What BlueTraker does

BlueTraker, a division of Slovenian firm EMA Group (EMA d.o.o.) headquartered in Celje, designs and manufactures vessel tracking and monitoring hardware and software primarily for government fisheries authorities and commercial shipping operators. Its core technology combines satellite (Iridium SBD) and GSM/GPRS communication in a single hybrid transponder introduced in 2007, enabling global coverage with terrestrial fallback for cost-efficient coastal reporting. The portfolio is organized in three platforms: a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) with transponders (BlueTraker VMS, Solar MAX, Solar MK3, Solar MK2, iVMS), the ConBox communication hub family and SecondScreen/TDS software for Fisheries Monitoring Centers; SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) and LRIT (Long Range Identification and Tracking) for SOLAS-regulated commercial shipping; and Arctic variants of these transponders rated for cold start at -50°C in Sea Area A4 polar waters. More recent additions include the BlueSenz wireless sensor family (NetSenz, GearSenz, WirelessGate), the BlueSenz Discovery Kit for 3D fishing effort analytics, and the Landings Declaration Kiosk (LDK) for EU Regulation 2023/2842-compliant catch reporting at first landing points.

The company monetizes primarily through hardware sales of transponders, sensors, ConBox hubs and accessories, supplemented by recurring software subscriptions (SecondScreen, Telematic Data Server, embedded geozones), airtime services and the Lifetime Extension Program (LEP) for replacement of legacy installed devices. Go-to-market is channel-led via a network of 38+ authorized distributors across 30+ countries, with direct engagement on government tenders; contract sizes range from small artisanal deployments to multi-thousand-vessel national programs such as Sri Lanka (4,200 vessels), Mexico (1,800 vessels), UK DEFRA (1,400+ vessels) and Thailand (800+ terminals). Customers are concentrated in government fisheries authorities — UK DEFRA, Thailand, Indonesia, Mexico, Sri Lanka, Albania, Sierra Leone, Eritrea, Cyprus, Greece, Myanmar — with commercial shipping operators, marine researchers and fishing ports as adjacent segments.

BlueTraker's competitive position rests on regulatory certifications (EU Type Examination, ISO 9001/14001/27001, NIS2, DNV-GL, US Coast Guard, Iridium, MIL-STD-810G, IP68) and country type approvals, the proprietary hybrid transponder architecture, unique Arctic capability, and embedded AI features such as AI-driven lost gear detection, 3D fishing effort quantification and optional computer vision for catch cross-check. The business is privately held within EMA Group, with no public funding events, M&A or leadership transitions disclosed in the source material.

Name

BlueTraker

Legal name

EMA d.o.o.

Website

https://bluetraker.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BlueTraker, a Slovenian division of EMA Group, designs hybrid satellite/GSM vessel monitoring systems for government fisheries authorities and commercial shipping, including Arctic-capable VMS, LRIT, SSAS, sensors, and landings declaration kiosks.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Vessel Monitoring and Tracking Systems

NAICS

Navigational Services to Shipping (488330), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)

SIC

Misc Industrial & Commercial Machinery & Equipment (3590)

akta.pro primary industry

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

Keywords

• Vessel monitoring systems
• Fisheries management solutions
• Maritime satellite tracking
• Commercial shipping security
• Ship security alerting

Headquarters

HQ city

Celje

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. VMS Hardware Sales: Sale of vessel monitoring system transponders, sensors, and accessories to fisheries authorities and commercial shipping operators. Products include BlueTraker VMS, Solar MAX, Solar MK3, Solar MK2, iVMS transponders along with ConBox units.
2. Software Subscriptions: SecondScreen web-based monitoring application, Telematic Data Server (TDS), and Embedded Geozones software provided as subscription services. BlueSenz Basic Dashboards offered with 24-month subscription included in Discovery Kit.
3. SSAS/LRIT Systems: Ship Security Alert System and Long Range Identification and Tracking systems for commercial shipping vessels, including Arctic variants for polar operations.
4. Lifetime Extension Program (LEP): Replacement program for aging equipment with new technology, covering BlueTraker VMS, LRIT, SSAS transponders and accessories with new warranty grants (12 months standard, 36 months available).
5. Airtime Services: Communication services via Iridium satellite and GSM/GPRS networks. BlueSenz Discovery Kit includes 24 months of airtime included.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BlueTraker develops, manufactures and supports integrated maritime vessel tracking and monitoring hardware, software and sensors for fisheries authorities and commercial ship operators. The portfolio spans the BlueTraker VMS terminal family (transponders, ConBox units, SecondScreen software), BlueSenz wireless sensors (NetSenz, GearSenz, WirelessGate) with the Discovery Kit turnkey platform, the Landings Declaration System (LDS / LDK) for EU-compliant shore-based catch reporting, and SSAS / LRIT systems for SOLAS commercial shipping security. Airtime services are delivered via Iridium satellite and GSM/GPRS networks.

