Pelagic Data Systems
Pelagic Data Systems builds ultra-light, solar-powered vessel tracking hardware and a cloud analytics platform that enable governments, seafood companies, and NGOs to monitor small-scale fishing fleets across 30+ countries. Its cellular-based, tamper-proof VTS serves the 95% of global fishing vessels previously excluded from legacy tracking systems.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingSoftware
What Pelagic Data Systems does
Pelagic Data Systems (PDS) builds an ultra-light, solar-powered Vessel Tracking System (VTS) and a cloud analytics platform purpose-built for small-scale and artisanal fisheries that are too small or poorly equipped for legacy VMS or AIS systems. The VTS hardware is rugged, IP68-rated, requires no vessel power source or operator action, records GPS position every few seconds, stores data onboard in encrypted form, and transmits via cellular network to the cloud. The cloud platform integrates vessel tracking data with add-on sensors (temperature loggers, gear immersion sensors) and external data sources, providing vessel activity histories, marine protected area incursion alerts, spatial analyses, catch-per-unit-effort analytics, and custom reporting. PDS sells directly to government fisheries management bodies, seafood supply chain companies, and conservation NGOs, with field operations staff supporting installations across six continents and project-based deployment services layered on top of recurring analytics subscriptions and one-time hardware sales. Customer examples span the Timor-Leste Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries, Albion Farms & Fisheries, Blue Star Foods, Real Good Fish, Dock to Dish, and partners including WorldFish, E2E Foundation, ThisFish, FishTrax, and Local Catch; the company has been deployed in 30+ countries and recognized with the 2018 National Geographic Marine Protection Prize, SeaWeb Seafood Champion Award for Innovation, and CGIAR Inspire Challenge.
Pelagic Data Systems firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Pelagic Data Systems
- Legal name
- Pelagic Data Systems, Inc.
- Website
- https://pelagicdata.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Pelagic Data Systems builds ultra-light, solar-powered vessel tracking hardware and a cloud analytics platform that enable governments, seafood companies, and NGOs to monitor small-scale fishing fleets across 30+ countries. Its cellular-based, tamper-proof VTS serves the 95% of global fishing vessels previously excluded from legacy tracking systems.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Pelagic Data Systems is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Pelagic Data Systems business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- VTS Hardware Sales: PDS sells its ultra-light Vessel Tracking System (VTS) hardware devices to governments, fisheries, and seafood companies. Devices are custom-built for fishing vessels and are sold as a one-time hardware purchase that includes the device unit.
- Analytics and Monitoring Subscription: The VTS hardware is paired with a cloud analytics platform that provides ongoing data analysis, reporting, and insights. Data collection, transmission, and platform access constitute a recurring service.
- Project-Based Implementation Services: PDS provides on-site field operations including installation, project scoping, policy guidance, and additional data collection. Field staff with experience on six continents support deployment of tracking systems.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | VTS is positioned as significantly lower cost than legacy AIS ($$$) and VMS ($$$$$) systems, rated at $ per unit. |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Pelagic Data Systems product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Pelagic Data Systems designs and sells an ultra-light, solar-powered Vessel Tracking System (VTS) hardware paired with a cloud-based analytics platform that monitors fishing vessel activity for governments, fisheries management bodies, and seafood supply chain companies. The hardware automatically records GPS position every few seconds, stores data onboard, and transmits via cellular network to a secured cloud dashboard that supports compliance monitoring, catch verification, and end-to-end ocean-to-consumer traceability.
Product overview
Pelagic Data Systems offers a unified platform consisting of the ultra-light Vessel Tracking System (VTS) hardware paired with a cloud analytics platform. The VTS is a rugged, solar-powered device that records vessel GPS position every few seconds and transmits data via cellular network. The cloud platform integrates this tracking data with add-on sensors (temperature loggers, gear immersion sensors) and external data sources to provide vessel activity dashboards, compliance monitoring, and custom reporting. Additional services include Data Interchange for integrating permit and supply-chain data, and On-Site Expertise for installation and field support.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- VTS (Vessel Tracking System): The ultra-light Vessel Tracking System is the core product of PDS's data-collection platform. It is a rugged, waterproof (IP68 rated), solar-powered device that collects GPS data and transmits it via cellular network.
Products and services
- Ultra-Light Vessel Tracking System (VTS) A rugged, ultra-light, solar-powered GPS hardware device designed for fishing vessels of any size, including small canoes without power. Automatically records GPS position every few seconds, encrypts and stores data onboard, and transmits via cellular network to the PDS cloud platform.
