Sea Watch

What Sea Watch does

Sea-Watch e.V. is a registered German non-profit association (eingetragener Verein, VR 34179 B) headquartered in Berlin at Moosdorfstr. 7-9, founded in 2014 and operationally active in the central Mediterranean since June 2015. The organization conducts civilian sea rescue operations between Libya and Italy using a fleet of three vessels — Sea-Watch 5 and Aurora 1 & 2 — complemented by three Seabird airborne reconnaissance aircraft that provide aerial surveillance of distress situations at sea. Sea-Watch frames its mission as standing in solidarity with people on the move and advocating for freedom of movement; its operations have contributed to rescuing over 50,000 people since 2015, and the organization is the subject of the Netflix documentary "23,000 Lives" (released July 2026) and produces the "Grenzerfahrung" (Border Experience) podcast.

The organization's core "products" are its rescue and surveillance missions — operationalized through owned/refitted vessels, manned by volunteer crew drawn from the German activist community with skills in seafaring, medicine, mechanics, logistics, and PR — plus complementary programs including the Rescue Kit (support for merchant vessels), sub-brands like Mare Solidale, and an online merchandise shop. Past operations include earlier vessels (Sea-Watch 1-4, Moonbird) and an Aegean Sea program that concluded at the end of 2017.

Sea-Watch's revenue model is diversified across individual donations (one-time and recurring), Fördermitgliedschaft supporting memberships (annual minimum €60), corporate donations, peer-to-peer fundraising via Facebook, cryptocurrency (Bitcoin) donations, and court-ordered monetary penalties (Geldauflagen) assigned by judges and prosecutors across 16 German federal states as alternatives to prison sentences. Distribution runs through a multilingual website (DE/EN/IT), the FundraisingBox donation platform, GLS Gemeinschaftsbank as ethical banking partner, and a multi-channel marketing mix spanning social, email (Klaviyo), paid digital (Google/Meta/Spotify), and event-based engagement (half marathons, festivals, benefit concerts). The organization is regulated under Germany's Lobby Register (since January 2022) and faces material regulatory headwinds in Italy, where 41 rescue ships have been detained under the Piantedosi law for 1,075 cumulative days and a May 2026 investigation was opened against the captain of Sea-Watch 5.

Name

Sea Watch

Legal name

Sea-Watch e.V.

Website

https://sea-watch.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Sea-Watch e.V. is a Berlin-registered non-profit that operates civilian rescue vessels (Sea-Watch 5, Aurora 1&2) and Seabird surveillance aircraft in the central Mediterranean, having rescued over 50,000 people since 2015 and funded primarily through individual donations, supporting memberships, corporate gifts, and court-ordered monetary penalties.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Humanitarian Maritime Search and Rescue

NAICS

Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Water Transportation (4400)

akta.pro primary industry

Emergency Towage & Rescue (Refloating, Grounding Response) (IMAJANAB)

Keywords

• Civilian sea rescue
• Maritime search rescue
• Humanitarian rescue operations
• Aerial maritime surveillance
• Refugee sea assistance

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: One-time and recurring donations from individual supporters via online donation forms, bank transfers, credit card payments, and PayPal. Supports rescue operations, ship maintenance, and aircraft operations.
2. Fördermitgliedschaft (Supporting Membership): Regular annual membership contributions with a minimum of 60 EUR per year, providing ongoing financial support with tax-deductible donation receipts issued automatically.
3. Geldauflagen (Court-Ordered Monetary Penalties): Judges and prosecutors assign monetary penalties as alternatives to prison sentences. Sea-Watch receives these funds which are used exclusively for statutory purposes including ship maintenance and aircraft operations.
4. Cryptocurrency Donations: Bitcoin donations accepted via self-hosted wallet for anonymous cryptocurrency contributions.
5. Corporate Donations: Companies can make donations to support sea rescue operations, with dedicated corporate donation pages and customized giving programs.
6. Fundraising Campaigns: Supporters create online fundraising campaigns for occasions like birthdays, weddings, company events, and athletic challenges. Facebook fundraisers enable peer-to-peer fundraising.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sea-Watch e.V. is a German non-profit humanitarian organization that conducts civilian search and rescue operations in the central Mediterranean Sea between Libya and Italy. It operates a fleet of rescue vessels (Sea-Watch 5, Aurora 1 & 2) and aerial reconnaissance aircraft (Seabird 1, 2 & 3) to locate and rescue people in distress at sea. The organization funds third-party sea rescue projects, runs a Rescue Kit program supporting merchant vessels, and operates an online merchandise shop to generate supporting income.

