Ocean Scientific International

Name

Ocean Scientific International

Legal name

Ocean Scientific International Limited

Website

https://osil.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Oceanographic Monitoring Equipment

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Analytical Laboratory Instrument Manufacturing (334516), Totalizing Fluid Meter and Counting Device Manufacturing (334514)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Laboratory Analytical Instruments (3826), Totalizing Fluid Meters & Counting Devices (3824)

akta.pro primary industry

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

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Safety, Alarm & Monitoring Systems (Fire/Gas, IAS, PA/GA) (IMAJAJAG), Wastewater & Industrial Effluent Monitoring (NPDES/Permit Compliance) (EUAHACAD)

Keywords

• Marine environmental monitoring
• Oceanographic instruments
• Data buoy systems
• Sediment sampling equipment
• Water quality monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Havant

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Data Buoy Systems: Manufacture and sale of instrumented MetOcean data buoy platforms ranging from 0.3m to 2.6m diameter, equipped with sensors for environmental monitoring. These are custom-engineered systems with modular construction for various marine environments.
2. Sediment Sampling Equipment: Sale of coring systems including Multiple Corers, Piston Corers (2m to 60m), Vibrocorers, and associated Launch and Recovery Systems (LARS). Equipment ranges from compact inshore samplers to deep-ocean coring systems.
3. Water Column Sampling Equipment: Marine Snow Catchers, Niskin Bottles, water samplers, and associated equipment for collecting and analyzing water column samples and particles.
4. Oil Spill Detection Systems: Monitoring buoys and sensors for hydrocarbon detection, including non-contact optical sensors and networked monitoring solutions for environmental protection.
5. Service and Calibration: In-house Marine Instrument Service and Calibration Centre providing calibration, pre- and post-deployment verification, and repair services for oceanographic instruments. Supports instruments from major manufacturers.
6. Installation, Training and Support: Site installation assistance, operator training, and ongoing technical support for deployed systems worldwide.
7. IAPSO Standard Seawater and Calibration Standards: Operation of the IAPSO Standard Seawater Service, supply of Guildline salinometers, and production of nutrient and calibration standards for salinity measurement.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

OSIL designs and manufactures integrated systems for environmental monitoring in all marine environments, including instrumented MetOcean data buoys (0.3m to 2.6m diameter), sediment coring equipment (Multiple, Piston, Vibro, and Box Corers plus sediment grabs), water column samplers (Niskin Bottles, Marine Snow Catchers), ROV/USV-deployed winches and Niskin arrays, and non-contact oil spill detection sensors. The portfolio is complemented by the IAPSO Standard Seawater Service for salinity calibration, in-house instrument calibration, installation, training, and ongoing support delivered as turnkey solutions to enterprise and government customers.

Product overview

Ocean Scientific International Ltd (OSIL) is a leading manufacturer of integrated environmental monitoring systems for marine environments. The product portfolio centers on instrumented MetOcean data buoys and sediment/water column sampling equipment, supported by calibration services through the IAPSO Standard Seawater Service. The core offerings include: (1) Data Buoys & Telemetry Systems ranging from 0.3m to 2.6m platforms (Small Field Buoy, Tern Buoy, Fulmar Buoy, Skua Buoy) with telemetry options including GSM, Iridium, VHF/UHF, and LoRaWAN; (2) Sediment Sampling Equipment including Vibrocorers (Mini, Midi, Standard, Modular), Multiple Corers (Mega, Maxi, Midi, Mini), Piston Corers (Giant to 60m, Standard, Mini), Box Corers, and Sediment Grabs (Van Veen, Offset Day, Smith McIntyre); (3) Water Column Sampling including Niskin Bottles, Marine Snow Catchers (50L/100L/300L in PVC or Stainless Steel), and water samplers; (4) Marine Robotics including ROV Niskin Arrays (6000m rated) and USV Profiling Winches with wireless charging; (5) Oil Spill Detection Systems including Remote Optical Watcher for non-contact hydrocarbon detection; (6) Seawater Standards & Salinometers through the IAPSO Standard Seawater Service; and (7) Service & Calibration for oceanographic instruments. OSIL provides complete turnkey solutions with in-house design, manufacturing, installation, and ongoing support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• IAPSO Standard Seawater Service: The world leading authority on salinity measurement, operated by OSIL since 1989.

