What Seafarer Exploration does

Seafarer Exploration Corp is a publicly traded underwater archaeological exploration company (OTCQB: SFRX), founded in 2007 and headquartered in Tampa, Florida. The company applies what it terms "underwater rescue archaeology" — archaeologically sensitive exploration, recovery, and conservation of historic shipwrecks — for museums, educational institutions, government agencies, media partners, and other salvors. Operations are centered on the proprietary SeaSearcher autonomous underwater vehicle, a second-generation platform integrating sub-bottom imaging, side-scan sonar, magnetometer arrays, metal discrimination, and computer-vision-based 3D imaging with proprietary signal processing and machine-learning algorithms for automatic target discrimination. Supporting hardware includes the Sand Shark handheld discriminator, SeaVac 3000 autonomous dredge, Hydro-Probe, and mobile Command Trailer, backed by an in-house archaeology laboratory.

The company's revenue model rests on three pillars: (1) one-time licensing or sale of recovered artifacts and associated rights to museums and educational institutions, (2) technology licensing of the SeaSearcher platform and ancillary hardware to other salvors, and (3) media and documentary rights derived from recovery operations, including a recently established production partnership. Seafarer holds a rare 1A-31 Recovery Permit (the only one issued in over 37 years) and an Admiralty in Rem claim conferring exclusive ownership of the Juno Beach shipwreck, both of which form the regulatory foundation of its competitive position.

Operational footprint extends beyond U.S. waters into research and exploration in Spain, with permits and claims administered through 2027. Capitalization has been modest and incremental, totaling roughly $23M historically with a $1M debt facility in 2024, consistent with a small-cap, project-driven operating model rather than a venture-scale growth profile.

Name

Seafarer Exploration

Legal name

Seafarer Exploration Corp

Website

https://seafarerexplorationcorp.com

Company type

Public

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Seafarer Exploration Corp is a Tampa-based, OTCQB-listed underwater archaeological exploration company that uses a proprietary AI-enabled autonomous underwater vehicle (SeaSearcher) to locate and recover historic shipwrecks for museums, educational institutions, media partners, and other salvors under exclusive regulatory permits.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underwater Exploration & Marine Archaeology

NAICS

Ship and Boat Building (3366)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Underwater Robotics (USVs/UUVs) (HDAAAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Salvage Diving & Underwater Recovery (Cargo/Equipment) (TLAHAIAD)

Keywords

• Underwater exploration services
• Marine archaeology
• Autonomous underwater vehicles
• Shipwreck recovery
• Subsea technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Tampa

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Shipwreck Recovery and Artifact Discovery: The company's primary revenue model centers on the discovery, recovery, and potential sale or licensing of valuable artifacts from historic shipwrecks. Seafarer secures permits and Admiralty in Rem claims to gain ownership of shipwrecked vessels and artifacts. The company has recovered artifacts including a silver coin from the Carlos and Joanna mint (1554-1572) and hundreds of other items exceeding 1,000 in total. Unlike traditional salvors, Seafarer retains its collection whole and works with media partners, museums, governments, and private companies to present underwater artifacts.
2. Technology Licensing (SeaSearcher): Seafarer licenses its proprietary SeaSearcher technology to other treasure salvors, both domestic and abroad, for use on their shipwreck sites. This represents a technology licensing revenue stream from the company's expanding IP portfolio.
3. Media Content and Documentary Rights: Seafarer produces documentary and video content about its exploration activities through partnerships with media producers. The company retains 100% ownership of produced content, which can be licensed or distributed across platforms to generate revenue while building brand awareness.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Seafarer Exploration is an underwater archaeological exploration and subsea technology company that conducts deep-ocean expeditions to locate, document, and recover historically significant shipwrecks. The company operates its proprietary SeaSearcher autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) for deep-sea survey and imaging, and monetizes discoveries through artifact recovery and sale, technology licensing, and partnerships with museums and media/film producers.

Product overview

Seafarer Exploration offers a unified underwater archaeological exploration system built around its proprietary SeaSearcher AI-enabled autonomous underwater vehicle as the core platform. The portfolio includes the Sand Shark™ handheld metal discriminator for diver-held operations in strong currents, the SeaVac 3000 autonomous dredge for precision excavation, and the Hydro-Probe for target validation. Supporting infrastructure includes a mobile Command Trailer and a dedicated Archaeology Lab for artifact conservation and documentation. The system enables subsurface detection, metal discrimination, 3D imaging, and archaeological excavation without disturbing marine ecosystems.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Underwater Shipwreck Exploration Services

