What McMurdo Group does

McMurdo Group, operating under the legal entity Seas of Solutions, is a maritime technology company headquartered in Valbonne, France, that designs and manufactures marine safety electronics under three global brands: McMurdo, Netwave, and Kannad Marine. Founded in 1937, the company has built a presence across the global maritime safety market, supported by offices or contact operations in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands. The company's core technology platforms span 406 MHz emergency beacons, AIS (Automatic Identification System) electronics, voyage data recording, and satellite-based distress signaling. Its product portfolio includes EPIRBs (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons), PLBs (Personal Locator Beacons) with dual GNSS receivers and the world's first Return Link Service (RLS) PLB, AIS SARTs (Search and Rescue Transmitters), Class A AIS transponders (SmartFind M6), AIS Man Over Board devices, VHF marine radios, and Netwave Vessel Data Recorders for both new-build and retrofit vessels.

The business model is B2B hardware-centric. The company generates revenue primarily through the sale of certified marine safety electronics to maritime operators, commercial shipping companies, and SOLAS-regulated vessel owners, with a secondary service and support revenue stream covering technical support, repairs, warranty services, and software updates. Sales are executed through authorized distribution and service partners globally, accessed via a Partner Portal, with a dedicated Netwave global service network for Vessel Data Recorder installations. Customer segmentation is horizontal, targeting SOLAS vessels (commercial cargo, tankers, passenger ships) as the primary segment, commercial maritime operators as a secondary segment, and non-SOLAS professional and pleasure craft as a tertiary segment. Products carry IMO SOLAS, EU Inland Waterway, and 406 MHz certifications, which serve as regulatory barriers to entry and underpin demand predictability.

Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed, reflecting a typical enterprise B2B marine equipment sales motion. Marketing is conducted through major international maritime trade shows (SMM Hamburg, METS Amsterdam, APM Singapore, Posidonia Athens), a content library with product datasheets, case studies, survival stories, and technology overviews, and professional industry memberships. The company has pursued an inorganic growth strategy historically, acquiring Kannad Marine in 2009, Boatracs in 2012, and Techno-Sciences in 2013 to broaden its technology and product footprint. Revenue, headcount trends, funding history, and ownership details are not disclosed in the available source material.

Name

McMurdo Group

Legal name

Seas of Solutions

Website

https://mcmurdomarine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1937

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

McMurdo Group (Seas of Solutions) designs and manufactures certified marine safety electronics — EPIRBs, PLBs, AIS transponders, and Voyage Data Recorders — under three global brands (McMurdo, Netwave, Kannad Marine), selling B2B through authorized distribution and service partners to SOLAS-regulated commercial vessel operators worldwide.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Safety Electronics

NAICS

Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511)

SIC

Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Life-Saving Appliances & Safety Equipment (Davit Systems, Lifeboats, Firefighting) (IMAJAIAG)

akta.pro secondary industry

Marine Electrical Installation, Commissioning & Field Services (IMAJAJAL)

Keywords

• Marine safety electronics
• Emergency distress beacons
• Voyage data recorders
• AIS transponders
• Maritime navigation systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Valbonne

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Marine Safety Hardware Sales: Sale of marine safety electronics including EPIRBs, VDRs, AIS transponders, SARTs, PLBs, and VHF radios to maritime operators and vessel owners. Products sold through distribution channel with global service support for installation and maintenance.
2. Service and Support: Technical support, repairs, warranty services, and service network operations for marine safety equipment including software updates and maintenance.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

McMurdo Group (operating as Seas of Solutions) designs and manufactures marine safety electronics under three global brands: McMurdo, Netwave, and Kannad Marine. Its portfolio includes emergency distress beacons (EPIRBs, PLBs, AIS SARTs), AIS Class A transponders, AIS Man-Overboard (MOB) devices, voyage data recorders (VDRs), and marine VHF radios. Products are built for SOLAS-regulated commercial shipping, professional maritime operators, and non-SOLAS vessels requiring certified safety and navigation equipment.

