What Nautilus International does

Nautilus International is a private trade union and professional organization founded in 1857 and headquartered in the United Kingdom (with a registered address in Wallasey and a head office in London). It serves more than 18,000 maritime professionals across seagoing, yacht, shore-based, cadet, river cruise, Royal Fleet Auxiliary, and inland waterways segments in the UK, the Netherlands, Switzerland, and France, with a stated global reach through a network of specialist lawyers in more than 50 countries. The union is a non-profit, member-owned entity governed through elected representatives, affiliated to the Trades Union Congress in the UK, FNV in the Netherlands, and SGB/USS in Switzerland, and holds observer and advocacy roles at the International Maritime Organization and the International Labour Organization.

The organization's core product is a tiered subscription membership portfolio. Seagoing officers pay £29.40/month, shore-based staff £17.00-£23.25/month, marine ratings £21.60/month, yacht officers €405/year, yacht crew €275/year, and cadets £36/year, with a promotional Yacht Friends of Nautilus (YFON) tier at €135/year. The service stack is anchored by the Nautilus 24/7 emergency helpline, the My Nautilus member portal, the Nautilus Fair Treatment mobile app, and the Telegraph monthly magazine. Differentiated member benefits include Certificate Protection (free financial cover for certificate cancellation, suspension, or downgrading), Worldwide Legal Services through the 50-country lawyer network, Compensation Recovery for occupational illness and injury, Maritime Incident Support, and the Nautilus Plus deals and discounts scheme. Additional revenue-adjacent offerings include the Digital Sea Service Verification service, Nautilus Jobs board, and Nautilus Courses training platform. The single proprietary technology asset disclosed is the Digital Sea Service Verification system.

The revenue model is recurring subscription income paid via direct debit or card on monthly, quarterly, half-yearly, or annual billing cycles. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: members self-enroll through the multilingual online portal (English, Dutch, German), are recruited via branch conferences, onboard ship visits worldwide, and onboarded early through college visits to maritime academies such as UKSA, NMCI, Warsash Maritime School, South Shields Marine School, City of Glasgow College, Fleetwood Nautical Campus, University of Plymouth, and UHI Shetland. Distribution is supported by regional offices in London, Wallasey, Rotterdam, and Basel, plus France-based representatives, and is amplified by content channels including the Off Course podcast, NautilusTV on YouTube, and the Telegraph magazine.

Name

Nautilus International

Legal name

Nautilus International

Website

https://nautilusint.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1857

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Nautilus International is a UK-headquartered trans-boundary trade union founded in 1857 that serves more than 18,000 maritime professionals across seagoing, yacht, shore, cadet, river cruise, RFA, and inland waterways segments via tiered subscriptions, a 50-country legal network, and representation at the IMO and ILO.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Wallasey

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Nautilus International generates revenue through membership subscription fees from maritime professionals. Membership tiers include seagoing officers, shore staff (higher and lower rates), marine ratings, yacht officers, yacht crew, and cadets/students/trainees. Pricing varies by sector and employment status, with options for direct debit or card payment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Nautilus International operates as a trade union and professional organisation for maritime professionals, providing tiered membership subscriptions across seagoing officers, shore staff, marine ratings, yacht officers/crew, cadets, and a Yacht Friends of Nautilus (YFON) scheme. Members receive a 24/7 emergency helpline, worldwide legal services through a 50+ country lawyer network, certificate protection, compensation recovery, maritime incident support, and Nautilus Plus discount benefits.

Product overview

Nautilus International operates as a trade union and professional organization offering a comprehensive membership-based service portfolio for maritime professionals. The core offering consists of membership tiers spanning seagoing officers (at £29.40/month), shore-based staff (£17.00-£23.25/month), marine ratings (£21.60/month), yacht sector professionals (€275-€405/year), and cadets/trainees (£36.00/year). The service ecosystem is anchored by the Nautilus 24/7 emergency helpline and My Nautilus digital portal, supplemented by specialized resources including the Yacht Hub, Cadet Hub, Nautilus Jobs board, Nautilus Courses training platform, and Nautilus Telegraph magazine. Key member benefits include Certificate Protection, Worldwide Legal Services through a network spanning 50+ countries, Compensation Recovery support, and Nautilus Plus deals and discounts. The Digital Sea Service Verification service provides professional credential documentation, while the Nautilus Fair Treatment App enables incident recording on mobile devices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Nautilus 24/7: 24/7 emergency assistance service for members
• Nautilus Telegraph
• Yacht Friends of Nautilus (YFON)
• NautilusTV
• Off Course

Products and services

• Nautilus International Membership

Quantifiable outcome

• Recovered more than £2.17 million in unpaid wages for yacht crew
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, minor and core.