Quantifiable outcome

• SeaSearcher identified over 1,200 unique sub-bottom targets across 800+ acres of scanned area since Q1 2020
• +3 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability7 records

Feature9 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Jay Wolff (Media Producer)supportingGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 December 2025Jay Wolff is an award-winning producer with experience across television, podcasts, and digital media. He has contributed to award-winning projects recognized by the Webby, Shorty, and Signal Awards, and the multiple Sports Emmy-nominated series Always Late with Katie Nolan. Under the agreement announced December 23, 2025, Wolff will collaborate with Seafarer on production of three original YouTube videos and a professionally edited sizzle reel. Seafarer retains 100% ownership of all produced content. This supports Seafarer's expanding media presence across YouTube, Facebook, and its website.
• Probability & Statistics, Inc.supportingTechnology or Integration · 1 September 2019Probability & Statistics, Inc. (P&S) is a technology company providing blockchain development, blockchain encryption, engineering and scientific computing, and cloud mining services. P&S clients include some of the largest aerospace and defense contractors in the world. P&S partnered with Seafarer's wholly-owned subsidiary Blockchain LogisTech, LLC to create a Municipalities Division aimed at helping U.S. local governments fight malicious hacking of their computer networks. P&S provides blockchain encryption expertise and technology while costs are shared with Blockchain. P&S is registered with biometric access-controlled facilities on an independent network.
• Wild Manta, LLCcoreTechnology or IntegrationWild Manta, LLC is a Florida-based applied R&D firm specializing in advanced sensing and communication technologies for commercial and government applications. Tim Reynolds serves as President and CEO of Wild Manta and leads the SeaSearcher Project in partnership with Seafarer Exploration. Wild Manta oversees development of the SeaSearcher underwater sensing system, including sensor integration, electromagnetic and acoustic detection, and precision geolocation. The second-generation SeaSearcher platform was also developed through this partnership. The relationship is ongoing with continuous technology improvements including the Sand Shark handheld device.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Mel Fisher's Treasures: Family-run treasure salvage operation best known for recovering the Atocha. Operates in the same Florida/Atlantic colonial-era shipwreck space as Seafarer, with comparable regulatory engagement and artifact-recovery model.
• Odyssey Marine Exploration: Historic publicly-traded deep-ocean shipwreck exploration and salvage company. Operated in the same shipwreck recovery space with proprietary deep-sea search and recovery technology, directly comparable business model and Florida/Atlantic operating overlap.
• AquaSurvey Inc. Underwater archaeological survey firm using sub-bottom profilers and marine geophysics for shipwreck and submerged-site detection. Directly comparable in mission (archaeological detection) and methodology (sub-bottom imaging).
• Deep Ocean Search (DOS): UK-based deep-ocean search and recovery firm specializing in locating historic shipwrecks using deep-tow sonar and AUVs. Comparable in mission (historic shipwreck search/recovery) and use of autonomous underwater technology.

Broad incumbents

• Teledyne Marine (Gavia/SeaBotix): Large marine technology manufacturer of AUVs, ROVs, and subsea sensors. Provides the type of autonomous underwater platforms and integrated sensors (side-scan sonar, magnetometers) that compete with the SeaSearcher's hardware stack.
• Kongsberg Maritime (HUGIN AUV): Major marine technology company manufacturing HUGIN autonomous underwater vehicles for seabed mapping and survey. While focused on commercial/defense survey rather than archaeology, comparable AUV platform and sensor integration.
• Ocean Infinity: Marine robotics and seabed survey company deploying fleets of autonomous underwater vehicles for offshore data acquisition. Operates a much broader marine survey business but uses comparable AUV/ROV technology that could be applied to archaeological detection.
• Saab (Sabertooth AUV): Defense and technology company manufacturing the Sabertooth autonomous underwater vehicle for commercial and defense subsea inspection. Comparable AUV technology but oriented to industrial/defense use cases rather than archaeology.

Emerging players

• Subsea Tech (CAT-Rover USV): Smaller French-based marine robotics company manufacturing mini-AUVs and USVs for underwater inspection. Comparable small-scale underwater platform development, though focused on industrial inspection rather than archaeology.

Regional players

• 1715 Fleet - Queens Jewels LLC: Florida-based treasure salvage company holding state-contractor status for recovery of the 1715 Spanish Plate Fleet. Operates in the same Florida Atlantic colonial-era shipwreck space referenced by Seafarer's potential 1715 fleet sites.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/seafarercorp
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@SeafarerCorp
• Facebookfacebook.com/SeafarerCorp
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seafarercorp
• Instagraminstagram.com/seafarercorp
• TikToktiktok.com/@seafarercorp

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Seafarer Exploration