What Blackfish Engineering Design does

Blackfish Engineering Design is a UK-based mechanical engineering consultancy founded in 2016 and headquartered in Bristol, with additional offices in Edinburgh and Corwen (Wales). The firm provides design, analysis, and turnkey project delivery services to clean technology developers, primarily in tidal stream, wave, and offshore wind energy, with adjacent work in aerospace, rail, and automotive. Core technical capabilities span CAD modelling in Autodesk Inventor, finite element analysis using Ansys Mechanical and Autodesk Nastran (including sub-modelling and topology optimisation), and a proprietary in-house hydrostatic analysis tool; the firm also holds a proprietary C-Dart quick-connection mooring system certified to Bureau Veritas Approval In Principal BV-NR493.

The company monetises primarily through project-based professional services contracts covering concept design, detailed design, structural analysis, manufacturing drawings, procurement management, assembly, testing, and commissioning, with revenue also generated from turnkey design-build-test-deliver engagements (e.g., test rigs, prototypes) and from licensing the C-Dart mooring system through a manufacturing partnership with AJT Engineering. Go-to-market is direct enterprise engagement supported by content marketing (blog, case studies, Innovators Corner), active participation in marine energy industry conferences (Marine Energy Wales, Ocean Energy Europe, EWTEC), and LinkedIn presence. Named customers include Orbital Marine Power, Mocean Energy, SAE Renewables/MeyGen, Airbus, QED Naval, MJR Power and Automation, Bombora Wave Power, Reflex Marine, CGEN Engineering, and Southampton University, with a strategic advisor (former Rolls-Royce) supporting offshore wind and Scottish market expansion.

Name

Blackfish Engineering Design

Legal name

Blackfish Engineering Design Ltd.

Website

https://blackfishengineering.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Blackfish Engineering Design is a UK mechanical engineering consultancy providing design, analysis, simulation, and turnkey project services to clean technology developers in tidal, wave, and offshore wind energy, plus aerospace and rail sectors. Founded 2016, headquartered in Bristol.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bristol

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Engineering Design Services: Project-based professional services covering concept design, detailed design, structural analysis, manufacturing drawings, procurement management, assembly, testing, and commissioning. Services billed on project contract basis with scope varying by client requirements.
2. Turnkey Projects: Complete design-build-test-deliver services for test rigs, support equipment, and prototypes. Includes project management, supply chain coordination, and manufacturing oversight.
3. Product Licensing - C-Dart System: C-Dart mooring system commercialised through manufacturing partnership with AJT Engineering. Blackfish leads application engineering while AJT handles manufacture and assembly.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Blackfish Engineering Design is an engineering consultancy providing mechanical design, analysis/simulation, and turnkey product development services from concept stage through detailed design, build, testing and commissioning. It focuses on clean technology and offshore renewable energy sectors and has developed the proprietary C-Dart quick-connection mooring system.

Product overview

Blackfish Engineering Design is an engineering consultancy offering a portfolio of services rather than a unified software product. Core offerings include mechanical design solutions using Autodesk Inventor CAD, analysis and simulation services using Ansys Mechanical and Nastran, turnkey project delivery, and professional support for innovators. Their proprietary C-DART System is a quick-connection mooring product developed through Wave Energy Scotland and now in commercial manufacture via AJT Engineering partnership. Services span concept design through detailed design, analysis, build, test, and commissioning across tidal, wave, offshore wind, aerospace, rail, and automotive sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• C-DART Quick Connection Mooring System A quick-connection mooring system that removes manual handling of mooring lines, ropes and shackles in open water, using gravity, buoyancy and rope tension for passive, self-aligning connection. Scalable for mooring loads from 1 tonne to 1000 tonnes and Bureau Veritas certified (BV-NR493). Aimed at offshore marine energy and renewables operators.
• Mechanical Design Solutions Core mechanical systems design service using Autodesk Inventor CAD to create complex CAD models and assemblies, and detailed manufacturing and engineering drawings for clean technology and offshore engineering clients.
• Analysis and Simulation Services Finite element analysis covering linear and non-linear analysis, fatigue assessment, bearing modelling and topology optimisation using Ansys Mechanical and Autodesk Nastran, including an in-house hydrostatic analysis tool.
• Turnkey Projects Complete project delivery from concept to tested/demonstrated solutions, including structures, actuators, mechanisms, electrical and hydraulic load application, control and sensing, data logging and reporting, plus supply chain coordination and manufacturing oversight.
• Professional Support for Innovators Technology development support including risks and requirements workshops, technology development roadmaps, validation and verification planning, concept development and due diligence services for clean technology developers.
• Test Rig Design and Build Design and manufacture of test rigs for aviation fuel cells, wave tank lifting platforms, fatigue strain crack testing and propellor torque/thrust measurement, including CE marking capability.
• Offshore Vessel Charging System (with MJR) 1MW offshore vessel charging system development covering electrical and mechanical design, connector engagement, sealing, cooling strategies, rotational compensation redesign, full testing and hardware assembly for electric crew transfer vessels in offshore wind.