- Cloud Analytics Platform A secure online dashboard that integrates vessel tracking data with external data sources, add-on sensors, and partner traceability systems to deliver vessel activity history, compliance monitoring, spatial analyses, marine protected zone incursion alerts, and custom reports for fisheries management and supply chain stakeholders.
- Add-On Sensors (Temperature Loggers and Gear Immersion Sensors) External sensors that connect wirelessly to the VTS device, including temperature loggers for cold-chain verification and gear immersion sensors. The encrypted sensor network enables capture of additional environmental and operational data beyond vessel location.
- Custom Reporting Service A professional service in which PDS reporting experts build custom-tailored analytical reports on vessel activity, compliance, and fisheries data at intervals required by the customer.
- Data Interchange Services A technical integration service in which PDS staff consolidate registration, permit, supply-chain, and enumerator data with PDS tracking data into a unified fleet knowledge repository for fisheries management customers.
- On-Site Field Operations and Implementation An on-site professional service providing hardware installation, project scoping, policy consultation, and supplementary data collection across global deployment sites, delivered by field staff with experience on six continents.
Quantifiable outcome
- 359 devices installed on fishing boats in Timor-Leste by August 2019, covering ~20% of the national fleet
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Pelagic Data Systems
Customer profileNamed customers6 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Pelagic Data Systems technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability3 records
Feature6 records
Pelagic Data Systems partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.
- WorldFishcorePDS partnered with WorldFish (led CGIAR Research Program on Fish Agri-Food Systems) to install 359 solar-powered VTS devices on fishing boats in Timor-Leste, feeding data into the Automated Analytics System for Small-Scale Fisheries (PeskAAS) dashboard. WorldFish aims to install 500 devices total (~20% of the national fleet). The partnership was funded by a $100,000 Inspire Challenge grant from CGIAR. PDS provided the hardware and data transmission; WorldFish handled dashboard development and deployment with the Ministry of Agriculture and Fisheries.
- E2E FoundationcoreE2E Foundation, a Colombian non-profit focused on sustainable coastal development, partnered with PDS and ASOPESAMRIN to install 32 GPS vessel tracking devices on boats in Rincón del Mar, Sucre, Colombia. The project supports local fishermen's compliance with a new Marine Protected Area and sustainable fleet management. Schmidt Marine Technology Partners provided funding support for this work.
- Dock to DishcoreDock to Dish, a network of restaurant-supported fishery programs, partnered with PDS and FishTrax Marketplace to launch 'Dock to Dish 2.0' — the world's first hybrid geospatial database system integrating vessel and vehicle tracking with an advanced electronic fishery database for near real-time end-to-end monitoring of wild seafood supply chains. PDS tracking devices were installed on fishing vessels and delivery vehicles, with data visible on a live tracking dashboard.
- FishTrax MarketplacecoreFishTrax Marketplace provides a geospatial electronic fishery database and interactive traceability platform. As part of Dock to Dish 2.0, FishTrax integrated with PDS tracking to provide consumers and restaurants with the who, what, where, when, and how behind seafood, with video content, pictures, and messaging capability directly to fishermen.
- Local CatchsupportingLocal Catch is a grassroots community-of-practice network of independent fishery programs across North America. Co-founded by Josh Stoll, Ph.D., the organization provides the community and database infrastructure for PDS-integrated traceability programs. Julianna Stoll designed the geospatial database website for Local Catch that informed Dock to Dish 2.0.
- Albion Farms & FisheriescoreAlbion Farms & Fisheries, one of Canada's largest integrated meat and seafood suppliers, partnered with PDS to pioneer a real-time tracking and traceability system for its wild-caught salmon troll fleet in British Columbia's North Coast. PDS outfits vessels with solar-powered VTS that records location, fishing activity, and storage temperature. Data is transmitted via cellular to PDS's online platform and cross-checked with ThisFish traceability data.
- ThisFishcoreVancouver-based global seafood traceability system that generates unique scannable QR code labels for fish products. PDS and ThisFish cross-check vessel tracking data with catch data to ensure data integrity for legally harvested salmon. The two systems are being integrated to automatically cross-check data when catch is uploaded, with 'Verified by Pelagic Data Systems' notices.
- Unreasonable GoalssupportingUnreasonable Goals is a collaboration between the U.S. State Department's Office of Global Partnerships and Unreasonable Group. PDS was one of 16 organizations invited to present at the inaugural accelerator focused on UN Sustainable Development Goals, specifically SDG 14 'Life Below Water'. The program helps entrepreneurs maximize impact and connect with resources to solve global challenges.
