Marine Magnetics

What Marine Magnetics does

Marine Magnetics is a Canadian private marine instrumentation company that designs and manufactures magnetometers and gradiometers for underwater and near-surface magnetic surveys. Founded in the mid-1990s and headquartered in Markham, Ontario with a regional office in La Mesa, California, the company has spent over 30 years developing purpose-built marine magnetometry equipment using proprietary Overhauser and laser-driven optically pumped quantum sensor technologies. Its product portfolio includes the Synapse networked array system (up to 30 sensors, 20 Hz sampling, 4.5W-7W), the SeaSPY2 workhorse Overhauser magnetometer, the Explorer compact AUV/ASV magnetometer (2-watt, 4.5 kg), the SeaQuest2 three-axis shallow-water gradiometer (the only commercially available system of its kind), and Sentinel2/Sea Sentinel base station correction units, supported by BOB survey acquisition software and a BAM analytics add-on.

The company's sensor technology delivers 1-2 orders of magnitude better sensitivity than standard proton magnetometers and orders of magnitude lower power consumption, eliminating drift, heading error, and orientation issues that challenge optically pumped and proton alternatives. Marine Magnetics sells hardware directly through its website and direct outreach to enterprise, government, and research customers across defense (UXO detection, US NUWC, GICHD), oil & gas (Fugro-LCT seismic integration), pipeline and cable survey, marine archaeology (McMaster/University of Haifa harbour mapping), and environmental monitoring (Polish Academy of Sciences NATO MODUM project). Software is offered via a freemium model (free BOB with paid BAM subscriptions), while magnetometer pricing is quote-based.

Marine Magnetics operates a single-segment specialization strategy without diversification into non-marine sensing, external funding rounds, or public listing. It maintains certified vendor status on the US Federal Contractor Registration System and has retained independence under founder Doug Hrvoic's leadership for over 25 years, with continuous product iteration evidenced by six BOB software releases in 2025-2026 and a generational platform shift to Synapse laser-driven optically pumped technology.

Name

Marine Magnetics

Legal name

Marine Magnetics Inc.

Website

https://marinemagnetics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marine Magnetics designs and manufactures marine magnetometers and gradiometers based on Overhauser and laser-driven optically pumped quantum sensor technologies, serving defense, oil and gas, archaeology, and government survey customers with direct hardware sales and complementary BOB/BAM software.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Magnetometers and Geophysical Survey Instruments

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Sensors, Instrumentation & IoT (Condition Monitoring) (IMAJAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Sonar, Undersea Sensors & Acoustic Detection Systems (IMABAGAD)

Keywords

• Marine magnetometers
• Geophysical survey instruments
• Underwater UXO detection
• Magnetic gradiometer systems
• Survey acquisition software

Headquarters

HQ city

Markham

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marine Magnetometer Hardware Sales: Sale of marine magnetometer systems including Synapse, SeaSPY2, Explorer, Sentinel, SeaQuest, and Argos products. Systems are sold in various configurations including solo units, horizontal gradiometers, longitudinal gradiometers, and multi-sensor arrays. Accessories such as transceivers, power isolators, and side scan integration cables are also sold.
2. Survey Software (BOB/BAM): BOB is free and native for all Marine Magnetics magnetometers. BAM is an analytics add-on available by request for a trial license. Software is downloadable from the website with registration. BOB/BAM is compatible with Marine Magnetics sensors and GEM Systems DRONEMAG.
3. Firmware and Accessories: The company provides firmware updates for its devices and sells accessories including side scan sonar integration cables, isolation transceivers (4-port), and power isolators (3-port). These are listed as separate product categories on the website.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Marine Magnetics designs, manufactures, and sells marine magnetometer systems and supporting survey acquisition software for underwater magnetic detection. The portfolio includes Overhauser-effect and laser-driven optically pumped magnetometers (Synapse, SeaSPY2, Explorer, Sentinel, SeaQuest, Argos) in solo, gradiometer, and multi-sensor array configurations, plus the BOB survey software and BAM analytics add-on used for survey planning, data acquisition, and target analysis in marine, AUV/ROTV, and base-station deployments.

