Marine Assistance

What Marine Assistance does

Marine Assistance is a French naval architecture and ship brokerage firm founded in 2003 by Arnaud Rousseeu, a UTC-trained engineer and former naval officer, and Jean François Durand, an Arts et Métiers-trained engineer and naval architect. Headquartered in Bordeaux with a second office in Paris, the firm is structured as a SARL (Société à Responsabilité Limitée) with a share capital of €7,800 and operates under founder control with no external investment disclosed. It provides an integrated suite of services across the vessel lifecycle: feasibility studies and market analysis, concept design and full naval architecture (stability, structural, energy/propulsion, electrical, general arrangements), ship brokerage for newbuilding tenders and sale-and-purchase transactions, construction project management from plan approval through trials and warranty, and technical surveys including valuations, pre-purchase inspections, casualty surveys, and ISM support.

The firm's underlying "technology" is its accumulated naval architecture expertise rather than any software platform or digital product. Since inception, Marine Assistance has contributed to more than 40 vessel constructions and produced 140-150+ concept designs spanning MPSVs, trailing hopper suction dredgers, accommodation barges, RoRo vessels, polar logistics/patrol icebreakers, ERRVs, and cargo ships, built at shipyards in France, Spain, the Netherlands, and China. Revenue is generated through two streams: professional fees for naval architecture and project management engagements, and commission-based fees from ship brokerage transactions. Pricing is quote-based and project-tailored with no public rate card. The go-to-market is consultative and referral-driven, relying on the founders' industry networks rather than structured sales or marketing infrastructure; the firm explicitly markets itself through "industry reputation, referrals, and direct client relationships in the maritime sector."

The customer base consists primarily of ship owners, maritime operators, and trading/chartering companies, with project-based engagements in Western and Southern Europe and selected engagements in East and Southeast Asia. No named customer logos or recurring-revenue contracts are disclosed, and the two-partner leadership structure implies a small delivery team. The firm has no AI, software, or digital product capabilities, and its growth indicators (no funding events, no public headcount, no recent product launches) are consistent with a stable, mature specialty consultancy rather than a scaling venture.

Name

Marine Assistance

Legal name

Marine Assistance SARL

Website

https://marineassistance.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2003

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marine Assistance is a French naval architecture and ship brokerage firm founded in 2003, providing feasibility studies, concept design, ship brokerage, construction project management, and technical surveys to ship owners and maritime operators globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Naval Architecture and Ship Brokerage Services

NAICS

Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Ship and Boat Building (3366)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730), Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Project Management & Owner’s Engineering / Technical Consultancy (Spec Writing, Bid Support, Site Support) (IMAJAGAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI), Marine Systems Commissioning, Testing & Certification Support (TLAKAKAM)

Keywords

• Naval architecture services
• Ship brokerage
• Vessel concept design
• Shipbuilding project management
• Maritime technical consultancy

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Naval Architecture and Design Services: Professional fees for feasibility studies, market analysis, fleet analysis, technical assessments, operational specifications, concept design, naval architecture, and project management services throughout the vessel construction lifecycle.
2. Ship Brokerage Services: Commission-based brokerage services for newbuilding tender management, sale and purchase transactions, contract drafting, and negotiation support.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Marine Assistance is a naval architecture and ship brokerage firm offering integrated services across the vessel construction, acquisition, and management lifecycle. Core offerings include feasibility studies and market analysis, concept design and naval architecture, ship brokerage for buying/selling vessels and managing newbuilding tenders, construction project management, and technical surveys and consultancy.

Product overview

Marine Assistance is a naval architecture and ship brokerage firm offering an integrated suite of services for vessel construction, acquisition, and management. The company provides feasibility studies and market analysis, concept design and naval architecture services, ship brokerage for buying/selling vessels, construction project management, and technical survey/consultancy. Their portfolio includes more than 140 vessel concepts developed since 2003 and participation in constructing over 40 ships. Services are delivered through two key partners: Arnaud Rousseeu (naval engineer and ship broker) and Jean François Durand (engineer and naval architect), combining operational, technical, and economic expertise in a holistic project approach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Feasibility Studies
• Concept Design and Naval Architecture

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 vessels constructed with Marine Assistance involvement
• +1 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Vuyk Engineering Rotterdam: Rotterdam-based independent naval architecture and marine engineering consultancy offering concept design, feasibility studies, and owner's engineering — closely comparable in scope and boutique positioning to Marine Assistance.
• Conoship International: Dutch ship design and engineering firm providing concept design, basic design, and project support for newbuildings and conversions across cargo, offshore, and specialized vessel segments — a comparable mid-size European naval architecture peer.
• Knud E. Hansen: Independent naval architecture firm offering concept and basic design, project management, and shipbroker-adjacent services across vessel types including offshore and specialized ships — directly comparable boutique marine engineering consultancy to Marine Assistance.
• Groot Ship Design: Netherlands-based ship design firm offering concept, basic, and detailed design across offshore, dredging, and specialized vessels, plus owner's engineering — directly comparable boutique alternative to Marine Assistance, particularly in dredger and offshore segments.
• Offshore Marine Technology (OMT): UK-based independent naval architecture consultancy delivering concept design, FEED, and engineering services for offshore support vessels, MPSVs, and specialized ships — directly comparable boutique competitor in the same offshore vessel niches.

Broad incumbents

• Damen Shipyards Group: Major Dutch shipbuilder with extensive in-house naval architecture, concept design, and shipbuilding project management capabilities across offshore, dredging, and specialized vessels — a broader incumbent competitor offering overlapping design and owner's engineering services.
• Royal HaskoningDHV: Large international engineering consultancy with maritime practice covering ship design, port and waterway engineering, and owner's engineering — broader incumbent competing for similar feasibility, design, and PM mandates at greater scale.
• BRS (Brokers & Stevedores): Global shipbroking and maritime services group with significant newbuilding, S&P, and chartering desks; Marine Assistance founder Arnaud Rousseeu was previously a newbuilding broker there. Comparable as a shipbroker and broader incumbent in the same transactional services market.
• Bureau Veritas Marine & Offshore: Major classification society providing ship surveys, technical due diligence, ISM support, and newbuilding supervision — overlapping with Marine Assistance's survey, consultancy, and warranty follow-up services for shipowners.

Emerging players

• MARIN (Maritime Research Institute Netherlands): Independent maritime research institute offering model testing, hydrodynamic analysis, and applied ship design support — adjacent specialist whose seakeeping and propulsion analysis often complements boutique naval architects like Marine Assistance.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marineassistance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Marine Assistance