Finsulate

What Finsulate does

Finsulate is a Dutch marine technology company headquartered in Hoofddorp, Netherlands, that designs, manufactures, and applies a patented non-toxic antifouling film for ship hulls and offshore installations. Founded in 2014 by marine biologist and materials scientist Rik Breur, the company has equipped over 800 vessels globally across leisure yachts, commercial ships, patrol boats, and offshore assets. The technology is a self-adhesive wrap composed of backing paper, pressure-sensitive acrylic adhesive, a polyester carrier film, and an antifouling layer of cured acrylic adhesive embedded with millions of nylon fibers forming tiny spines — a mechanism directly inspired by sea urchin spines that naturally resist marine organism attachment. Unlike conventional antifouling paints that rely on toxic biocides (copper, zinc, TBT, organotin compounds) or biocide-free paints that still shed microplastics, Finsulate deters fouling purely through physical means with no chemical leaching.

The product portfolio comprises four specialized variants: Seagrade (salt water, displacement hulls, 8+ year lifespan), Lakegrade (fresh water with occasional salt exposure, 8+ years), Speedgrade (planing and high-speed vessels, 8+ years), and Seagrade EL (offshore installations and displacement hulls, 10-20 years). Pricing is quote-based and positioned at roughly the cost of one traditional antifouling treatment, with the 8-20 year lifespan and up to 40% fuel efficiency improvement generating substantial total-cost-of-ownership advantages over annual repainting cycles. Finsulate sells directly, through a growing network of trained contract applicators, and via specifications embedded by shipyard partners including MB92 Group, KM Yachtbuilders, Monaco Marine, and Damen Shipyards.

Revenue is generated through one-time product-plus-application sales with multi-year replacement cycles. The company operates multi-language regional websites (English, Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish) covering European markets plus Turkey and the United States. Finsulate has won the European Inventor Award (2019), the ECO Excellence 2024 Award at the Biograd Boat Show, and was named to Business Worldwide Magazine's Twenty Most Innovative Companies to Watch in 2024. The company remains privately held with no disclosed institutional funding and operates with a 1-10 person team.

Name

Finsulate

Legal name

Finsulate

Website

https://finsulate.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Finsulate is a Dutch marine technology company selling a patented non-toxic antifouling film inspired by sea urchin spines. Founded in 2014 by marine biologist Rik Breur, the company has equipped over 800 vessels globally across yachting, commercial marine, and offshore installations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Antifouling Coatings

NAICS

Paint, Coating, and Adhesive Manufacturing (3255), Adhesive Manufacturing (32552)

SIC

Paints, Varnishes, Lacquers, Enamels & Allied Prods (2851)

akta.pro primary industry

Coatings, Corrosion Protection & Anti-Fouling Systems (IMAJAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine & Offshore Coatings (IMAEAGAD), Marine Coatings (IMAEAHAD), Marine Coatings, Blasting & Corrosion Control (Hull, Tanks, Cathodic Protection) (TLAHAMAG)

Keywords

• Marine antifouling films
• Biocide-free hull coatings
• Ship biofouling protection
• Non-toxic marine coatings
• Vessel hull maintenance

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoofddorp

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Finsulate Antifouling Film Sales and Application: Finsulate is sold as a product combined with professional application services. Customers contact Finsulate directly or through sales partners, provide vessel specifications, and receive a price estimate that includes labor, material, and VAT. The price excludes removal of old antifouling paint. The 8-year warranty requires proper surface preparation including epoxy priming. This is a one-time application revenue model with long replacement cycles (8+ years).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Finsulate designs, manufactures, and professionally applies a patented, non-toxic antifouling film for ship hulls. The self-adhesive wrap uses a physical sea-urchin-spine mechanism (millions of tiny nylon-fiber spines embedded in the film surface) to prevent marine organisms such as algae, mussels, and barnacles from attaching to the hull, eliminating the need for toxic biocides. The product is offered in four grades (Seagrade, Lakegrade, Speedgrade, Seagrade EL) with a minimum lifespan of 8 years (up to 20 years for Seagrade EL), and is sold together with professional application by Finsulate teams or trained contract partners.

