Reef Support

What Reef Support does

Reef Support B.V. is a Delft/Amsterdam-based marine conservation technology company founded in 2020 that builds OceanTech software for monitoring coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests. Its core platform, MariMap, functions as a project operations hub that combines survey planning, QA, reporting, and collaboration, and ingests authoritative environmental data streams from the Copernicus Marine Service, NOAA Coral Reef Watch, Allen Coral Atlas, ESA Sentinel, Global Mangrove Watch, UNEP-WCMC, and the World Database on Protected Areas. A companion mobile application, MariField, enables offline underwater data collection with deferred sync, while a set of proprietary computer vision models branded as Reef Support AI (Coral AI, Fish AI, Mangrove AI) automate species identification, benthic cover classification, and habitat assessment from underwater imagery and video. An Open Ocean Data GIS tool layers satellite-derived ocean condition tracking (temperature, salinity, chlorophyll, pH) on top of this stack.

The company monetizes through two primary streams: monthly MariMap subscriptions sold via a self-serve model, and transaction-fee bookings through its Reef Ranger travel platform, which connects individual travelers with conservation projects across Indonesia, Colombia, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, Costa Rica, and Sint Maarten. Programs are operated alongside local NGO partners (Indonesia Biru Foundation, Corales de Paz, IntelliReefs, Reef Life Foundation, Sustainable Oceans Australia) under a community-led GTM motion, supported by content marketing across web, Instagram, and LinkedIn. Reef Support holds no patents and has not disclosed any external funding rounds; institutional support is non-equity in nature, including ESA BIC Noordwijk incubation, TU Delft academic partnership, RVO backing, and UN/CBD alignment around SDG 13, 14, and 15. Data is hosted on self-managed Hetzner infrastructure in Finland under GDPR-compliant and ISO 27001-aligned practices.

Name

Reef Support

Legal name

Reef Support B.V.

Website

https://reef.support

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Reef Support is a Dutch marine-conservation technology company that builds the MariMap monitoring platform, MariField mobile app, and Reef Support AI (Coral, Fish, Mangrove) computer vision tools for reef managers, researchers, NGOs, and conservation travelers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Software

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reef, Island & Coastal Ecotours (mangroves, lagoons, sea caves) (THAAAIAE), Snorkeling Tours & Reef Experiences (THAJAJAE)

Keywords

• Marine monitoring software
• Coral reef conservation
• Ocean data analytics
• Citizen science travel
• Biodiversity data platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Delft

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Conservation Travel Programs: Reef Ranger travel programs where individual consumers book marine conservation experiences at various destinations worldwide. Programs include coral restoration, cetacean protection, and turtle husbandry activities.
2. MariMap Platform Subscription: Marine monitoring platform subscription for conservation teams, researchers, and coastal operators. Includes survey protocols, data management, analytics, and reporting features.
3. Reef Ranger Travel: Conservation travel connecting volunteers with marine restoration projects worldwide, generating revenue through program bookings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Reef Support provides marine monitoring software (MariMap platform and MariField mobile app) for coral reefs, seagrass, and mangroves, integrated with AI-powered analysis modules (Coral AI, Fish AI, Mangrove AI) and satellite data from Copernicus, NOAA, ESA Sentinel, and Allen Coral Atlas. It complements the software stack with the Reef Ranger citizen-science travel program, Coral Lab restoration pilots, and contracted OceanTech R&D services that turn field data into conservation outcomes.

Product overview

Reef Support is a marine conservation technology company offering a unified platform combining software products (MariMap, MariField) with AI-powered analysis modules (Reef Support AI including Coral AI, Fish AI, Mangrove AI) and community programs. The platform integrates satellite data, sensor networks, and field observations to monitor coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests. The ecosystem includes Open Ocean Data for GIS-based ocean condition tracking, the Reef Ranger travel program for citizen science participation, Coral Lab for restoration pilots, and Hackathons for innovation. Data flows from field collection via MariField through quality assurance in MariMap, with AI analysis powered by computer vision models, all supporting conservation outcomes reported to partners and researchers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• MariMap: Marine monitoring infrastructure platform for coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests.
• MariField
• Reef Ranger
• Open Coral AI

Products and services

• MariMap Platform Subscription-based marine monitoring platform serving as a project operations hub for coral reefs, seagrass meadows, and mangrove forests. Provides survey planning, site management, data QA, reporting, and collaboration tools, integrating environmental data from Copernicus, NOAA Coral Reef Watch, ESA Sentinel, Allen Coral Atlas, UNEP-WCMC, Global Mangrove Watch, Catalogue of Life, and Mapbox.
• MariField Mobile App Mobile companion app to MariMap for offline field data collection at coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove sites. Captures survey data, GPS coordinates, photographs, and species observations locally and syncs to the platform when connectivity is available.
• Reef Ranger Travel Direct-to-consumer conservation travel platform at travel.reef.support that connects travelers with marine restoration projects in Indonesia, Colombia, Madagascar, South Africa, Australia, and Costa Rica. Programs include coral restoration, cetacean protection, and turtle husbandry activities, with citizen-science data collection aligned to MariMap workflows.
• Open Ocean Data GIS-based ocean condition tool that uses satellite information from Copernicus Marine Service to track and predict local sea temperatures, salinity, chlorophyll levels, currents, ocean pH, and sea level, supporting coral reef and marine conservation planning.
• OceanTech R&D Contracted research and development service that designs satellite, sensor, and field workflows for coral reef, seagrass, and mangrove monitoring, combining multiple data sources with AI automation for comprehensive marine ecosystem monitoring.
• Coral Lab Restoration pilot program operating coral nurseries and field experiments for coral propagation and reef regeneration, in collaboration with partners such as Indonesia Biru Foundation, IntelliReefs, and Plant One Million Corals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% of dive holidaymakers would prefer sustainable scuba diving when traveling to coral reef destinations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration12 records

AI capability10 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and moderate.

