The SeaCleaners

What The SeaCleaners does

The SeaCleaners is a Swiss-registered nonprofit organization (The SeaCleaners Swiss, founded 2019 in Blonay, Switzerland; recognition of public utility since 2019) that designs and deploys specialized aluminum waste-collection vessels called Mobula boats (models 8.1/8.2 and 10) to intercept plastic pollution in shallow coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. Its core product is a 3-year waste collection expedition model combining the proprietary boat technology with onboard sorting, scientific research, awareness campaigns, and local capacity building; current missions are active in Kota Kinabalu (Malaysia, Mobula 8.2) and Ambon (Indonesia), while the Bali pilot (March 2023–January 2024) collected 30 tonnes of floating plastic and served as a validation deployment.

The organization's business model is donation-based, drawing on individual contributions (one-time donations at 50/100/500 CHF and a 250 CHF/month recurring option, via a multilingual Stripe-powered platform accepting CHF, EUR, and USD), corporate sponsorships and patronage agreements, and scientific/research partnerships. GTM is hybrid: direct website donation funnels, Transnational Giving Europe for tax-deductible giving in Belgium/France/Germany, corporate engagement programs, public cleanups, school and university programs, festival presence (Paléo, Alternatiba, climate events), ambassador advocacy (sailing champions Théo Masse and Yves Courbon), and international advocacy at COP and UNEP. Customer segments span individual philanthropists, corporate CSR buyers, government agencies in Indonesia and Malaysia, research institutions, and Southeast Asian coastal communities benefiting from cleanup and recycling infrastructure.

Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the entity is donor-funded and lacks traditional equity backing. Key differentiators include purpose-built vessels for environments inaccessible to standard cleanup ships, a circular-economy model where collected plastic is converted into ecobricks and community walkways (419 ecobricks, 61+ meters of walkways on Gaya Island in 2025), blockchain-based traceability via Plastiks, and multi-year MoUs with municipal and national environmental authorities.

Name

The SeaCleaners

Legal name

The SeaCleaners Swiss

Website

https://theseacleaners.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The SeaCleaners is a Swiss-registered nonprofit that deploys proprietary Mobula aluminum waste-collection vessels in 3-year expeditions across Southeast Asia to intercept plastic pollution in shallow coastal waters, funded by individual donations, corporate sponsorships, and scientific partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Solid Waste Collection (562111), Materials Recovery Facilities (56292)

SIC

Refuse Systems (4953), Sanitary Services (4950)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pollution Control & Environmental Remediation (Booming, Skimming, Shoreline Cleanup) (TLAHAIAH), Post-Consumer Plastic Collection & Sorting (MRF/PRF, Bale Supply) (EUAIAKAA), Commercial & Office Waste Collection (Non-hazardous) (EUAIAGAA)

Keywords

• Marine plastic cleanup
• Ocean conservation services
• River waste collection
• Plastic pollution expeditions
• Environmental cleanup vessels

Headquarters

HQ city

La Trinité-sur-mer

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via website donation pages accepting CHF, EUR, and USD. Monthly donation options available starting at 250 CHF.
2. Corporate Sponsorships: Corporate partnerships and patronage agreements where companies support expeditions and programs in exchange for association with the organization's mission and visibility.
3. Scientific Partnerships: Collaborations with research institutions and universities for scientific studies on plastic pollution, potentially funded through research grants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The SeaCleaners is a non-profit organization that designs and operates a fleet of proprietary Mobula waste collection vessels (Mobula 8.2 and Mobula 10) to intercept plastic pollution in coastal, estuarine, and inland waters. It deploys 3-year waste collection expeditions in Southeast Asia (Bali, Kota Kinabalu, Ambon) supported by scientific research, local capacity building, awareness campaigns, and corporate partnerships funded primarily through donations.

