What Novacavi does

Novacavi S.r.l. is an Italian privately held bespoke cable design and manufacturing company founded in 1975 and headquartered in Peschiera Borromeo, near Milan, Italy. The company engineers and produces custom armoured, hybrid, and umbilical cables for underwater and harsh-environment applications, specializing in configurations that combine electrical power conductors, signal cables, fibre optics, and thermoplastic hydraulic tubes in single continuous lengths up to 7 km. Core technology spans steel-armoured cables (up to 40-tonne breaking strain), synthetic aramidic-armoured cables for lighter dynamic applications, and neutrally buoyant tethers qualified for operations down to 4,000 metres depth, pressures of 450 bar, and temperatures from -60°C to 300°C+. The Aquancable® registered product family (launched 2013) consolidates the marine and subsea portfolio, while the NOVANAV line (NAV-80 homologated by the Italian Navy in 2022) addresses naval defence interconnection.

The company operates a direct B2B sales model with project-based quotation, no distributors or resellers, and engineering-led engagement initiated through technical inquiry ([email protected]). Pricing is custom per project with multi-year contract cadences, and go-to-market is supplemented by trade-show presence (Oceanology International, ADIPEC), a corporate website with technical documentation, and a LinkedIn presence. The customer base spans ROV and AUV manufacturers (SEAMOR, Blueye Robotics, Copenhagen Subsea, Remora Robotics, Mobilis), oceanographic and marine research institutions (ETH Zurich, CNR, INGV, Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation, BSH, Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn), defence organisations (Italian Navy, Danish Defence subsea demining), offshore energy (ENI), nuclear research (ITER via Danieli Telerobot and Fusion for Energy), infrastructure (Venice MOSE flood protection system), and emerging verticals such as grid-scale energy storage (Energy Vault). The company is family-controlled, with founder Ferruccio Ramploud serving as CEO, and reports 11-50 employees.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The company holds ISO 9001:2015 certification and the NAV-80 military homologation, and has been recognised in Marine Technology Reporter's MTR100 list of top subsea technology companies in 2015, 2017, 2019, and 2020. Over its 50-year history Novacavi has delivered more than 40,000 distinct custom cable solutions and maintains a single-facility manufacturing footprint serving global enterprise customers.

Name

Novacavi

Legal name

Novacavi S.r.l.

Website

https://novacavi.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Novacavi is a family-owned Italian bespoke cable design and manufacturer (founded 1975, Milan) producing custom armoured, hybrid, and umbilical cables for underwater and harsh-environment applications. It serves ROV/AUV OEMs, oceanographic research, defence (NAV-80 certified), offshore energy, and nuclear research customers via direct project-based sales.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Custom Subsea and Harsh-Environment Cable Manufacturing

NAICS

Communication and Energy Wire and Cable Manufacturing (33592), Fiber Optic Cable Manufacturing (335921)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Cable, Connectors & Cable Management (IMAJAJAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Hazardous-Location, Marine & Harsh-Environment Cable (IMADAMAO)

Keywords

• Custom cable manufacturing
• Subsea armoured cables
• ROV tether cables
• Marine umbilical cables
• Underwater cable engineering

Headquarters

HQ city

Milan

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Cable Manufacturing: Novacavi designs and manufactures bespoke cables for specialist applications. Revenue is generated through project-based custom cable orders with pricing based on specifications, quantities, lengths, and packaging requirements. The company serves diverse applications requiring high-performance products in fit-for-purpose quantities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Novacavi designs and manufactures bespoke cables for underwater and harsh-environment applications, with core expertise in armoured subsea cables (steel and synthetic fibre reinforced), neutrally buoyant cables, and hybrid umbilical cables combining power, signal, fibre optics, and hydraulic lines. The company serves marine research, offshore oil and gas, defense and naval, ROV/AUV systems, and aquaculture customers with custom-engineered, project-quoted solutions, supported by the Aquancable® product family and ISO 9001:2015-certified in-house production at its Milan-area facility.

