Semantic
SEMANTIC TS is a French marine engineering firm founded in 1993 that provides bathymetric surveys, acoustic seabed classification, oceanographic monitoring, and custom maritime software to defense, government, and civil clients across the Mediterranean.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1993
- HeadquartersSanary-sur-mer, France
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Semantic does
SEMANTIC TS is a French marine consulting and engineering firm founded in 1993, headquartered in Sanary-sur-Mer on the French Mediterranean coast. The company specializes in bathymetry, acoustic seabed recognition, oceanography, environmental monitoring, and underwater acoustics, serving a mix of defense, government, civil, and infrastructure clients. Its core technical capabilities are built on proprietary acoustic methods developed over 30 years — including SACLAF for automatic seabed classification, DIVA for vertical acoustic detection of underwater vegetation, and SACLAF CLASS for sediment classification — combined with multi-sensor data fusion (bathymetry, sonar imagery, acoustic classification, photogrammetry) via its in-house Poseidon software platform. The company operates specialized instrumented vessels (SEMANTIC and MINO) and develops custom instrumentation including eAIS maritime traffic monitoring stations and the Seamonitor plug-and-play environmental monitoring system.
The company generates revenue through four streams: project-based survey and field services (bat
Semantic firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Semantic
- Legal name
- SEMANTIC TS
- Website
- https://semantic-ts.fr
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1993
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SEMANTIC TS is a French marine engineering firm founded in 1993 that provides bathymetric surveys, acoustic seabed classification, oceanographic monitoring, and custom maritime software to defense, government, and civil clients across the Mediterranean.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Semantic is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sanary-sur-mer
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Semantic business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Survey and Field Services: Professional services including bathymetric surveys, seabed classification, environmental monitoring, and hydrographic studies performed from specialized vessels.
- Software Development: Custom software development for data processing, GIS, signal processing, and specialized maritime applications.
- Instrumentation Systems: Sale and deployment of specialized instrumentation including eAIS stations, Seamonitor systems, tide gauges, and custom measurement equipment.
- SaaS Platforms: Online platforms for data hosting, 3D visualization, and client access to survey results (explore.seawatchers.com).
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels9 records
Semantic product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Semantic TS performs marine acoustic surveys, multibeam bathymetry and seafloor characterization studies, delivers oceanographic and environmental monitoring solutions, and designs custom decision-support software and connected instrumentation (Seamonitor buoys, eAIS stations, Seawatchers IoT platform). Offerings are sold as turnkey projects and as standalone products to defence, public, and industrial maritime clients.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Seamonitor (Surface Buoy) Connectable surface buoy for oceanographic and environmental monitoring, used in networks of connected platforms for in-situ sea measurement, distributed by Semantic TS as a standalone product.
- Submarine eAIS Station Seabed-mounted connected station supporting deployment and recovery of underwater vehicles (AUVs), with AUV supervision and risk-monitoring applications.
- Seawatchers Connected Environmental Platform IoT/web platform for environmental monitoring and underwater observations, combining Semantic TS hardware (Seamonitor, eAIS stations) with a central data layer for users needing in-situ coastal and offshore monitoring.
- Poseidon Software (in-house post-processing suite) In-house software suite for post-processing and rendering of multibeam bathymetry, sidescan sonar and ASW data, used by Semantic TS and disclosed to clients as a proprietary product.
- Multibeam and Sidescan Hydrographic Survey Services Turnkey hydrographic surveys using multibeam and sidescan sonar, including vessel acquisition, sensor deployment, calibration, and data delivery for defence, civil and industrial clients.
- Acoustic Seabed Classification Services (DIVA/SPHINX/SACLAF) Acoustic seabed recognition and classification services using Semantic TS's proprietary DIVA, SPHINX and SACLAF methods, including ground-truth sampling and obstacle/characterization products.
- Environmental Monitoring and Decision-Support Studies Environmental monitoring projects and decision-support studies for ports, agencies, energy operators and industrial sites, including data collection, analysis, and visualization deliverables.
- Custom Software Development (visualization, mapping, decision-support) Bespoke software development for visualization, mapping and decision-support, often embedded in client projects (e.g. web, mobile, mapping applications).
Quantifiable outcome
- 100 km/day linear coverage at 7 knots with DIVA method
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Semantic
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Semantic technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature8 records
Semantic partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- SHOM (Service Hydrographique et Océanographique de la Marine)corePartnership on tide gauge installation project at Île du Levant for determining reference levels for engineering projects.
- MaritechminorEquipment supplier for tide gauge sensor (Campbell Scientific CS475A radar water level sensor) for marine infrastructure projects.
- BRL IngénierieminorEngineering consultancy for whom tide gauge data was provided to dimension future structures at Île du Levant.
- Préfecture Maritime de MéditerranéecoreCollaboration on regulatory framework for vessel mooring management and implementation of mooring restrictions to protect Posidonia meadows.