Product overview

BlueTraker is a maritime tracking and monitoring solutions provider offering integrated systems for fisheries management and commercial shipping. The product portfolio comprises three core systems: VMS (Vessel Monitoring System) for fisheries with transponders, sensors (BlueSenz family), and software (SecondScreen, TDS); LDS (Landings Declaration System) with the LDK kiosk for catch weighing and reporting; and Commercial Shipping solutions including SSAS (Ship Security Alert System) and LRIT (Long Range Identification and Tracking). All product lines share common components including ConBox communication hubs, accessories, and the Telematic Data Server. Arctic variants with extreme temperature operation to -50°C are available across all transponder product lines. The company also offers the BlueSenz Discovery Kit as a turnkey fishing effort analytics platform combining multiple sensors with software.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• BlueSenz: Collection of wireless fishing gear sensors (NetSenz, GearSenz, WirelessGate) for monitoring fishing activities and effort data.
• ConBox
• SecondScreen
• BTApp
• Telematic Data Server (TDS)

Products and services

• BlueTraker VMS System (Vessel Monitoring System) Integrated Vessel Monitoring System for fisheries authorities collecting vessel positions via GNSS and transmitting via hybrid Iridium/GSM to Fisheries Monitoring Centers for regulatory compliance. Offered with VMS Transponder, Solar MAX, Solar MK3, Solar MK2 and iVMS transponder variants.
• BlueTraker LRIT System (Long Range Identification and Tracking) Long Range Identification and Tracking solution for all vessel types with true global coverage via the Iridium satellite constellation, offering predefined position reporting and on-demand polling. Includes LRIT and LRIT Arctic transponders.
• BlueTraker SSAS System (Ship Security Alert System) Ship Security Alert System providing covert distress alerting and fleet operator monitoring with failsafe communication for piracy and incident protection, supplied to commercial vessels including superyachts, crane vessels, cruise ships, cargo ships, and oil and gas carriers. Includes SSAS and SSAS Arctic transponders.
• BlueTraker Arctic Solutions Arctic variants of SSAS, LRIT, and VMS transponders with unique double-shell housing, built-in heat element, and smart thermostatic temperature control enabling cold-state power-up at temperatures as low as -50°C, certified for Sea Area A4 (Polar Regions).
• BlueSenz Wireless Sensor Family Family of wireless sensors for fishing gear monitoring including NetSenz (net deployment/retrieval, depth-temperature profile, AI-driven lost gear detection), GearSenz (winch revolution counting) and WirelessGate (RF signal coverage and data transfer). Provides world-first 3D fishing effort quantification with up to 5-year sensor autonomy without external power.
• BlueSenz Discovery Kit Complete ready-to-use platform combining NetSenz, GearSenz, WirelessGate, VMS Transponder, ConBox, and SecondScreen for 3D fishing effort measurement and compliance monitoring, with 24 months of airtime and BlueSenz Basic Dashboards subscription included.
• Fisheries Landings Declaration System (LDS) Digital catch reporting system comprising Landings Data Cloud (LDC) and the Landings Declaration Kiosk (LDK) for EU-compliant shore-based catch weighing, identification, and automated transmission to Fisheries Information Systems.
• Landings Declaration Kiosk (LDK) Shore-based weighing kiosk for fishing ports providing catch weighing, touchscreen data entry, receipt printing, ice dispensing, optional AI fish species classification (Fish Photo and Identification Camera), and automated data transmission to national Fisheries Information Systems.
• Octopus 10 Marine-grade Tablet Marine-grade touchscreen tablet running eLogbook, VMS, and HMI applications for fisheries compliance reporting, integrating with BlueTraker VMS via BTLib for catch report transmission to FMC.