Quantifiable outcome

• 62+ GWh of renewable electricity generated through supported tidal projects
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AJT EngineeringcoreOEM/ Whitelabel/ Licensing PartnerStrategic manufacturing partnership for C-Dart mooring system commercial production. Blackfish leads application engineering while AJT handles manufacture and assembly. Partnership supported by Scottish Enterprise and Energy Transition Zone.
• Morek EngineeringminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with Morek Engineering based in Cornwall for floating wind initiatives. Agreement commits to collaborative development in floating wind sector.
• PPI EngineeringminorGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint exhibition at Marine Energy Wales Conference demonstrating integrated capability and collaboration across the UK marine energy sector.
• MJR Power and AutomationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration on offshore vessel charging systems. Blackfish provided mechanical design, systems integration, and project engineering support for development of 1MW offshore charging system and on-turbine eCTV charging solutions.
• University of EdinburghcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on CGEN modular generator technology development. Blackfish provided application engineering and mechanical interface design for back-to-back PTO test apparatus supporting Mocean Energy Blue X device.
• Southampton UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign and build partnership for research test rigs including towing tank mooring platform and pipe flow rig.
• Wave Energy ScotlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunded development of C-Dart technology through WES Quick Connection Systems programme. Multiple projects supported including C-Dart WES Stage 2 Project. WES pre-commercial procurement programme instrumental in advancing innovative solutions.
• Carbon TrustcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as partner collaborating on offshore and clean technology projects. Carbon Trust supports innovation in marine energy sector.
• EMEC (European Marine Energy Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for testing and demonstrating marine energy technologies at EMEC facilities in Orkney, Scotland.
• Mocean EnergycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration since 2017. Responsible for mechanical design and structural assessment of Blue X Wave Energy Converter installed in Orkney 2021. Support for generator integration and testing.
• CGEN EngineeringcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplication engineering partnership for CGEN modular generator technology. Blackfish contributed to mechanical interface design and PTO test apparatus for wave and tidal applications.
• SAE Renewables (formerly SIMEC Atlantis Energy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOwners Engineer role for MeyGen tidal stream project. Provided mechanical design analysis, operational efficiency support, and risk mitigation for world's largest tidal stream project.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Mojo Maritime: Marine engineering and offshore-mooring consultancy that competes for similar marine operations, mooring design and offshore project engineering work in the UK and international markets.
• Cathie Group: Independent offshore engineering consultancy (geotechnics, foundation, cable and mooring analysis) that overlaps directly with Blackfish in mooring, anchoring and offshore structural design work for offshore wind and marine-energy clients.
• HR Wallingford: UK-based independent research and consultancy specialising in water, coastal and marine engineering that competes for tidal, wave and coastal-infrastructure design, modelling and physical test-rig work.
• BMT Group: UK-headquartered marine engineering design consultancy that similarly provides naval architecture, marine systems and offshore engineering services across defence, commercial marine, and offshore renewables clients — directly comparable service model and client overlap.
• LOC Group: Marine and offshore engineering advisory that competes for owner-engineer, marine warranty and design-support roles with UK and European offshore-energy developers, including tidal stream and offshore wind projects.
• ABL Group (formerly Aqualis Braemar LOC): Marine, offshore and energy consultancy providing engineering, marine warranty and owner's engineer services to offshore renewables and shipping clients — directly comparable to Blackfish's MeyGen owner-engineer work.

Broad incumbents

• Wood: Global energy-services engineering firm with renewables and offshore divisions that competes for owner-engineer and detailed design roles on UK and international offshore wind and marine projects at significantly larger scale.
• COWI: Large Danish engineering consultancy with a dedicated offshore wind and marine structures practice — broader scope than Blackfish but competes for tidal, wave and offshore-wind structural design contracts.
• Royal HaskoningDHV: Dutch engineering consultancy with significant offshore, ports and marine renewables capability that competes on offshore-wind, mooring and harbour engineering work in the UK and Europe.
• AtkinsRéalis: Global engineering consultancy with nuclear, renewables and offshore experience that competes for technical advisory, owner's engineer and design roles in UK marine-energy and offshore-wind sectors.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/blackfish-engineering-ltd/posts/?feedView=all
• Xx.com/Blackfish_Eng

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors1 record

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 Blackfish Engineering Design