Northwest Marine Technologies

What Northwest Marine Technologies does

Northwest Marine Technologies, Inc. (NMT) is a privately held US manufacturer founded in 1971 by Keith Jefferts in Anacortes, Washington. The company designs and produces specialized tagging systems for fish and other aquatic animals, anchored by its proprietary Coded Wire Tag (CWT) — a 0.25mm magnetized stainless steel wire tag invented by Jefferts in the late 1960s and used in over 2 billion juvenile salmon tagging events in the Pacific Northwest alone. NMT also manufactures Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE) tags, VI Alpha fluorescent alphanumeric tags, and a full ecosystem of injection, detection, and recovery equipment including the Mark IV Tag Injector, T-Wand and V-Detector handheld detectors, the R9500 tunnel detector, and the AutoFish System — a self-contained mobile automated unit in a 5th-wheel trailer that sorts within 1mm accuracy and processes up to 600-800 tags/hour at salmonid enhancement hatcheries.

The company's primary customers are government fisheries agencies — federal (US Fish and Wildlife Service), state (Idaho DFG, Alaska DFG, Michigan DNR), tribal (Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission, Lower Fraser Fishing Alliance), and Canadian — operating hatcheries and stock-assessment programs that must comply with Endangered Species Act mandates, Hatchery Genetic Management Plans, and Pacific Salmon Treaty obligations. Secondary customers include academic and conservation researchers who tag crustaceans, cephalopods, reptiles, amphibians, and other animals. NMT sells primarily through direct sales for USA, Canada, Europe, Australia, New Zealand, and Africa, and via regional distributors (Enfotran Corporation for Asia, BIOWEB Global/Colombia/Brazil for Latin America). Pricing is unit-based on a 2026 published price list, with refurbished equipment and a credit-token pay-per-tag Air Driven Elastomer System providing secondary price points.

NMT's business model is hardware-centric and project-driven: it sells tags in spool or precut formats, sells the equipment to inject and detect them, and earns recurring revenue through equipment service, repairs (1-year guarantee), and AutoFish field service. The firm operates from a single consolidated production facility in Anacortes, WA with administrative offices in Olympia, WA, and runs on 11-50 employees. As the sole global manufacturer of CWTs and operator of the Regional Mark Processing Center database, NMT is effectively a monopoly supplier in its niche, but the company's growth is constrained by the limited size of the global salmonid tagging market, dependence on government program budgets, and absence of disclosed expansion into commercial aquaculture or adjacent verticals.

Name

Northwest Marine Technologies

Legal name

Northwest Marine Technology, Inc.

Website

https://nmt.us

Company type

Private

Founded year

1971

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Northwest Marine Technologies, founded in 1971 in Anacortes, Washington, is the sole global manufacturer of Coded Wire Tags and the AutoFish System, selling integrated fish-tagging hardware, injection equipment, and detection systems to government fisheries agencies, salmonid enhancement hatcheries, and aquatic-animal researchers worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fish Tagging Equipment

akta.pro primary industry

Animal Identification & Tracking Devices (Microchips, RFID, Tags, Scanners) (HLAMAFAL)

Keywords

• Fish tagging equipment
• Coded wire tags
• Salmonid marking systems
• Aquatic animal tags
• Automated fish handling