Product overview

Marine Magnetics manufactures a comprehensive portfolio of marine magnetometers and survey software for underwater magnetic detection. The product line centers on several flagship magnetometer platforms: Synapse (networked array system with up to 30 sensors using laser-driven optically pumped technology), SeaSPY2 (workhorse Overhauser magnetometer available in standard, horizontal gradiometer, and longitudinal gradiometer variants), Explorer (compact Overhauser magnetometer offered in standard and AUV-configured versions), SeaQuest2 (3-axis shallow water gradiometer for small target detection), Sentinel2/Sea Sentinel (base station correction magnetometers), and Argos (close-range detection magnetometer). Supporting the hardware is BOB/BAM Survey Software for survey planning, data acquisition, and analytics. Accessories include 4-port isolation transceivers, side scan sonar integration cables, and power isolators. The company specializes in Overhauser and optically pumped magnetometer technologies for applications including UXO detection, pipeline/cable tracking, archaeological surveys, and geophysical exploration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• AUV-towed Explorer magnetometer detected targets as small as 1kg during Teledyne Gavia sea trials
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration10 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EIVAcoreTechnology or Integration · 25 November 2025Marine Magnetics' next-generation Synapse magnetometer has validated seamless integration with EIVA's ScanFish Katria ROTV (Remotely Operated Towed Vehicle) solution. The collaboration delivers a simplified and efficient tool for high-speed detection of sub-bottom magnetic anomalies. Synapse's dedicated RS232 interface facilitates integration into the ROTV platform. The pairing combines Marine Magnetics' high-sensitivity, low-power Synapse magnetometer (4.5W to 7W) with EIVA's intelligent wide-sweep ROTV for rapid, reliable sub-bottom hazard and feature mapping.
• Teledyne GaviacoreTechnology or Integration · 1 April 2018Teledyne Gavia integrated Marine Magnetics' Explorer AUV/ASV magnetometer with the Gavia AUV/ASV platform. The Explorer magnetometer is towed behind the Gavia AUV, solving the challenge of mounting magnetometers on AUVs due to their strong magnetic signatures and strict power budgets. Sea trials demonstrated that the magnetometer can detect targets weighing as small as 1kg. The Explorer AUV simply plugs into any suitably equipped Gavia vehicle.
• OceanServer TechnologycoreTechnology or IntegrationMarine Magnetics collaborated with OceanServer Technology to integrate the Explorer magnetometer with the Iver2 AUV. Collaboration began in 2011 with magnetic characterisation of the Iver2 system. The Iver2-Explorer combination became commercially available in the second half of 2012 and has completed dozens of surveys. The Iver2's mild magnetic signature and the Explorer's small size, low drag, and 2-watt power requirement made integration possible.
• NeSA B.V.minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerNeSA B.V. (Netherlands) used SeaSPY/Nu-Shuttle combination for Rijkswaterstaat survey projects in Dutch waters. NeSA's PDS software logged and processed magnetometer data. The survey crew was able to locate all wrecks in the Westerschelde using the integrated system.
• Fugro-LCTcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFugro-LCT operates marine seismic surveys using Marine Magnetics SeaSPY Overhauser magnetometers. Their GUNMAG system captures precise magnetic data alongside seismic surveys without interference risks. Fugro-LCT is a major commercial operator integrating marine magnetics with seismic survey operations globally.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• GEM Systems: Canadian manufacturer of high-sensitivity Overhauser, proton precession, and optically pumped magnetometers for ground, airborne, and marine geophysical surveys. Direct competitor in marine magnetometry, and explicitly interoperable with Marine Magnetics' BOB/BAM software via the GEM DRONEMAG and GEM GSM-19/GSMP-35U import presets.
• Geometrics: U.S. manufacturer of magnetometers (including marine-towed systems), seismic instruments, and other geophysical survey equipment. Overlaps directly with Marine Magnetics in marine magnetometry for geophysical and UXO applications.
• Bartington Instruments: U.K.-based manufacturer of fluxgate magnetometers and magnetic field sensors for scientific, industrial, and marine use. Competes in marine magnetometer markets, particularly for survey and scientific-research applications.
• Foerster Group: German manufacturer of industrial magnetometers, metal detectors, and magnetic testing equipment. Competes in marine magnetometer and underwater ferrous-target detection use cases including UXO and salvage.
• Sensys GmbH: German manufacturer of high-precision fluxgate magnetometers for archaeology, UXO detection, and geophysical surveys. Direct competitor in the marine and land-based magnetic-survey instrument market.
• Scintrex: Canadian manufacturer of magnetic and gravity geophysical sensors for mineral exploration and survey applications. Overlaps with Marine Magnetics in high-sensitivity magnetometer instrumentation for geophysical surveys.

Broad incumbents

• Sonardyne: U.K. subsea positioning, navigation, and sensing incumbent serving offshore energy, defense, and marine science markets. Overlaps with Marine Magnetics through subsea sensor suites and survey-system integration, but operates a much broader portfolio.
• Exail (formerly iXblue): French subsea navigation, sonar, and inertial-sensor manufacturer serving offshore energy, hydrography, and defense. Competes as part of an integrated survey-sensor portfolio rather than as a magnetometer specialist.
• Teledyne Marine: Marine technology conglomerate whose Teledyne Gavia AUV platform integrates Marine Magnetics' Explorer magnetometer. A channel partner and adjacent incumbent in marine survey instrumentation with overlapping customers in defense, hydrography, and offshore energy.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Major marine sensor, sonar, and survey-system incumbent serving offshore energy, hydrography, and defense. Competes indirectly as part of integrated survey packages that may bundle alternative sensors instead of standalone magnetometers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@MarineMagnetics
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-magnetics

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Marine Magnetics