Quantifiable outcome

• 12,000+ fishing vessels equipped with VMS across 18+ countries
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability6 records

Feature10 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• IridiumcoreTechnology or IntegrationIridium provides satellite constellation for BlueTraker's global communication coverage. BlueTraker terminals use Iridium's Short Burst Data (SBD) service for efficient and cost-effective position reporting, enabling pole-to-pole coverage including Sea Area A4.
• Radio Holland Norway AScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Norway (Østre Aker vei 19, NP-0581 Oslo) providing sales and service for BlueTraker products in Norwegian market including after-hours support.
• Radio Holland Canada Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Canada (Halifax, Nova Scotia) for BlueTraker maritime solutions.
• PT Geomatika Satelit IndonesiacoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Indonesia (Jakarta) for BlueTraker VMS products; Indonesia is a significant market with multiple VMS projects.
• AST Marine Sciences LtdcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in UK (Norwich, Norfolk) and consortium partner for UK DEFRA VMS tender with over 1,400 terminals installed.
• TrackWell (Iceland)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Iceland (Reykjavík) and consortium partner with EMA Group for Albania VMS tender.
• Primark d.o.ocoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Croatia (Rakitje) for BlueTraker products; Croatia was one of first VMS projects in 2007.
• Focal Point General Trading L.L.CcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in UAE (Dubai) for BlueTraker maritime solutions.
• True Navigation Marine Electronics, Inc.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in USA (Pompano Beach, Florida) for BlueTraker products.
• Fieldbase Services Ltd.coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Nigeria (Lagos) and Angola with sales and support capabilities.
• Zindhu Maritime Solutions (PVT) LTDcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAuthorized distributor in Sri Lanka (Malabe); Sri Lanka is the largest VMS project with 4,200 vessels.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• SRT Marine Systems: UK-listed provider of maritime VMS, AIS, and vessel tracking systems for fisheries authorities, coast guards, and commercial shipping. Direct competitor to BlueTraker in government fisheries VMS tenders, with a similar transponder-plus-software business model targeting national monitoring contracts.
• Pole Star Space Applications: Specialist LRIT and maritime vessel tracking provider; runs the Pole Star Conformance Test referenced in BlueTraker's LRIT certifications. Most directly comparable competitor in commercial shipping LRIT/SSAS segments and a known partner/test authority for the LRIT ecosystem.
• Trackwell: Icelandic maritime software and VMS company that has partnered with BlueTraker/EMA Group on the Albania VMS tender and is an authorized BlueTraker distributor in Iceland. Comparable fisheries VMS software provider competing for the same government tenders in Northern Europe and emerging markets.

Emerging players

• AIS-based VMS providers (e.g., Coms4Kids/Marine Instruments): Marine Instruments (Spain) is a comparable niche player offering satellite-based vessel monitoring and electronic reporting systems for fisheries. Competes with BlueTraker in fisheries tenders with overlapping product functionality but smaller geographic footprint.

Broad incumbents

• Furuno Electric: Japanese marine electronics manufacturer with broad portfolio in radar, GNSS, AIS, and vessel communication systems. Comparable to BlueTraker in marine sensing/communication hardware, with much greater scale and a strong position in commercial fishing electronics.
• Wärtsilä Voyage (formerly Transas): Major marine technology provider offering integrated bridge, navigation, fleet operations, and VMS solutions to commercial shipping. Overlaps with BlueTraker's commercial shipping segment and brings substantially greater scale, though less focus on small-scale fisheries VMS.
• CLS Group (Collecte Localisation Satellites): French state-backed satellite-based monitoring provider and the global market leader in fisheries VMS, ocean IoT, and maritime domain awareness. Directly comparable to BlueTraker in fisheries VMS, vessel tracking, and regulatory monitoring offerings, but operates at much larger scale with a broader portfolio including environmental monitoring.
• Thales Group (Maritime Domain Awareness): Global defense and aerospace prime with maritime surveillance, vessel tracking, and naval domain awareness offerings. Competes with BlueTraker's SSAS/LRIT and security offerings, and participates in large national maritime safety programs, though it does not focus specifically on small-fleet fisheries VMS.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance21 records

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 BlueTraker