Product overview

The SeaCleaners is a non-profit organization operating a fleet of specialized Mobula cleaning vessels (Mobula 8.2 and Mobula 10) supported by scientific research and community engagement programs. Their primary offering consists of 3-year waste collection expeditions using innovative boat technology to intercept plastic pollution at source, complemented by an Environmental Advisory Council providing expert guidance, and public awareness campaigns. The Mobula boats function as the core cleanup technology, while the expeditions, research, and education programs work together to create sustainable, long-term impact in coastal communities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Mobula 8.2 Cleaning Vessel A compact and versatile aluminum cleaning vessel designed for coastal, estuarine, and inland waters, capable of collecting up to 2.4 tonnes of debris including floating waste and liquid pollutants such as oil via a rear absorption system. Built for easy transport and rapid deployment in sensitive environments.
• Mobula 10 Cleaning Catamaran A high-performance cleaning catamaran designed for the most challenging environments - estuaries, coastal waters, and island shorelines - operating in waves up to 1.5m and currents up to 5 knots, with a front intake system and twin arms collecting floating debris up to 40cm deep and up to 70% of deck devoted to debris handling.
• 3-Year Waste Collection Expeditions Multi-year waste collection expeditions deployed in the world's most polluted coastal areas using Mobula boats or floating barriers, combining cleanup operations, local recycling support, scientific research, policy change advocacy, and community engagement to ensure lasting impact.
• Awareness Campaigns Awareness campaigns in Switzerland, France, and abroad mobilizing citizens, businesses, and institutions around plastic pollution issues through school programs, corporate engagement, public cleanups, and media campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 135,000+ pieces of marine debris removed in 9 months of 2025 operations
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Marine Research Foundation (MRF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Key coordination partner for Kota Kinabalu operations since April 2025. MRF manages the Mobula 8.2 vessel operations and local implementation with 20 years of marine biodiversity conservation expertise.
• Kota Kinabalu City Hall (DBKK)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Formalized partnership through MoU for institutional support of plastic pollution interception in Kota Kinabalu Bay. DBKK is engaged to shift from landfill disposal to sustainable recycling.
• Gaya Island ResortminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025MoU partnership providing institutional support for conservation activities in the Gaya Island area.
• The Sabah Recycling AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO partner collaborating on recycling initiatives and waste management solutions in the Kota Kinabalu region.
• Meraki DaatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal NGO partner producing ecobricks from collected plastic waste and building community infrastructure on Gaya Island.
• Global Plastic RecoveryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecycling center partner processing collected plastics into circular solutions for the Kota Kinabalu project.
• Prestige Recycle TechnicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRecycling center partner channeling collected plastics into sustainable recycling solutions.
• CReSOS - Centre for Remote Sensing and Ocean Sciences (Udayana University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership with Indonesian university for scientific study during Bali expedition, analyzing distribution and concentration of macroplastic waste.
• LPMK (Ambon, Indonesia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField partner for Ambon expedition conducting operations and representing The SeaCleaners at Bali Ocean Days 2026.
• Swiss-Malaysian Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber partnership supporting Kota Kinabalu expedition through business network connections and potential corporate partners.
• French-Malaysian Chamber of CommerceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerChamber partnership supporting Kota Kinabalu expedition through business network connections and potential corporate partners.
• Malaysian Federal and State Environmental MinistriescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnerships enabling expedition operations and supporting policy discussions on plastic pollution at regional level.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• 4ocean: For-profit social enterprise funding ocean plastic cleanup through consumer product sales; comparable mission (ocean plastic removal), donation/consumer-driven funding model, and crewed cleanup operations.
• Seven Clean Seas: Marine conservation social enterprise focused on plastic removal in Southeast Asia, with corporate partnerships and impact reporting — comparable on geography (SEA focus), mission, and donor/corporate funding model.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Non-profit foundation deploying purpose-built vessels and barriers to intercept ocean plastic, most comparable to SeaCleaners on technology-driven marine cleanup and large-scale plastic interception in rivers and coastal waters.
• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that collects ocean-bound plastic in coastal communities and converts it into recycled feedstock, with blockchain-based traceability — directly comparable on collection-to-recycling model and traceability positioning.

Broad incumbents

• WWF: Global environmental non-profit with significant marine conservation programs, science-based advocacy, and corporate partnerships; far larger scale but overlaps on ocean conservation mission and influence at international policy forums.
• Ocean Conservancy: Large U.S.-based marine conservation non-profit running the International Coastal Cleanup and policy advocacy; comparable marine conservation focus but operates at significantly larger scale with advocacy-led rather than vessel-led operations.
• Parley for the Oceans: Marine conservation organization that combines ocean cleanup with corporate partnerships (notably Adidas) and material innovation; broader scope than SeaCleaners but comparable on ocean conservation mission and corporate-sponsor funding.
• Surfrider Foundation: International marine conservation non-profit focused on beach access, water quality, and plastic pollution — overlaps with SeaCleaners on coastal cleanup advocacy and volunteer mobilization, though primarily advocacy-driven.

Emerging players

• CleanHub: Tech-enabled waste management platform that connects brands to plastic collection in coastal communities with traceability; comparable on collection-to-recycling model and brand partnerships, with emerging-stage scale.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global advocacy coalition focused on ending plastic pollution through policy and corporate engagement; complementary rather than directly competitive, with overlapping mission and influencer-network-driven approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/theseacleaners
• Facebookfacebook.com/theseacleaners
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/theseacleaners

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The SeaCleaners