Products and services

• Data Buoys & Telemetry Systems
• Freshwater Data Buoys
• Vibrocorer Systems
• Multiple Corers
• Piston Corers
• Box Corers
• Sediment Grabs
• Water Column Sampling Equipment
• Marine Robotics & Underwater Vehicles
• Seawater Standards & Salinometers
• Oil Spill Detection Systems
• Service & Calibration
• OSIL Beach Buoys
• Aquaculture Monitoring Buoy
• Rental Facility for Instrumented Environmental Monitoring Data Buoys
• Microplastics Sampler
• Automated Winches with Wireless Charging and Communications
• AI-Powered Coastal Water Quality Monitoring (Tern buoy + AI model)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 95% sediment recovery rate achieved with Giant Piston Corers in soft sediments
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers14 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration17 records

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IknaiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Collaboration on real-time bathing water monitoring project at Bournemouth and Boscombe beaches. Iknaia commissioned OSIL-engineered buoys integrated with UnifAI AI prediction platform for BCP Council Smart Place initiative.
• UnifAI TechnologycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2024Partnership to integrate OSIL monitoring buoys with UnifAI AI platform for predictive water quality information and harmful bacteria risk indicators. Funded by BCP Council Smart Place and Wessex Water.
• BCP Council Smart PlacecoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2024Government initiative funding real-time bathing water monitoring buoys through Towns Fund, with data made publicly accessible via SeaCheck WebApp.
• Wessex WatercoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 July 2024Water utility co-funding real-time bathing water monitoring initiative at Bournemouth beaches.
• AML Oceanographic Ltd.coreTechnology or Integration · 1 June 2024Joint development of wireless charging and data transfer system for Micro Profiling Winches designed for use with AML-3 LGR instruments. OSIL automated winches integrated with AML sensors for USV deployment applications.
• Dublin City University (PREDICT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023Collaboration on PREDICT multidisciplinary project funded by Science Foundation of Ireland, Geological Survey of Ireland, and Marine Institute. OSIL buoy deployed in Dublin Bay for coastal observations.
• NASAcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2023Marine Snow Catchers supplied for NASA EXPORTS field campaign studying ocean carbon export and its implications for Earth's climate, contributing to NASA PACE Mission.
• Innovate UKcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 July 2023Funding partner for AI modelling project to improve coastal water quality monitoring predictions, in conjunction with Defra innovation projects.
• University of Rhode IslandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2020Provision of buoy systems for RI C-AIM five-year grant program funded by National Science Foundation (Award #OIA-1655221), integrated with Bay Observatory sensor arrays.
• Bangor University (SEACAMS2)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019Collaboration on SEACAMS2 project supporting marine renewable energy research. OSIL provided telemetered data buoy network for North Wales coastal monitoring, part-funded by European Regional Development Fund.
• Swansea University (SEACAMS2)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2019SEACAMS2 collaboration with Bangor and Swansea Universities supporting marine renewable energy, climate change resilience, and resource efficiency research.
• GuildlinecoreTechnology or IntegrationOSIL are sole global representatives and authorized repair and servicing centre for Guildline salinometers, integrating these into their calibration and standard seawater services.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• RBR Global: Canadian designer and manufacturer of high-precision oceanographic instruments (CTDs, tide gauges, loggers). Directly comparable niche player targeting the same research and environmental monitoring customers.
• Sea-Bird Scientific: Dominant manufacturer of CTDs and oceanographic sensors widely integrated into OSIL's buoy platforms. Directly competes on salinity, temperature, and water column instrumentation deployed by research institutions globally.
• AML Oceanographic: Canadian maker of oceanographic sensors and profilers. OSIL actively integrates AML instruments (including joint USV profiling winch development) and competes for the same research vessel and buoy payload slots.
• Valeport: UK-based marine instrumentation specialist in CTDs, sound velocity, and current meters. Same geography and similar buyer profile (hydrographers, oceanographers, offshore surveyors).
• Aanderaa (Nortek): Norwegian oceanographic sensor manufacturer (oxygen, conductivity, current) that OSIL supports and integrates. Competes head-to-head for monitoring buoy sensor payloads across academia and offshore industries.
• Chelsea Technologies (Saab): UK-based environmental sensor manufacturer owned by Saab, focused on water quality and oceanographic instrumentation including fluorometers and unmanned platform payloads. Direct competitor in integrated buoy monitoring.
• MetOcean Telematics (incl. AXYS Technologies): Canadian maker of environmental data buoys (AXYS brand) and Iridium telemetry. Closest pure-play competitor in instrumented MetOcean buoys for offshore, port, and dredge monitoring.

Broad incumbents

• Fugro: Global marine survey and site characterization services company that consumes large volumes of OSIL-type equipment and increasingly offers its own integrated environmental monitoring. Represents both a customer-side collaborator and an adjacent services competitor.
• YSI / Xylem Analytics: Large water quality instrumentation incumbent whose multiparameter sondes are integrated into OSIL buoys. Competes on freshwater/coastal monitoring tenders where OSIL plays, but with a much broader portfolio.
• Teledyne Marine: Umbrella for multiple oceanographic brands (RDI, Oceanscience, Benthos, etc.) supplying sensors, ADCPs, and winches that overlap with OSIL's product family across acoustics, telemetry, and water column sampling.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Oceanscientific
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/osil
• Instagraminstagram.com/oceanscientific

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Ocean Scientific International