Product overview

Seas of Solutions is a maritime technology company offering marine safety electronics under three global brands: McMurdo, Netwave, and Kannad Marine. The product portfolio centers on emergency distress beacons (EPIRBs, PLBs, AIS SART), voyage data recorders (VDRs), AIS transponders (Class A, AIS MOB, AIS Electronics), and VHF radios. The core offering includes the SmartFind M6 AIS Class A transponder, Netwave Vessel Data Recorders for data capture, and FastFind PLBs with Return Link Service (RLS) technology. Products support SOLAS requirements for commercial and professional vessels, featuring dual GNSS receivers for accelerated location detection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Netwave: Netwave Vessel Data Recorders offering sophisticated and reliable data capture for both new build and retrofit vessels
• McMurdo
• Kannad Marine

Products and services

• SmartFind M6 AIS Class A Transponder Next-generation Class A AIS transponder with IMO SOLAS and EU Inland Waterway certification; compact and easy to install for SOLAS vessels, commercial ships, professional vessels, and non-SOLAS applications.
• Netwave Vessel Data Recorders (VDR) Highly sophisticated and reliable voyage data recorders for both new-build and retrofit vessels, supported by an unparalleled global service network for installation and maintenance.
• FastFind Return Link RLS PLB World's first Personal Locator Beacon with Return Link Service (RLS), allowing acknowledgment of distress signal receipt to the user; features dual GNSS receivers for accelerated location detection to maximize survivability in remote areas.
• FastFind CREW1 AIS MOB AIS Man-Overboard (MOB) device with dual GNSS receivers for accelerated location detection, maximizing crew survivability.
• EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon) Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons for maritime distress signaling using 406 MHz technology.
• AIS SART (Search and Rescue Transmitter) AIS-based Search and Rescue Transmitter for maritime distress situations.
• VHF (Very High Frequency) Marine Radios Marine VHF radio communications equipment for maritime voice communications.
• AIS Electronics Automatic Identification System (AIS) electronics for vessel tracking, collision avoidance, search-and-rescue support, and maritime domain awareness.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Can TradersminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor partner exhibiting at APM Singapore (Stand #D-S02) representing Seas of Solutions products in the Singapore maritime market.
• One TechminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistributor partner exhibiting at Posidonia Athens (Stand #1.351) representing Seas of Solutions products in the Greek maritime market.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Cobham SATCOM: Broad incumbent in maritime satellite communications and safety systems. Relevant peer where satellite connectivity intersects with distress and tracking products adjacent to Seas of Solutions' 406 MHz portfolio.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Broad maritime technology incumbent with navigation, automation, and safety systems serving commercial and naval markets. Overlaps with Seas of Solutions on integrated safety and bridge systems at the upper end of the SOLAS customer base.
• Furuno Electric: Broad incumbent marine electronics manufacturer covering AIS, navigation, communication, and integrated bridge systems. Furuno is a broader portfolio incumbent whose AIS and bridge electronics compete with McMurdo's AIS Class A offering as part of a wider product range.
• Garmin International: Broad incumbent with marine electronics line including VHF, AIS, and navigation products. While not a SOLAS specialist, Garmin's marine segment overlaps with McMurdo's non-SOLAS and professional/pleasure craft applications.
• Honeywell Maritime: Large incumbent supplying integrated bridge systems, navigation, and safety electronics to commercial shipping. Competes indirectly via integrated bridge stacks that can absorb AIS and VDR functionality that Seas of Solutions sells as standalone products.

Direct peers

• Jotron AS: Norwegian peer manufacturing EPIRBs, SARTs, and AIS equipment for SOLAS and commercial fleets. Comparable in regulatory certifications and target customer base to Seas of Solutions' distress beacon portfolio.
• Danelec Marine: Direct peer in Voyage Data Recorders (VDR) and ship voyage electronics with a global service network. Most directly comparable to Seas of Solutions' Netwave VDR business, including retrofit and new-build coverage.
• Saab TransponderTech: Saab's maritime division supplies AIS transponders and safety electronics to commercial shipping. Directly comparable to the SmartFind M6 AIS Class A transponder product family and similar SOLAS customer base.
• Ocean Signal: Direct peer in compact PLBs, EPIRBs, and AIS MOB devices. Ocean Signal's product positioning around small-form-factor personal distress beacons directly competes with the FastFind RLS PLB and FastFind CREW1 AIS MOB lines.
• ACR Electronics: Direct competitor in EPIRBs, PLBs, AIS MOB, and SARTs serving the same SOLAS-regulated and professional maritime segments. ACR is the most direct product-overlap peer to McMurdo/Kannad Marine in personal and vessel distress beacons.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/McMurdoGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/McMurdoGroup
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mcmurdo-group

Compliance3 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&A3 records

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about McMurdo Group