Product overview

Finsulate is a Dutch company offering an innovative non-toxic antifouling solution based on a patented foil technology inspired by sea urchin spines. The product portfolio consists of four specialized antifouling foil variants: Seagrade (for salt water with maximum protection, 8+ year lifespan), Lakegrade (for freshwater with occasional salt water use), Speedgrade (optimized for planing/speed vessels), and Seagrade EL (extended-life variant for offshore installations with 10+ year lifespan). All variants use a physical spine-based mechanism rather than toxic biocides to prevent marine organism attachment, and the product is professionally applied as a self-adhesive wrap to ship hulls.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Seagrade Premium antifouling foil designed for prevalent use in salt water (also effective in fresh water) providing maximum antifouling protection against barnacles, plume worms and other marine growth. Lifespan of at least 8 years, suitable for ships with displacement hulls.
• Lakegrade Antifouling foil developed mainly for freshwater areas with occasional stays in salt waters. Prevents on-growth of mussels, algae and chalk accumulation (including in mountain lakes). Easy to clean when growth does occur; suitable for all ship types.
• Speedgrade Antifouling foil optimized for speed vessels and (semi-) planing ships. Provides good antifouling performance in fresh water with easy cleaning capability in salt water environments.
• Seagrade EL (Extreme Longevity) Heavy-duty antifouling foil designed for maximum durability in both fresh water and salt water. Lifespan of at least 10 years (expected up to 20 years), specifically developed for offshore installations (such as wind turbine foundations) and ships with displacement hull type.
• Professional Antifouling Application Service Professional application of Finsulate antifouling film to vessel hulls, performed by Finsulate employees or trained contract partners including shipyards and marine maintenance companies. Required for warranty validity and includes hull preparation (epoxy primer application where needed).

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 40% fuel savings compared to vessels with fouled or traditionally treated hulls
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KM YachtbuilderscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 10 May 2025KM Yachtbuilders in Makkum, Netherlands partnered with Finsulate for sustainable antifouling on their Bestevaer 53 sailboat, which also features electric drive, regenerating propeller, 70% recycled aluminium, and bamboo interior. Finsulate participated in the KM Yachtbuilders Open Day on 10 May 2025.
• MB92 GroupcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2023MB92 Group is a Spanish superyacht refit company that has been advising clients since 2023 to use Finsulate as the most suitable eco-friendly antifouling solution without sacrificing speed or performance. MB92 works with organizations such as the Water Revolution Foundation and SEA Index to promote sustainable yachting.
• Port of Amsterdam / Municipality of AmsterdamcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPort of Amsterdam applied Finsulate to the NT11/Watertrapper electric patrol boat (2022). After successful results, Finsulate is now a permanent part of specifications for new municipal vessel orders. The municipality of Amsterdam is issuing tenders for two more patrol boats in 2025 with Finsulate specified. Mike Moerman of Nautical Supervision and Enforcement stated the non-toxic solution fits their sustainability ambition.
• Monaco MarineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMonaco Marine, operating on the Cote d'Azur with ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and ISO 45001 certifications, is a shipyard partner committed to environmental standards and safety. While not explicitly confirmed as an active Finsulate applicator, Monaco Marine shares Finsulate's sustainability mission.
• Water Revolution FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater Revolution Foundation promotes sustainable yachting through certifications such as the Yacht Environmental Transparency Index (YETI). Finsulate is referenced as a preferred antifouling solution by organizations aligned with this foundation's mission.
• Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation (Blue Economy Index)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation launched the Blue Economy Index as a key tool to combine philanthropy and impact investing for sustainable ocean solutions. Finsulate is listed as a company contributing to the Blue Economy. Prince Albert II of Monaco welcomed the initiative for reconciling economics, finance, and natural resource preservation.
• Damen ShipyardscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDamen Shipyards built the NT11/Watertrapper patrol vessel for the Municipality of Amsterdam using Finsulate as specified antifouling. Damen's predictive maintenance systems are also noted in the context of young superyacht owner maintenance practices.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/finsulate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/finsulate/?originalSubdomain=nl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

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 Finsulate