Product overview

Novacavi is a specialist bespoke cable design and manufacturing company established in 1975, located near Milan, Italy. Its product portfolio centers on the Aquancable® brand (launched September 2013), a comprehensive family of custom-made special cables for marine and subsea technologies. Aquancable® encompasses armoured cables (steel and synthetic fiber), umbilical cables, a standard range, and specialized configurations. Supporting the Aquancable® brand, Novacavi also offers the NOVANAV NAV-80 naval cable line (homologated by the Italian Navy in 2022), Cat5 subsea data cables, and a broad custom design and manufacturing service covering cable engineering, materials, quality, and technical capabilities for extreme environments. The company also maintains a separate range of special cables for non-subsea harsh-environment applications (e.g., aerial tethered drones, civil aviation, ropeway systems). All products are designed, engineered, and manufactured in-house at the Peschiera Borromeo facility.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aquancable®: A comprehensive range of custom-designed cables for marine and subsea technologies including ROV cables, fiber optic hybrids, umbilicals, armoured cables, and underwater detection and instrumentation cables.
• NOVANAV

Products and services

• Aquancable® Umbilical Cables Custom-designed and manufactured umbilical cables combining power conductors, signal cables, fibre optics, and thermoplastic hydraulic tubes in various sizes, working pressures, and flexibility configurations for subsea applications. Includes hybrid umbilicals (e.g., 27OMB24, 35OMB22, 16OMB6, 19OMB40, 26OMB38, 16OMB4, 16OMB11) and hydraulic umbilicals (e.g., 4OMB13, 10OMB12, 3OMB27, 4OMB23, 3OMB26). Intended for ROV/AUV systems, offshore oil and gas, defense, and marine research customers.
• Aquancable® Steel Armoured Cables High-performance steel armoured cables designed and manufactured to withstand pressure, mechanical stress, extreme temperatures, and aggressive agents in extreme environments and underwater applications. Includes steel armoured dynamic cables in single and multi-layer configurations with breaking strains up to 40 tonnes, optimized overall diameter, and customized single-length production capability. Examples include coaxial tow cables (1SSA4, 1SSA6, 1SSA13), fibre optic armoured cables (4SSA27), hybrid coaxial armoured cables (5SSA24), and hybrid fibre optic armoured cables (5SSA30). Used in oceanography, seismics, hydrography, defense, aquaculture, marine renewable energy, and oil and gas exploration.
• Aquancable® Synthetic Armoured Cables Dynamic cables with synthetic fibre aramidic armour as an alternative to steel armoured electromechanical cables for demanding and subsea applications. Lighter weight with high strength-to-weight ratio, low elongation, and good abrasion resistance. Examples include aramidic dynamic armoured cables such as 1HRS347, 2XM587, 6XM383, 8XM534, 22GAX203, 26XM563, 33XM376, 36GAX150, and 46XM437. Used where reduced weight and lower elongation are required.
• NOVANAV NAV-80 Naval Cables Miniaturized and flexible NAV-80 electrical and electronic interconnection cables homologated by the Italian Navy (Marina Militare Italiana) for use aboard military naval vessels. Includes standard and zero-halogen variants under the NOVANAV sub-brand.
• Aquancable® Standard Range Pre-selected standard cables within the Aquancable® family suitable for a wide variety of marine and subsea technology situations where full customization is not required, offering the most reliable and efficient solution in the shortest time. Includes standard lengths of various cable types for oceanography, hydrography, defense, and aquaculture applications.
• Neutrally Buoyant Cables Custom cables with controlled buoyancy (light, neutral, positive, or negative) for marine and subsea applications, including fibre optic hybrid configurations for ROV operations at depths up to 4,000m. Examples include the 7km single-length neutrally buoyant ROV fibre optic hybrid cable with 7,000kg breaking load.
• Custom Cable Design and Manufacturing Service End-to-end bespoke cable design and manufacturing service established in 1975, including cable engineering, materials selection, design, quality assurance, technical capabilities, and compliance with standards and approvals. Specializes in armoured cables for underwater and harsh environments, delivered as project-based, quote-priced solutions to research, defense, offshore energy, and ROV/AUV customers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Cables deployed for ice thickness measurement from below using non-invasive methods supporting climate research.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• ETH ZurichcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026Novacavi supplies neutrally buoyant tether cables for the POLARIS project developed by ETH Zurich, involving an innovative autonomous underwater vehicle designed for research in climate and security applications. The cable plays a key role in ensuring system reliability, vehicle maneuverability, and overall mission safety for ice thickness measurement from below using non-invasive methods.
• GeoSpectrum Technologies Inc.coreTechnology or Integration · 10 February 2026Novacavi is recognized as a trusted supplier providing custom underwater cables for GeoSpectrum's TRAPS (Towed Reelable Active and Passive Sonar) systems. The partnership involves engineering bespoke cables for multi-mission capabilities in both littoral and deep-water operations for detection, classification, tracking and localization of underwater targets.
