WASSP Multibeam

What WASSP Multibeam does

Electronic Navigation Limited (ENL), trading in part as WASSP Multibeam, is a privately-held New Zealand marine electronics company founded in 1945 and headquartered in Wairau Valley, Auckland, with a regional office in Nelson. ENL designs and manufactures the proprietary WASSP multibeam sonar system — a 224-beam sonar used for wide-area seafloor profiling, fish school detection, wreck and reef mapping, and seabed hardness analysis — and distributes Furuno marine electronics exclusively across New Zealand and the Southern Pacific under a relationship dating to 1960 in which Furuno Global Corporation holds an equity stake.

The company serves four primary verticals: commercial fishing and workboats, superyachts (including 30+ new-build integration projects and 100+ Wireless WASSP W3 installations), defence (notably Royal New Zealand Navy platforms such as MRV Aotearoa and the Protector fleet), and recreational boating and fishing. Product breadth spans multibeam sounders, CHIRP fish finders, NavNet TZtouch multi-function displays, TimeZero professional navigation software, autopilots, radar, and VHF/GMDSS communications, complemented by Lloyd's ISO 9001:2015-accredited systems engineering, refit support, and custom integration services.

ENL monetises through a mix of one-time hardware sales (Furuno and WASSP), recurring software licensing (TimeZero), and project-based professional services for new builds and defence. Go-to-market combines a 60+ domestic dealer network and 40+ international distributors with direct enterprise sales for superyacht and defence contracts, supplemented by event-driven demand generation (Hutchwilco Boat Show, Team Furuno sponsorships, Snapper World Cup) and digital channels including a substantial YouTube library and dealer portal. The 50+ staff company is controlled by the Hodson family, with Gareth Hodson serving as Managing Director.

Name

WASSP Multibeam

Legal name

Electronic Navigation Limited

Website

https://enl.co.nz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1945

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

WASSP Multibeam (ENL) is a New Zealand marine electronics firm, founded 1945, that designs the proprietary 224-beam WASSP multibeam sonar and exclusively distributes Furuno electronics across NZ and the Southern Pacific, serving commercial fishing, superyachts, defence, and recreational boating customers through a 60+ NZ dealer and 40+ international distributor network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Electronics / Multibeam Sonar Systems

NAICS

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

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Sonar, Undersea Sensors & Acoustic Detection Systems (IMABAGAD), Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS) (IMAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Multibeam sonar systems
• Marine electronics
• Fish finding technology
• Hydrographic survey equipment
• Navigation software

Headquarters

HQ city

Wairau Valley

HQ country

New Zealand

HQ region

Oceania

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Hardware Sales: Sale of marine electronics equipment including multibeam sonar systems, fish finders, radar, autopilots, and related hardware components.
2. Systems Integration and Engineering Services: Value-added systems integration services for superyachts, commercial vessels, and defence applications. Includes installation, commissioning, and ongoing support.
3. Software and Licensing: Navigation software products including TimeZero professional navigation software with chart and license sales.
4. After-Sales Service and Support: Warranty services, technical support, maintenance, and repair services for marine electronics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

WASSP Multibeam designs, manufactures, and sells multibeam sonar systems (with 224 beams) for real-time seabed profiling, seafloor mapping, and fish detection. The portfolio includes the WASSP Multibeam Sonar, the wireless WASSP W3 for superyacht tender mapping, and integrations with TimeZero navigation software and Furuno NavNet multi-function displays. ENL also distributes Furuno marine electronics in New Zealand and provides systems integration engineering services for superyacht new builds, commercial vessels, and naval/defence clients.