- Real Good FishsupportingReal Good Fish, a community-supported fishery delivering fresh seafood to ~1,500 subscribers in Monterey Bay and San Francisco Bay areas, partnered with PDS to outfit volunteer boats with vessel tracking. Subscribers receive weekly email newsletters with detailed reports on where, when, and how their fish was caught, powered by PDS tracking data.
- Blue Star FoodssupportingBlue Star Foods launched traceability and data collection tools for blue swimming crab in Indonesia using PDS geospatial boat tracking for artisanal vessels. PDS devices provide on-the-water data for fishing duration, location, and timing as part of a fully traceable supply chain solution.
Scale indicators12 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Pelagic Data Systems competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- BlueTraker: Portuguese manufacturer of satellite-based Vessel Monitoring Systems (VMS) primarily serving fisheries management and small-scale fleets. Directly competes with PDS in the fisheries monitoring space, though BlueTraker relies on satellite rather than cellular transmission.
- Satlink: Spanish satellite technology company providing vessel monitoring solutions for fisheries and blue economy applications. Competes with PDS in fisheries vessel tracking and electronic reporting, with a stronger satellite focus but broader product portfolio.
- exactEarth (now Hisdesat Maritime): Satellite AIS data provider for vessel tracking across commercial shipping, fisheries, and government/defence applications. Competes with PDS in vessel position data for maritime domain awareness, though focused on large commercial fleets via satellite.
Broad incumbents
- CLS Group (Collecte Localisation Satellites): French subsidiary of CNES and CNP providing satellite-based vessel monitoring, fisheries management, and maritime domain awareness solutions. A much larger incumbent with overlapping fisheries tracking capability, though focused on industrial fleets and government contracts.
- Orbcomm: Established IoT provider offering fleet, asset, and vessel tracking telematics across multiple industries including maritime, cold chain, and logistics. Overlaps with PDS in cellular/satellite IoT tracking but serves much broader markets.
- Kongsberg Maritime: Major marine technology conglomerate offering navigation, automation, and vessel monitoring systems including fisheries solutions. Overlaps with PDS in marine sensors and tracking but serves industrial and naval customers with much broader product portfolios.
- Garmin: Established GPS and marine electronics manufacturer including chartplotters, sonar, and AIS products. Provides marine navigation and tracking hardware for recreational and small commercial vessels, with broader consumer reach but less specialization in compliance/MPA monitoring.
Emerging players
- Spire Global: Public satellite data and analytics company offering global vessel tracking via satellite AIS, weather, and maritime intelligence. Emerging as a major player in vessel tracking analytics with broader datasets than PDS but less specialization in artisanal fleets.
- Thalos: Emerging IoT-based vessel monitoring and connectivity provider for the maritime industry. Competes with PDS in providing low-cost tracking for smaller vessels but with a focus on commercial shipping connectivity rather than artisanal fisheries.
- Vesper Marine: New Zealand-based marine AIS and vessel monitoring provider for safety and tracking applications. Competes in the marine electronics space with PDS but targets recreational and small commercial vessels with VHF-based AIS rather than cellular tracking.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Pelagic Data Systems social profiles
Digital presencePelagic Data Systems financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Pelagic Data Systems leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Pelagic Data Systems funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Pelagic Data Systems M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Pelagic Data Systems
What does Pelagic Data Systems do?
Pelagic Data Systems designs and sells an ultra-light, solar-powered Vessel Tracking System (VTS) hardware paired with a cloud-based analytics platform that monitors fishing vessel activity for governments, fisheries management bodies, and seafood supply chain companies. The hardware automatically records GPS position every few seconds, stores data onboard, and transmits via cellular network to a secured cloud dashboard that supports compliance monitoring, catch verification, and end-to-end ocean-to-consumer traceability.
Is Pelagic Data Systems a public or private company?
Pelagic Data Systems is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Pelagic Data Systems founded?
Pelagic Data Systems was founded in 2014. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Pelagic Data Systems based?
Pelagic Data Systems is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Pelagic Data Systems make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. VTS Hardware Sales are the primary driver. The others are analytics and Monitoring Subscription and project-Based Implementation Services.
Who are Pelagic Data Systems's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are BlueTraker, Satlink and exactEarth (now Hisdesat Maritime). Broad incumbents are CLS Group (Collecte Localisation Satellites), Orbcomm, Kongsberg Maritime and Garmin. Emerging players are Spire Global, Thalos and Vesper Marine.
Does Pelagic Data Systems have an API?
No public API is recorded for Pelagic Data Systems.