencies needing purpose-built dredging plant.
• Foil Ferry Design Hydrofoil-assisted ferry design intended for high-speed, low-wake passenger service; supports fuel and emissions efficiency.
• 75-Passenger Electric Ferry Design All-electric passenger ferry design for transit operators and waterway authorities seeking zero-emission short-route service.
• 70' Hybrid Catamaran Design 70-foot hybrid-propulsion catamaran design for passenger ferry operators needing lower emissions and higher efficiency.
• 160' Passenger/Vehicle Ferry Design Mid-size passenger and vehicle ferry design for operators carrying both passengers and cars across short sea routes.
• 180' Passenger/Vehicle Ferry Design Larger passenger and vehicle ferry design for higher-capacity short-sea crossings.
• 300 CY Split-Hull Hopper Barge Design Small split-hull hopper barge design for operators requiring sediment or aggregate transport with bottom-dump discharge.
• 6,000 CY Split-Hull Hopper Barge Design Large split-hull hopper barge design for high-capacity dredged material transport.
• Regional Class Research Vessel (RCRV) Design Regional-class oceanographic research vessel design for U.S. academic and government research fleets conducting coastal-to-blue-water science missions.
• Coastal Class Research Vessel Design Coastal-class research vessel design for near-shore oceanographic work.
• Ocean Class Research Vessel Design Ocean-class research vessel design for open-ocean science missions.
• Global Class Research Vessel Design Global-class research vessel design for worldwide, long-endurance oceanographic expeditions.
• Vessel Concept, Contract, and Detail Design Services Full-spectrum design services from early concept through contract and detail design, delivered to shipyards and vessel owners.
• Construction Support and On-Site Engineering On-site engineering and construction support during vessel build, including owner-representative and technical oversight roles.
• Feasibility Studies and Specialized Technical Analyses Feasibility studies, stability analyses, and dynamic mooring studies delivered to vessel owners and operators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% reduction in greenhouse gas emissions compared to conventional lightering support vessels on hybrid-electric retrofits
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ASENAV S.A.minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 August 2026ASENAV S.A. and Glosten are partnering to deliver a new Coastal Class Research Vessel for UC San Diego's Scripps Institution of Oceanography.
• Core PowerminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Core Power, alongside Glosten and Seaborg Technologies, is independently developing floating nuclear power plants. Glosten's involvement positions it as a naval architecture partner in the emerging floating nuclear power vessel market.
• FleetzerocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Glosten, Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors, and Fleetzero formed a collaboration in June 2026 to develop integrated autonomous vessel solutions for commercial, government, and defense markets. Glosten provides vessel design expertise, Fleetzero supplies its Leviathan battery energy storage system and autonomy stack, and Thoma-Sea delivers domestic shipbuilding capacity. The partnership focuses on autonomous diesel-electric vessels with stealth capabilities and minimal radar cross-section for contested waters and persistent operations.
• Thoma-Sea Marine ConstructorscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 June 2026Thoma-Sea Marine Constructors of Louisiana serves as the shipbuilding partner in the autonomous vessel collaboration with Fleetzero and Glosten, providing domestic construction capacity compliant with Jones Act and domestic-content requirements.
• ClippershipminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 December 2025Glosten provides structural engineering for Clippership's 78-foot autonomous wind-powered cargo vessel with twin foldable rigid wings. Dykstra Naval Architects handles naval architecture, KM Yachtbuilders handles construction, and RINA provides maritime classification. The project targets zero-emission autonomous maritime transport on transatlantic, Caribbean, and South American routes.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2021MBARI engaged Glosten in 2010 to develop the R/V David Packard concept design, with Glosten providing design, specification, bid package development, and on-site construction support through delivery in March 2025.
• Bieker BoatscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Glosten and Bieker Boats formed a partnership in 2020 to develop the Foil Ferry, a zero-emission high-speed passenger hydrofoil ferry. Bieker Boats contributes ultra-efficient foil-borne vessel technology and carbon fiber composite construction expertise developed through America's Cup racing. The partnership has secured over $5 million in grants from Washington State and FTA for Foil Ferry development.
• Kitsap TransitcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Kitsap Transit, a Washington state transit agency, partnered with Glosten and Bieker Boats to sponsor the Foil Ferry development, identifying routes and securing grant funding including $600,000 from FTA's Accelerating Innovative Mobility Initiative and $5.2 million in state climate funding.
• Washington Maritime BlueminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2020Washington Maritime Blue led a joint innovation project that brought together Glosten, Bieker Boats, Kitsap Transit, DNV, and public agencies to accelerate ferry technology development in Washington State.
• Freire ShipyardminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2018Freire Shipyard in Spain constructed the R/V David Packard for MBARI. Glosten provided design services and on-site construction support during the build.
• Noise Control Engineering (NCE)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2016NCE is Glosten's subsidiary specializing in noise and vibration measurement and control for marine applications, including underwater radiated noise, sonar self-noise, and habitability noise. NCE is fully integrated into Glosten project teams for noise control solutions.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Art Anderson Associates: Pacific Northwest naval architecture and marine engineering firm providing vessel design, engineering, and technical services to government, research, and commercial maritime clients—a close functional peer to Glosten.
• C-Job Naval Architects: Independent naval architecture firm specializing in yacht, workboat, and offshore vessel design with strong engineering and CFD capabilities—closely comparable in service model and vessel categories to Glosten.
• Robert Allan Ltd. Canadian naval architecture firm specializing in tugboat, barge, and working vessel design with a strong proprietary design catalog—directly comparable to Glosten's tug design portfolio and consulting model.
• Bristol Harbor Group: Naval architecture and marine engineering firm focused on commercial vessel design, structural analysis, and production support—directly comparable service offering for tug, barge, and workboat clients.
• Elliott Bay Design Group: Seattle-based naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy of similar size and scope, specializing in vessel design, modification, and engineering support for commercial, government, and research clients—Glosten's closest geographic and functional peer.
• Dykstra Naval Architects: Dutch naval architecture firm specializing in sailing vessels, yachts, and innovative commercial ships—directly comparable specialist naval architecture peer, already a partner of Glosten on the Clippership project.
• Jensen Maritime (Crowley Maritime): Naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy owned by Crowley, serving commercial and government vessel operators with design, engineering, and project management—directly comparable service offering and client base to Glosten.

Broad incumbents

• BMT Group: Large global maritime engineering and naval architecture consultancy offering vessel design, marine engineering, and consulting across defense, commercial, and offshore markets—broader portfolio than Glosten but overlapping on ship design and marine engineering.
• Vigor Industrial: Major Pacific Northwest shipyard offering shipbuilding, ship repair, and conversion services—adjacent rather than directly competing, but a frequent shipyard partner for Glosten's designed vessels, including the R/V Roger Revelle refit.
• Haskoning (Royal HaskoningDHV): International engineering consultancy with a maritime division delivering vessel design, port engineering, and marine infrastructure—comparable to Glosten on marine engineering consulting but at significantly greater scale and broader scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/glosten
• Instagraminstagram.com/glosten_navalarchitecture
• Facebookfacebook.com/Glosten

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Glosten