• Energy VaultminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 March 2024Novacavi provided technical and production support for special flat cable prototypes to be tested on Energy Vault's grid-scale gravity-based energy storage systems. The cables combine copper conductors and fibre optics designed for specific dimension, weight, and fatigue requirements.
• Danieli TelerobotcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 October 2023Novacavi developed and produced a special cable for Danieli Telerobot's robotic inspection system for ITER's thermal shield manifold. The Italian company was awarded contract F4E-1092 by Fusion for Energy to supply the innovative robotic system, with Novacavi providing ethernet and power cables for the special pipeline inspection vehicle.
• WsensecoreTechnology or IntegrationNovacavi designs and manufactures cables that Wsense uses to connect and power acoustic transducers for their underwater IoT network deployed on the seabed. The cables enable real-time data transmission and power supply in complex weather conditions for seabed monitoring and marine environment assessment.
• Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation (FRN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNovacavi supplies neutral buoyant fibre optic cables with high tensile strength for the Rebikoff-Niggeler Foundation's deep-sea exploration systems. The non-profit organization facilitates marine research and in-situ observation of deep-sea environments using submergible technology for depths up to 1000-1200m.
• CNR (Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNovacavi supplies special fibre hydrographic cables with polyurethane coating for CTD instrumentation aboard CNR's Gaia Blu oceanographic research vessel. The cables are designed with synthetic fibre reinforcement as an alternative to standard armoured tow cables.
• Copenhagen SubseacoreTechnology or IntegrationNovacavi developed and produced a new umbilical cable for Copenhagen Subsea's Gorilla ROV, designed for challenging offshore conditions requiring reliable high-power connectivity.
• Blueye RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationNovacavi supplied tether cables for Blueye Robotics' underwater drones used in Baltic Sea pipeline damage inspection at approximately 80m depth. The cables' lightness, maneuverability, and reliability enabled successful ROV operations.
• Heinen & Hopman ItaliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNovacavi provided technical support and prototypes for Heinen & Hopman Italia's innovative 'Plug & Play' HVAC system for yachts, supplying multipolar power and signal cable prototypes that optimize installation time aboard vessels.
• Remora RoboticscoreTechnology or IntegrationNovacavi designed and produced a neutral buoyancy tether cable as part of Remora Robotics' patented innovative system for cleaning fish farm tanks. The cable was conceived with lightweight materials and configuration to ensure no physical interference with the aquaculture environment.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Nexans: Major global cable manufacturer with a submarine power and telecom cable division serving offshore wind and interconnector projects. Adjacent incumbent whose umbilical and offshore offerings compete with Novacavi's bespoke work.
• Belden: US-based specialty cable and connectivity solutions provider with harsh-environment and marine/defense cable product lines. Comparable on custom cable engineering though operates as a much larger diversified cable company.
• Prysmian Group: World's largest cable manufacturer with a substantial submarine and offshore umbilical business. Overlaps with Novacavi in subsea and offshore cables but competes as a scaled incumbent across much broader cable categories.
• LEONI AG: German specialist cable and wiring systems manufacturer serving industrial, automotive, and specialty markets. Comparable on custom cable engineering capability though broader in application than Novacavi.
• NKT: Danish high-voltage and submarine power cable specialist serving offshore wind and interconnector markets. Comparable subsea cable technology stack though NKT operates at much greater scale than Novacavi.

Direct peers

• Tratos Cavi: Italian cable manufacturer producing specialty, shipboard, and offshore cables. Comparable on geography (Italian manufacturing base) and on marine/specialty cable product overlap with Novacavi.
• JDR Cable Systems: UK-based specialist in subsea umbilicals, ROV tethers, and dynamic power cables for offshore oil & gas and renewables. Closest like-for-like comparable to Novacavi in subsea cable engineering and harsh-environment specialization.
• Hellenic Cables: Greek manufacturer of submarine power, telecom, and umbilicals with strong presence in offshore oil & gas and renewables. Comparable in subsea and marine cable engineering though larger in scale than Novacavi.
• DeRegt Cables: Dutch specialist in custom submarine and defense cables with a similar focus on bespoke, small-batch, naval/marine applications. Comparable to Novacavi in low-volume, high-specification defense and subsea cable niche.
• Habia Cable: European manufacturer of custom specialty cables for defense, nuclear, medical, and subsea applications. Comparable to Novacavi in low-volume bespoke defense and harsh-environment cable niches.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/novacavi

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Novacavi