Product overview

Sea-Watch e.V. is a nonprofit humanitarian organization focused on civil sea rescue in the central Mediterranean. The organization operates a fleet of rescue vessels (Sea-Watch 5, Aurora 1 & 2) and airborne reconnaissance aircraft (Seabird 1, 2 & 3) to detect and rescue people in distress at sea. Additionally, Sea-Watch funds other sea rescue projects through its funding programs, provides support to merchant vessels through its Rescue Kit program, and operates an online merchandise shop. The organization has conducted multiple past missions with earlier vessels (Sea-Watch 1-4, Moonbird) and maintains an active presence in the Aegean Sea region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sea-Watch 5: Primary rescue vessel operating at sea for civilian sea rescue operations
• Aurora 1 & 2
• Seabird 1, 2 & 3
• Mare Solidale
• Grenzerfahrung (Border Experience)

Products and services

• Sea-Watch 5 A rescue ship operating at sea in the central Mediterranean Sea to rescue people in distress during attempted crossings between Libya and Italy. Operated by Sea-Watch volunteer crew members.
• Aurora 1 & 2 Rescue ships operating at sea for civil sea rescue operations in the central Mediterranean, providing additional maritime rescue capacity alongside Sea-Watch 5.
• Seabird 1, 2 & 3 Airborne reconnaissance aircraft providing aerial surveillance to detect boats in distress at sea in the central Mediterranean, enabling wider-area monitoring to direct rescue vessels.
• Funded Projects (Förderungen) Financial grants provided to other organizations and projects that expand or maintain civilian sea rescue capacities in the Mediterranean.
• Rescue Kit Support program equipping merchant vessels with rescue materials and guidance to assist crews that encounter people in distress at sea during commercial shipping.
• Sea-Watch Online Shop E-commerce merchandise store selling branded goods to generate supplementary income supporting sea rescue operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50,000 people rescued from distress at sea since 2015
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GLS GemeinschaftsbankcoreOthersPrimary banking partner for Sea-Watch e.V. Handles all donation accounts including regular donations (IBAN: DE63 4306 0967 1239 7690 03), Geldauflagen court penalty accounts (IBAN: DE36 4306 0967 1239 7690 04), and SEPA direct debit processing. The ethical banking institution aligns with Sea-Watch's values-based approach.
• FundraisingBox (Wikando GmbH)coreTechnology or IntegrationOnline donation platform provider enabling Sea-Watch's digital fundraising. Processes online donations, recurring payments, and provides the technical infrastructure for donation forms on sea-watch.org.
• Meta Platforms (Facebook, Instagram)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerSocial media platforms for community engagement, content distribution, and peer-to-peer fundraising. Sea-Watch maintains active presences on Facebook and Instagram for outreach and donations through Meta Pixel tracking.
• TikTokminorGTM or Marketing PartnerShort-form video platform for reaching younger audiences and raising awareness about sea rescue operations through engaging video content.
• LinkedInminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional networking platform for corporate partnership outreach and professional community engagement.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/seawatchcrew
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyUcNXxdmtLo2151dG6MuZA
• Facebookfacebook.com/seawatchprojekt
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sea-watch-e.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/seawatchcrew
• TikToktiktok.com/@seawatchcrew

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sea Watch