Headquarters

HQ city

Anacortes

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fish Tags and Tagging Equipment: NMT manufactures and sells specialized tagging products including Coded Wire Tags, Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE), VI Alpha Tags, along with injectors (Mark IV, Single Shot), detectors (T-Wand, V-Detector, R9500 Tunnel), and accessories. Tags are sold in various formats and quantities for different tagging project scales.
2. AutoFish System: Mobile automated tagging system housed in a 5th wheel trailer for mass marking and tagging of salmonids. Sold with associated upgrades, packages, and field service support.
3. Refurbished Equipment Sales: Sale of refurbished Air Driven Elastomer Injection Systems from rental pool at discounted prices (US$2000 each).
4. Equipment Service and Repairs: Repair services for tagging equipment including Mark IV injectors and detectors. One year guarantee covers defects in material or workmanship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Northwest Marine Technologies designs, manufactures, and sells specialized fish tagging products and associated equipment for fisheries management. Its core offerings are three proprietary tag families — Coded Wire Tags (CWT), Visible Implant Elastomer (VIE), and VI Alpha fluorescent tags — together with integrated injection (Mark IV, Single Shot), detection (T-Wand, V-Detector, R9500 Tunnel), and automated handling (AutoFish System) equipment. The company serves government fisheries agencies, salmonid enhancement hatcheries, and research scientists with end-to-end tagging-to-recovery systems manufactured in Washington State, USA.

Product overview

Northwest Marine Technologies offers a comprehensive suite of fish tagging products and related equipment. The core product lines include three types of tags: Coded Wire Tags (tiny magnetized stainless steel wire tags on spools), Visible Implant Elastomer Tags (colored liquid elastomer that cures internally), and VI Alpha Tags (fluorescent alphanumeric tags for individual identification). Supporting these tag products is a range of injection equipment including the Mark IV Tag Injector, Single Shot Tag Injector, and Air Driven Elastomer Injection System. Detection equipment includes handheld detectors (T-Wand, V-Detector) and tunnel detectors (R9500) for locating tags post-injection. The flagship AutoFish System is a mobile automated unit in a trailer that sorts, clips fins, and injects tags into juvenile salmonids at high volume. Additional accessories include Head Molds for positioning fish, VI Light for tag detection, and various reading tools (Tag Viewer, MagniViewer) for recovering tag codes. The company also offers an Individual Fish Counter for tracking handled fish.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coded Wire Tags (CWT) Tiny magnetized stainless steel wire tags (0.25 mm diameter) produced on spools for injection. Tags are cut to lengths of 0.5mm, 1.1mm, 1.6mm, or 2.2mm with numeric codes for batch or individual identification. Used for tracking fish, crustaceans, and other animals.
• Visible Implant Elastomer Tags (VIE) Colored elastomer tags injected as liquid that cures into pliable solid, implanted beneath clear tissue and externally visible. Available in 10 colors (6 fluorescent, 4 non-fluorescent). Used for batch and individual identification of fish, crustaceans, cephalopods, reptiles, amphibians, and other animals.
• VI Alpha Tags Small fluorescent tags with alphanumeric codes for individual animal identification. Available in standard size (1.2mm x 2.7mm) and large size (2mm x 5mm). Tags are implanted internally but remain externally visible. Each color has 2,500 different codes.
• AutoFish System Self-contained mobile unit in 5th-wheel trailer for automated fish handling. Sorts within 1mm accuracy, clips adipose fins, and injects Coded Wire Tags into snouts of salmonids (57mm to 142mm). Computer-controlled with sorter and 6 marking/tagging lines.
• Individual Fish Counter Electronic counting system for small fish individually handled during manual fin clipping or vaccination. Tracks multiple batches with adjustable target group sizes and alarm when reached. Up to 12 counting stations controlled by single control box.
• Mark IV Tag Injector Workhorse Coded Wire Tag injector using spools of wire. Can inject 600-800 tags/hour for large-scale tagging projects. Cuts tag from spool and injects into specimen. Compatible with half-length (0.5mm), standard (1.1mm), one and a half length (1.6mm), and double length (2.2mm) tags.
• Single Shot Tag Injector Manual injector for Precut Sequential Coded Wire Tags. Suitable for smaller-scale tagging projects where a couple hundred tags may be injected per day. Precut tags loaded into hollow needle with spring-loaded plunger.
• Quality Control Device (QCD) Small tunnel device used with Mark IV Tag Injector to verify successful tag injection. Fish dropped into QCD after tagging; tagged fish are diverted from untagged fish for quality control verification.
• T-Wand Detector Portable, rugged, and waterproof handheld detector for sampling Coded Wire Tags in the field. Used for detecting tags when no external mark is present.
• V-Detector V-shaped table top detector commonly used in labs for tag recovery from fish heads. Also used at hatcheries and sampling sites for detecting Coded Wire Tags. Not suitable for use on boats.
• R9500 Tunnel Detector High-volume tunnel detector for detecting Coded Wire Tags in large numbers of fish at hatcheries and processing plants. Can accommodate conveyor belts running through tunnel. Gate can be added to count and sort tagged and untagged fish.
• Air Driven Elastomer Injection System Pneumatic injection system using compressed air to push elastomer from syringe, reducing hand fatigue for large-scale VIE tagging. Includes control box, handpiece, and connector hoses. User supplies compressed air at minimum 60 psi. Credit token system for pay-per-tag operation.
• VIE Manual Injection Kits