Product overview

WASSP Multibeam is a New Zealand-designed and manufactured multibeam sonar system that forms the core product of Electronic Navigation Limited (ENL). The primary offering is the WASSP Multibeam Sonar with 224 beams for comprehensive seafloor mapping and fish detection. The product portfolio includes the WASSP W3 wireless variant for superyacht applications and CDX versions. These sonar systems integrate with TimeZero professional navigation software and Furuno NavNet TZtouch/TZtouchXL multi-function displays. Key technologies include RezBoost signal processing, ACCU-Fish size assessment, and Bottom Discrimination for fishing applications. ENL also provides comprehensive engineering services including refit support, new build integration (Lloyd's ISO9001:2015 approved), and defense systems integration for the Royal New Zealand Navy, supporting over 40 WASSP distributors worldwide.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WASSP: Breakthrough multibeam sonar system designed and manufactured by ENL in New Zealand. Uses multibeam technology for seabed profiling, mapping, and fish detection with 224 beams.
• FURUNO NZ
• FURUNO
• TimeZero

Products and services

• WASSP Multibeam Sonar Proprietary 224-beam multibeam sonar system that profiles the water column and seafloor with extreme accuracy to reveal rocks, reefs, wrecks, seafloor hardness changes, and fish schools. Designed and manufactured by ENL in New Zealand for commercial fishing, hydrographic survey, and superyacht applications.
• WASSP W3 Wireless System Wireless multibeam sounder for superyacht tender mapping enabling long-range real-time remote mapping with store-and-forward technology (up to 24-hour buffer) for out-of-range data synchronization. Now fitted on more than 100 yachts globally.
• TimeZero Professional Navigation Software

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 30 super yacht projects completed with ENL engineering services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• FurunocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 1960ENL has been the exclusive Furuno distributor in New Zealand and Southern Pacific for over 73 years since 1960. Furuno Global Corporation holds shareholding investment in ENL, reflecting deep strategic partnership. Furuno is a world-class marine electronics designer and manufacturer known for fish finders, radar systems and navigational instruments.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Furuno Electric Co., Ltd. Furuno manufactures fish finders, sonar, radar, and navigation instruments that directly overlap with WASSP's product range (ENL is Furuno's NZ distributor but also competes in adjacent categories globally, and Furuno holds equity in ENL).
• Kongsberg Maritime: Kongsberg's EM multibeam echosounder series is the leading commercial hydrographic multibeam platform, directly comparable to WASSP's multibeam sonar technology for seabed mapping and underwater imaging.
• Teledyne Marine (RESON, Odom Hydrographic): Teledyne Marine's RESON and Odom brands produce multibeam and single-beam sonars used in hydrographic survey and commercial marine markets, overlapping directly with WASSP's multibeam sonar offering.
• R2Sonic: R2Sonic designs compact high-resolution multibeam sonars for survey and small-vessel applications, directly comparable to WASSP's multibeam sonar systems across hydrographic and commercial fishing use cases.
• Norbit Subsea: Norbit Subsea (iWBMSc, iWBMSe) produces multibeam sonars for hydrographic and shallow-water survey, positioning it as a direct technology and market peer to WASSP's multibeam sonar range.
• Navico (Simrad): Simrad's sonar, fish finder, and multifunction display portfolio competes head-to-head with Furuno and WASSP products in commercial and recreational fishing electronics.

Broad incumbents

• Garmin Marine: Garmin Marine is a large incumbent offering chartplotters, sonar (Panoptix), radar, and autopilots that broadly compete with ENL/Furuno/WASSP products in recreational fishing and yacht segments.
• Raymarine (Teledyne): Raymarine (acquired by Teledyne FLIR) supplies multifunction displays, sonar, radar, and autopilots competing with Furuno and WASSP products across recreational and light-commercial marine electronics markets.
• Northrop Grumman Mission Systems (Undersea Systems): Northrop Grumman's undersea systems business produces naval sonar and acoustic detection systems that overlap with marine sonar technology ENL/WASSP brings to defense integration work for navies like the RNZN.

Emerging players

• Imagenex Technology Corp. Imagenex is a smaller niche manufacturer of multibeam and imaging sonars for survey and inspection, overlapping with WASSP in multibeam sonar but at smaller scale and specialized use cases.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wassp_global
• Facebookfacebook.com/ElectronicNavigationLtd
• LinkedInnz.linkedin.com/company/electronic-navigation-ltd
• Instagraminstagram.com/furunonewzealand

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries2 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 WASSP Multibeam