• Superyacht Services GuidestrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerStrategic partnership announced for yacht sector services, providing Nautilus members with access to superyacht services directory and support network.
• Commsave Credit UnionminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing ethical savings and loans services for Nautilus members through Commsave Credit Union.
• Venture Yacht CrewstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerNew yacht partner expanding the Nautilus yacht partner network to provide additional services for yacht crew members.
• Female Yacht Crew Support NetworkstrategicGTM or Marketing PartnerFemale yacht crew support network joined Nautilus as a strategic yacht partner, providing support for female professionals in the yacht industry.
• TUC (Trades Union Congress)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated to the TUC in the UK. Nautilus General Secretary elected as TUC President. Union participates in TUC Congress, TUC Young Workers Conference, and TUC Women's Conference.
• FNV (Nederlandse Bond van Generaties)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated to FNV in the Netherlands, providing cross-border representation for Dutch maritime professionals.
• SGB/USS (Schweizerischer Gewerkschaftsbund)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAffiliated to SGB/USS in Switzerland, providing representation for Swiss maritime professionals particularly in inland waterways.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents the voice of 18,000 maritime professionals at the IMO, working on key global regulations covering working conditions, health and safety, and training.
• International Labour Organization (ILO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRepresents the voice of 18,000 maritime professionals at the ILO, working on international labour standards for seafarers.
• Excellence CruisesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerNew collective bargaining agreement between Nautilus and Excellence Cruises providing better protection for river cruise crew.
• Nautilus FederationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational federation of maritime unions with affiliates worldwide, working on seafarer rights, recruitment and retention, and international maritime issues.
• PLSA Pension Quality MarkminorOthersPension Quality Mark accreditation holder, indicating quality standards for pension provision.
• Investors in PeopleminorOthersInvestors in People accreditation, demonstrating commitment to staff development and good people management practices.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• Unite the Union: The UK's largest trade union, with a significant maritime sector membership covering officers, ratings, and shore-based maritime staff. Direct peer in the UK market — overlapping member base, similar subscription model, and similar bargaining, legal, and welfare services.
• National Union of Rail, Maritime and Transport Workers (RMT): UK-based union representing workers across rail, maritime, and transport, with overlapping coverage of seafarers and maritime professionals. Direct peer because it competes for the same UK maritime members and offers similar workplace-representation and bargaining services.
• Nautilus Federation: International federation of maritime unions with affiliates worldwide, focused on seafarer rights, recruitment, retention, and international maritime policy. Direct peer in mission and member base; Nautilus International is itself an affiliate, but the Federation competes for the same advocacy and policy-influence role.
• International Transport Workers' Federation (ITF): Global federation of transport worker unions, including a substantial maritime section. Direct peer because it competes for the same member demographic (seafarers, maritime officers) and operates globally with comparable advocacy and collective-bargaining services.

Others

• International Labour Organization (ILO): UN agency setting international labor standards, including the Maritime Labour Convention that governs seafarer working conditions. Indirect peer — Nautilus represents members at the ILO and engages on the development and enforcement of seafarer labor standards.
• International Maritime Organization (IMO): United Nations specialized agency responsible for maritime safety, security, and environmental performance, including labor-related regulations. Indirect peer — Nautilus engages with the IMO as a recognized NGO and represents members in its rule-making processes.
• Merchant Navy Training Board (MNTB): UK industry body that sets standards and supports training for merchant navy officers and ratings. Adjacent peer — operates in the same maritime-officer training and certification ecosystem that Nautilus's cadet pipeline feeds into.
• International Seafarers' Welfare and Assistance Network (ISWAN): International charity network providing welfare services, helplines, and support to seafarers worldwide. Adjacent peer — shares the seafarer welfare mission and member demographic, but operates as a coordinating welfare body rather than a subscription union.
• Seafarers UK: UK charity dedicated to the welfare of seafarers and their families, providing grants, training support, and welfare services. Adjacent peer — same member demographic (UK seafarers) but operates as a welfare charity rather than a subscription union.
• The Mission to Seafarers: International Anglican charity providing welfare and support services to seafarers in port communities worldwide. Adjacent peer — serves the same end-member demographic (seafarers) through port-based welfare and personal support rather than union representation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@nautilusint/videos
• Xx.com/nautilusint
• Facebookfacebook.com/Nautilusint
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nautilusint

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Nautilus International