• Space of Innovation AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting organization for Reef Support's conservation technology initiatives.
• ESA BIC NoordwijkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Space Agency Business Incubation Centre supporting space technology applications for ocean monitoring.
• Convention on Biological DiversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN body supporting biodiversity conservation, aligned with Reef Support's marine conservation mission.
• RVOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetherlands Enterprise Agency supporting sustainable development projects.
• TU DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTechnical University of Delft, founding academic institution with student involvement in coral lab projects in Lombok.
• Hetzner Online GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationGerman hosting company providing self-managed server infrastructure located in Finland (EU) for data storage and platform hosting.
• ESA SentinelcoreTechnology or IntegrationEuropean Space Agency satellite data provider powering ocean monitoring and environmental indicators.
• Copernicus Marine ServicecoreTechnology or IntegrationEU海洋监测服务提供方，为MariMap提供海温、盐度、叶绿素、洋流和pH数据。
• UNEPmoderateTechnology or IntegrationUnited Nations Environment Programme providing habitat layers and seagrass extent data.
• Allen Coral AtlasmoderateTechnology or IntegrationGlobal coral reef extent mapping providing reef distribution visualization.
• Catalogue of LifemoderateTechnology or IntegrationGlobal taxonomic reference for consistent species naming across datasets.
• MapboxcoreTechnology or IntegrationBasemap rendering, satellite tiles, and geocoding services for MariMap platform.
• Indonesia Biru Foundation (IBF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal conservation organization in Lombok operating coral lab and reef restoration projects. Reef Support collaborated with IBF on the first Reef Ranger program and coral nursery initiatives.
• Corales de PazcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerColombian marine conservation organization leading coral reef restoration on Providencia Island after Hurricane Iota damage. Partner for Reef Ranger conservation certification programs.
• IntelliReefscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean habitat restoration company developing Oceanite nano-tech substrate for artificial reef construction. Reef Support trains Rangers to install and monitor Oceanite reefs, including projects in Sint Maarten.
• Reef Life FoundationmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerSister organization to IntelliReefs, collaborating on coral reef restoration worldwide using Oceanite technology.
• Sustainable Oceans AustraliamoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoral reef restoration experts creating online Reef CPR eLearning course teaching scuba divers coral restoration techniques.
• Plant One Million CoralsmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative by aquaculture expert David Vaughan promoting coral replanting across the Caribbean using micro-fragmentation techniques.
• Team Out of the BlueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean rowing team participating in Talisker Whiskey Atlantic Challenge 2023, collecting open ocean data using Reef Support's Open Ocean Data tool for coral reef conservation.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Coral Vita: Coral Vita is a commercial coral reef restoration company operating land-based coral farms in the Bahamas, combining aquaculture, science, and education programming. It is a direct peer through its overlap with Reef Support's Coral Lab pilots, Oceanite substrate work with IntelliReefs, and reef restoration customer use cases.
• NatureMetrics: NatureMetrics is a UK-based biodiversity monitoring technology company offering eDNA analysis, sampling kits, and data platforms to enterprises and conservation teams. It is comparable to Reef Support because both monetize standardized biodiversity data collection with software, report on nature-related disclosures, and serve corporate-conservation hybrid customers.
• Global Fishing Watch: Global Fishing Watch is a marine monitoring platform combining satellite AIS/VMS data with analytics and AI to track vessel activity and ocean use. It is a direct peer in that both companies turn satellite and remote-sensing data into public-interest dashboards and maps serving regulators, researchers, and NGOs.
• EOMAP: EOMAP is a German remote-sensing company providing satellite-derived bathymetry, water quality, and habitat maps for marine and coastal clients. It is comparable to Reef Support's OceanTech work because both turn satellite data into marine environmental layers consumed by researchers, regulators, and coastal operators.
• Blue Ventures: Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organization running community-based fisheries management and citizen science dive expeditions, notably in Madagascar. It mirrors Reef Support's model of combining marine fieldwork with sustainable tourism and community science programs.

Broad incumbents

• Maxar Technologies: Maxar provides high-resolution commercial satellite imagery and geospatial analytics used by governments, NGOs, and conservation programs. It is a broad incumbent in the upstream data layer that Reef Support's platform integrates and complements.
• Planet Labs: Planet Labs is a publicly listed satellite imagery operator providing daily global Earth observation data and analytics. It is a broad incumbent whose imagery and feeds underpin Reef Support's MariMap environment layers, making it both an upstream partner and a wider-spanning competitor in marine monitoring analytics.
• Esri: Esri is the dominant GIS software and mapping platform provider used by most conservation, government, and research organizations. Esri competes broadly with MariMap for ocean and habitat monitoring workflows, though Reef Support targets a more specialized reef/seagrass/mangrove niche.

Emerging players

• SkyTruth: SkyTruth is a nonprofit using satellite imagery and data analytics to expose environmental impacts. It overlaps with Reef Support's mission of putting satellite ocean observation into the hands of conservation practitioners, though SkyTruth is nonprofit-led and broader in environmental scope.

Others

• The Ocean Cleanup: The Ocean Cleanup is a Dutch nonprofit deploying large-scale ocean plastic removal technology with strong brand and donor support. It shares Reef Support's Netherlands origins, ocean mission, and content-led GTM, but targets marine debris rather than living-habitat monitoring and citizen science.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Customer concentration

• GitHubgithub.com/reefsupport
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reefsupport
• Instagraminstagram.com/reefsupport
• Xx.com/SupportReef

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Reef Support