- Geospatial Enabling Technologies (GET)coreCollaboration on AMOS project (NEPTUNE Horizon 2020) for shallow water monitoring using acoustic sensors and satellite images. GET developed web application for Copernicus data visualization while SEMANTIC provided acoustic monitoring systems.
- Marine Nationale (French Navy)coreDeployment of eAIS stations on French Navy semaphore locations as part of the S.I.M.O.N. network for maritime surveillance and mooring impact monitoring.
- Agence de l'eau Rhône Méditerranée CorsecorePartnership for eAIS network deployment supporting environmental monitoring and water agency initiatives.
- University of the Aegean - Marine Remote Sensing Group (MRSG)coreAcademic partner providing UAV equipment, underwater photography for ground truth, and field support during AMOS project pilot in Lesvos.
- Communauté de Communes du Golfe de Saint-TropezcoreLong-term user of eAIS station and Seawatchers platform since 2017 for maritime space management services.
- Pôle Mer MéditerranéecoreMember of the Mediterranean Sea Competitiveness Cluster, fostering innovation and collaboration in maritime industries across the French Mediterranean region.
- TVT InnovationcoreMember of TVT Innovation network supporting technology transfer and innovation development in the Var region.
- AFHY (Association Française d'Hydrographie)coreMember of French Hydrography Association promoting professional standards and collaboration in hydrographic services.
- IFQM (Institut Français de la QminorQuality management institute partnership.
- MaritechminorPartnership for PicoCat drone deployment on dam surveys and ICBTP projects.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Semantic competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Teledyne Marine: Large marine technology conglomerate offering sonars, echo sounders, ADCPs and survey instruments across naval, scientific and offshore markets. Overlaps with Semantic TS across multiple product categories but competes at much broader scale and capital intensity.
- Fugro: Global leader in hydrographic, geophysical and geotechnical survey services for ports, offshore energy and governments. Comparable to Semantic TS as a survey-services competitor with far larger headcount, vessels and geographic reach.
- Viridien (formerly CGG): Geoscience and marine-acquisition company providing geophysical survey services and subsurface imaging. Overlaps with Semantic TS on marine survey services and acoustic data interpretation, though at much larger scale and offshore-focused.
Direct peers
- Sonardyne: UK-headquartered specialist in underwater acoustics, positioning and sonar systems serving naval, energy and science customers. Comparable to Semantic TS in the overlap between custom acoustic instrumentation and survey/monitoring services.
- Kongsberg Maritime: Global supplier of multibeam echo sounders, hydrographic survey systems and subsea acoustic instrumentation. Directly comparable to Semantic TS on the technology side (high-resolution sonar/bathymetry) and on the survey-services side for naval and offshore clients.
- ATLAS ELEKTRONIK: German naval sonar and combat-systems supplier serving multiple NATO navies, including the Marine Nationale via systems integration. Comparable to Semantic TS in the defense underwater-acoustics domain where Semantic provides upstream studies and calibration.
- EdgeTech: US manufacturer of side-scan sonars, sub-bottom profilers and combined sonar systems widely used in seabed imaging and hydrographic surveys. Direct competitor in the acoustic-imaging and seabed-classification tools Semantic TS integrates.
- NORBIT: Norwegian vendor of compact multibeam sonars and turnkey hydrographic survey systems for shallow-water mapping. Direct competitor to Semantic TS in the niche of high-resolution coastal bathymetry with integrated, easy-to-deploy hardware.
- Exail (formerly iXblue): French company with overlapping product lines in underwater acoustics, inertial navigation and sonar systems for naval and hydrographic customers. Direct competitor to Semantic TS in acoustic seabed recognition and subsea sensing for the French Navy and DGA.
Regional players
- Ifremer: French public research institute operating oceanographic vessels and acoustic-instrumentation laboratories, also a customer and expert-list partner of Semantic TS. Functions as an adjacent peer in marine acoustic R&D and survey, with a public-sector mandate rather than commercial focus.
Market position
Strengths1 record
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Semantic social profiles
Digital presenceSemantic financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Semantic leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
Semantic funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Semantic M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Semantic
What does Semantic do?
Semantic TS performs marine acoustic surveys, multibeam bathymetry and seafloor characterization studies, delivers oceanographic and environmental monitoring solutions, and designs custom decision-support software and connected instrumentation (Seamonitor buoys, eAIS stations, Seawatchers IoT platform). Offerings are sold as turnkey projects and as standalone products to defence, public, and industrial maritime clients.
Is Semantic a public or private company?
Semantic is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Semantic founded?
Semantic was founded in 1993. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Semantic based?
Semantic is headquartered in Sanary-sur-mer, France, in the Europe region.
How does Semantic make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Survey and Field Services are the primary driver. The others are software Development, instrumentation Systems and saaS Platforms.
Who are Semantic's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Teledyne Marine, Fugro and Viridien (formerly CGG). Direct peers are Sonardyne, Kongsberg Maritime, ATLAS ELEKTRONIK, EdgeTech, NORBIT and Exail (formerly iXblue). Ifremer is listed as a regional player.
Does Semantic have an API?
No public API is recorded for Semantic.