TURTLE

What TURTLE does

TURTLE GmbH is a Hamburg-headquartered maritime recruitment company that operates a two-sided digital marketplace connecting shipping companies with a global pool of vetted seafarers. The platform, accessible via seafarer.go-turtle.com and company.go-turtle.com, hosts 200,000+ seafarer profiles spanning nearly 90 nationalities and all ranks and vessel segments, and serves 40+ shipping company clients including Hapag-Lloyd, Seaspan, Wilhelmsen, Subsea 7, Dorian LPG, and Starbulk. Beyond the core marketplace, TURTLE offers full-service manning mandates covering recruitment, visa and medicals, pre-joining training, mobilization, and ongoing crew rotation through its MLC-licensed operations office in Gdynia, Poland (TURTLE Operations Poland SP. z o.o.).

The platform's technology stack centers on a proprietary matchmaking algorithm connecting seafarer profiles with shipowner requirements, augmented by AI prototypes developed in collaboration with TUM.ai. Product modules include Brand2Hire (employer branding), Seafarer 360 (pre-interview candidate intelligence), TURTLE Smart Assistant (AI hiring support), TURTLE Salarycheck (salary benchmarking), the TURTLE App (mobile job notifications), and a Global Cadet Program. A vetted global partner network of crewing agencies extends sourcing reach into seafarer-producing countries.

TURTLE's business model is dual: seafarers register and use the platform free of charge, while shipping companies pay transaction fees per successful hire and/or fees for full manning managed-service mandates covering entire fleet lifecycles. Go-to-market combines a self-serve product-led growth motion on the seafarer side with enterprise field sales, dedicated Customer Success Managers, and HubSpot-driven meeting scheduling on the shipowner side, supplemented by active participation in maritime industry events. The company has secured venture backing from TC Ventures (Transport Capital) and built mission-driven positioning through the IHRB Responsible Recruitment Register, All Aboard Alliance, and ISWAN memberships.

Name

TURTLE

Legal name

TURTLE GmbH

Website

https://go-turtle.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

TURTLE is a Hamburg-based maritime recruitment marketplace connecting shipping companies with 200,000+ vetted seafarers globally through a proprietary matching platform, offering full manning mandates, employer branding, and AI-enhanced hiring tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Hamburg

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Transaction Fee per Successful Hire: Shipping companies pay for successful placements. Seafarers register and access the platform free of charge. Revenue is generated when a shipping company successfully hires a seafarer through the platform.
2. Full Manning Mandate Services: End-to-end manning services for entire fleets, including recruitment, mobilization, and ongoing rotation management. This covers all crew lifecycle needs from senior officers to ratings across every segment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

TURTLE operates a proprietary digital maritime recruitment platform that connects shipping companies directly with a global pool of 200,000+ vetted seafarer profiles through AI-assisted matchmaking. Beyond the self-serve marketplace, TURTLE delivers full-service manning mandates covering recruitment, mobilization, and ongoing crew rotation across container, tanker, bulk, LPG, and offshore segments, supported by an MLC-licensed operations office in Poland.

Product overview

TURTLE operates as a digitally-driven maritime HR platform offering a unified ecosystem of recruitment solutions. The core product is the TURTLE Platform, a proprietary digital marketplace connecting shipping companies with 200,000+ vetted seafarer profiles. This core platform is complemented by specialized modules including Full Manning (end-to-end fleet manning), Brand2Hire (employer branding), Seafarer 360 (candidate intelligence), TURTLE Salarycheck (salary benchmarking), TURTLE Smart Assistant (AI hiring support), the TURTLE App (mobile job notifications), and the Global Cadet Program. Supporting services include recruitment handling (visa, medicals, training), mobilization management, and ongoing crew rotation services. The company also provides online mentorship programs for seafarer career development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Seafarer 360: Pre-interview intelligence on any candidate CV for faster decisions and fewer surprises.
• Brand2Hire
• TURTLE Smart Assistant
• TURTLE Salarycheck
• TURTLE App

Products and services

• TURTLE Platform Proprietary digital maritime recruitment marketplace connecting shipping companies with 200,000+ vetted seafarer profiles across all ranks, segments, and nearly 90 nationalities through AI-assisted matchmaking. Accessible to seafarers via seafarer.go-turtle.com and to shipping companies via company.go-turtle.com, with a mobile companion app.
• Full Manning End-to-end manning service for entire fleets covering every rank from senior officers to ratings across every maritime segment. Includes active sourcing from the 200,000 seafarer pool and vetted global partner network, with the customer defining standards and TURTLE delivering documented, compliant crew on time.
• Brand2Hire Employer-branding service for shipping companies featuring their own seafarers as protagonists, with custom landing pages, content production, and application funnel management to attract candidates.
• Seafarer 360 Pre-interview intelligence service providing shipping companies with faster decisions and fewer surprises on any candidate CV before the hiring stage.
• TURTLE Salarycheck Salary comparison tool allowing seafarers to benchmark their compensation against other seafarers, supporting transparent and fair recruitment decisions.
• TURTLE Smart Assistant AI-powered hiring support tool that assists shipping companies in identifying and hiring top-quality seafarers through intelligent recommendations.
• TURTLE App Mobile companion application for seafarers providing push notifications of new job opportunities, download-based engagement with the platform, and direct connection to shipping companies.
• Global Cadet Program Cadet sourcing program giving shipping companies global access to entry-level maritime talent under ethical recruitment following the Employer Pays principle, with full control, transparency, and tech-driven efficiency.
• Mentorship Program Online mentorship program guiding younger seafarers through the complexities of maritime careers with expert advice and personalized support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200,000+ vetted seafarer profiles available for active sourcing
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, key, supporting and notable.

• LomarlabsstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaboration with Lomar Shipping's corporate venture lab (lomarlabs) to align TURTLE's maritime matchmaking platform with shipping companies' evolving operational needs, specifically addressing qualification challenges posed by emerging technologies and enhanced environmental and commercial ship operations.
• Global Maritime ForumkeyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Collaborated with the Global Maritime Forum to conduct a survey and analysis in TURTLE's database, highlighting barriers women face in the maritime industry. Report based on insights of over 3,300 seafarers, revealing key challenges including gender and nationality discrimination. Aligns with All Aboard Alliance's Diversity@Sea initiative.
• SAFETY4SEAsupportingOthers · 1 January 2024SAFETY4SEA organizes Crew Welfare Week events and publishes maritime industry content. TURTLE's CEO participated in SAFETY4SEA's Crew Welfare Week panel discussions on human sustainability and seafarer welfare.
• Institute for Human Rights and Business (IHRB)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Co-designed and conducted the largest industry survey on illegal recruitment fees in the maritime industry, collecting nearly 5,000 responses. IHRB and TURTLE jointly published research briefing 'Seafarers and Recruitment Fees' with support from MACN and SSI.
• Sustainable Shipping Initiative (SSI)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnered with SSI alongside IHRB and TURTLE to conduct research on seafarer recruitment fees, contributing to a comprehensive survey-based study that revealed alarming statistics about illegal recruitment fees and their impact on workers' rights.
• Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN)keyStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Supported the IHRB/TURTLE survey on illegal recruitment fees as a key industry partner, contributing to raising awareness about corrupt recruitment practices in the maritime sector.
• International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN)keyOthers · 1 January 2023TURTLE is a member of ISWAN, an international maritime charity that works to improve the lives of seafarers and their families with services, resources, strategies, and advocacy. ISWAN operates SeafarerHelp, a free, confidential, 24/7/365 multilingual helpline. TURTLE joined ISWAN to amplify efforts to enhance seafarer welfare and champion fair recruitment.
• Institute for Human Rights and Business' Responsible Recruitment RegisternotableOthers · 1 January 2023TURTLE is featured in the IHRB Responsible Recruitment Register, showcasing recruitment agencies committed to ethical hiring practices and upholding the Employer Pays Principle — ensuring no seafarer bears the cost of securing a job.
• TUM.aistrategicTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2022Collaboration with the highly skilled team of young talents from TUM.ai to further improve TURTLE's matchmaking algorithm. Built a first AI-enabled prototype to accelerate connecting seafarers and shipowners directly and fairly.
• All Aboard AlliancekeyOthers · 1 January 2022TURTLE is a member of the All Aboard Alliance, an industry alliance for a Diverse, Equitable, and Inclusive Maritime Industry created by a group of industry leaders following discussions at the Global Maritime Forum's Virtual High-Level Meeting in 2020. TURTLE is committed to implementing the alliance's principles and is actively involved in the Diversity@Sea initiative.
• International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF)supportingOthersSupported the creation of TURTLE's 2024 survey questionnaire on illegal recruitment practices in the maritime industry, alongside IHRB, MACN, and ISWAN.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Marlow Navigation: Cyprus-based ship management and crew management group operating a global manning network across all major vessel segments. Directly comparable to TURTLE because it provides the same end service (placing vetted seafarers on shipowners' vessels) at comparable enterprise scale, though via a traditional agency model rather than a marketplace.
• OSM Maritime: Norway-headquartered ship management group with global crewing operations and significant presence in Europe and Asia. Directly comparable to TURTLE for the same reason: provides crewing and full manning services to shipowners, recently investing in digitisation of its own recruitment process — making it both a peer and a potential competitor.
• Anglo-Eastern: Hong Kong-based independent ship manager managing one of the largest fleets in the world, with crew management as a core service line. Comparable to TURTLE because it directly recruits, vets, and supplies seafarers to shipowners across multiple vessel segments — competing head-to-head for the same enterprise mandates TURTLE targets.
• Faststream Recruitment: Global recruitment firm specialising in maritime, offshore energy, and industrial sectors, with both contingency and executive search offerings. A direct peer of TURTLE because it sells seafarer and maritime professional placements into the same shipowner and offshore customer base, though via traditional recruiter relationships rather than an open digital marketplace.
• V.Ships: One of the world's largest independent ship management groups, headquartered in the UK, with deep crewing and manning operations across all vessel segments. Directly comparable to TURTLE for providing crew management services at scale to shipowners, and represents one of the largest traditional-aggregator competitors in the same target market.
• Vroon: Netherlands-based shipping group operating a diversified fleet (containers, product/chemical tankers, offshore) with its own in-house crewing function. Comparable to TURTLE because it manages end-to-end crew acquisition and deployment for vessel operators — serving the same buyer (shipowners) with overlapping crew-management value proposition.
• Bernhard Schulte Shipmanagement (BSM): Hamburg-headquartered, family-owned ship management group with a global crewing footprint operating across tankers, container, bulk, and offshore. A direct peer of TURTLE because it sells crewing and manning services to shipowners — and notably shares Hamburg as a headquarters city, making it the most locally comparable incumbent.

Emerging players

• Yotspot: UK-headquartered online marketplace and app for yacht crew placements, connecting qualified seafarers with yacht operators. An emerging player and adjacent peer to TURTLE — the same digital-marketplace business model for matching crew to vessel operators, but focused on the superyacht segment and lacking TURTLE's merchant-fleet breadth and enterprise scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@TURTLE-hr
• Facebookfacebook.com/TURTLE.Maritime.Matchmaking
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/turtle-gmbh
• Instagraminstagram.com/turtle_hr_official

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 TURTLE