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 2 billion juvenile fish tagged with Coded Wire Tags in Pacific Northwest regional program
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered regional.

• Enfotran CorporationregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for Asia market. Handles all orders from Asian countries including China, Japan, Korea, and other Asian nations. Contact: Mr. Yong Huang at office phone +1 425-456-0101 or email [email protected].
• BIOWEB GlobalregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution partner for Mexico, Central and South America (excluding Colombia and Brazil). Handles orders from these regions via phone +1 855-524-6932 or WhatsApp +1 659-266-7351.
• BIOWEB ColombiaregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for Colombia. Contact: Mrs. Maria Fernanda de las Casas at phone +57 (301) 336-4352 or WhatsApp +1 659-266-7351.
• BIOWEB BrazilregionalChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorExclusive distribution partner for Brazil. Contact: Mr. Juan Carlos De Las Casas at phone +55 47-9-9224-6932 or WhatsApp +1 659-266-7351.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• INNOVASEA (Hydroacoustic / VEMCO): Larger aquaculture and fish tracking technology provider offering acoustic telemetry, fish farm sensors, and complete aquaculture solutions; overlaps with NMT in fish telemetry and hatchery technology broadly.

Direct peers

• Star-Oddi: Iceland-based manufacturer of miniature data storage tags (DST) and acoustic transmitters used in fish and wildlife research, an alternative identification approach competing for fisheries research budgets.
• Oregon RFID Technologies: Specializes in PIT (Passive Integrated Transponder) tag systems, readers, and antennas for fisheries, aquaculture, and wildlife research; competes with NMT's tagging/detection solutions in many aquatic applications.
• AVID Identification Systems: Long-established manufacturer of animal identification tags, microchips, and readers used across veterinary and research applications; competes in the broader animal tagging ecosystem that includes NMT's VIE/VI Alpha products.
• Hallprint Fish Tags: Australian manufacturer of external fish tags, dart tags, and T-bar anchor tags used in fisheries stock assessment and management programs worldwide.
• Biomark (subsidiary of Avidity Science): Manufactures PIT tags, RFID readers, and telemetry systems for fish and wildlife. Directly competes with NMT in the aquatic animal identification market with overlapping government and research customers.
• Destron Fearing / Digital Angel: Manufacturer of RFID, microchip, and electronic identification devices for companion animals, livestock, and wildlife; relevant peer for NMT's VIE and other marking technologies in non-aquatic applications.
• Floy Tag & Manufacturing: Long-standing manufacturer of fish tags (dart, anchor, spaghetti, acoustic) and tagging equipment for fisheries research and management, serving many of the same state and federal agencies as NMT.

Emerging players

• Loligo Systems: Supplies research equipment and tagging tools for fish physiology and aquaculture studies, overlapping with NMT's research scientist customer segment in experimental animal ID workflows.
• Advanced Telemetry Systems: Designs and manufactures radio telemetry and wildlife tracking equipment used in fisheries and wildlife research; complementary technology and overlapping customer base with NMT's detector/reader offerings.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Northwest Marine Technologies