What Sea-connect does

Sea-Connect is a community-led digital platform exclusively for seafarers, founded in 2017 by Capt. Rohit Sharma, a former Master Mariner who previously commanded the Berge Stahl (the world's largest bulk carrier at the time) and is a recipient of the Ole Wikborg Foundation Award for outstanding seamanship. The platform combines a social networking layer (Connect, SeaBay Q&A forum, member blogs), a maritime job marketplace (ship and shore jobs), shipping news aggregation (including country-specific news for major seafarer-supplying nations), a directory of shipping companies and maritime courses, a seamen welfare resource hub, a marketplace for consumer electronics, and a paid Privilege Card membership program with bundled partner discounts and complimentary accidental insurance. The product is delivered as a web application at sea-connect.com and through native iOS and Android mobile apps, and it serves an audience reported at approximately 145,000 users across at least 12 countries spanning Asia, Europe, South America, and the Middle East.

Name

Sea-connect

Legal name

Sea-Connect

Website

https://sea-connect.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sea-Connect is a Mumbai-based community-led digital platform exclusively for seafarers, offering social networking, maritime job listings, news, and a paid privilege membership card. Founded in 2017, it serves approximately 145,000 users across 12 countries with a six-person team.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Social Network

NAICS

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

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Transportation Services (4700)

akta.pro primary industry

Crew, Marine & Offshore Travel Management (THAKACAF)

Keywords

• Maritime social network
• Seafarer job board
• Shipping industry platform
• Maritime community platform
• Seafarer welfare services

Headquarters

HQ city

Not specified

HQ country

India

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: Annual membership fee of Rs 1199 + 18% GST with add-on spouse cards at Rs 499 + 18% GST. Card activated within 2 weeks of receipt.
2. Featured Job Listings: Shipping companies and employers pay for featured/sponsored job listings on the platform
3. Marketplace Affiliate: Marketplace features electronics and consumer goods with affiliate links to Amazon, generating commission on sales
4. Insurance Partnerships: Partnership with CARE Insurance provides complimentary accidental insurance to members, likely generating referral fees or co-marketing revenue

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Sea-connect operates a social media and community platform exclusively for seafarers, offering professional networking, a job marketplace for ship and shore positions, a Q&A forum (SeaBay), shipping news, and seaman welfare resources. The company monetizes through an annual Privilege Card membership (Rs 1199 + GST), featured job listings for shipping companies, and an affiliate marketplace for consumer goods.

Product overview

Sea-connect is a social media platform exclusively for seafarers, connecting seafarers worldwide with over 145,000 users. The platform operates as a unified web and mobile product combining a social networking community (Connect, SeaBay Q&A, Blogs), a job marketplace (Ship Jobs and Shore Jobs), a marketplace for consumer electronics, a news aggregation service (Shipping News and Global News), a shipping companies and courses directory, seaman welfare resources, a membership privilege card program, and worldwide country-specific pages. The platform is accessible via dedicated Android and iOS mobile applications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea-connect Platform A social media and community platform exclusively for seafarers enabling professional networking with fellow seafarers, job searching for ship and shore positions, a Q&A forum (SeaBay), shipping news and circulars, blogs, and access to welfare resources. Free to register with a freemium model.
• Sea Connect Privilege Card
• Featured Job Listings for Shipping Companies Paid service for shipping companies and employers to post featured and sponsored job openings for ship-based and shore-based maritime positions, including roles on bulk carriers, oil tankers, LPG vessels, and LNG vessels. Used by companies such as BW Maritime Pte. Ltd. and Berge Bulk.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• CARE Insurance (formerly Religare)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerInsurance partner providing complimentary accidental death insurance worth Rs 10 lakhs (1 million rupees) to all members registered on the Sea-Connect platform and new registrations, as part of the 'Pay It Forward' seafarer welfare program.
• HSBCcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner offering Mariner's Account specially designed for seafarers, with exclusive banking services and promotions marketed through Sea-Connect platform.
• DNV Maritime AcademymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaritime training partner providing course information and updates through Sea-Connect platform, including STCW courses, safety training, vessel manager courses, and online learning programs.
• Rest and Go Station by LixominorGTM or Marketing PartnerWellness partner offering complimentary massage services to Sea-Connect privilege card members as part of member benefits.
• Mission to SeafarersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharity partnership for seafarer welfare, referenced in Shipowners' Club content distributed through the platform.
• DTDC Limited ExpressminorOthersLogistics partner for worldwide delivery of Sea-Connect membership cards and merchandise through DTDC's express delivery service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Martide: A maritime crew planning and recruitment platform with a seafarer-facing side. Comparable to Sea-Connect in serving the merchant marine workforce, but oriented toward manning agencies and B2B crewing workflows.
• JOBSHIP: A mobile-first maritime jobs platform targeting seafarers and cadets. Comparable in mobile-first distribution model and audience, though narrower in scope than Sea-Connect's broader community offering.
• maritimejob.com: Specialized online job board for seafarers and maritime professionals, with a content and resource hub. Comparable to Sea-Connect's jobs-plus-resources positioning for the same global maritime audience.
• Maritime Connector (JobsEnSea): A dedicated maritime/seafarer online community and job board for both shipboard and shore-based roles. Most directly comparable to Sea-Connect in combining professional networking with job listings for the same seafarer persona.
• CareersatSea: Maritime careers and training marketplace combining job listings with seafarer career advice. Closely comparable audience (rank-and-file seafarers transitioning between contracts) and content/SEO-led acquisition.

Regional players

• Mission to Seafarers: Established international charity (and Sea-Connect partner) providing welfare services to seafarers across global ports. Comparable in addressing seafarer welfare needs, though operating as a welfare-services organization rather than a digital community.

Broad incumbents

• VesselFinder: Large-scale vessel-tracking and maritime information service widely used by seafarers. Comparable community/traffic overlap with the maritime audience Sea-Connect serves, though focused on tracking intelligence.
• Shipowners' Club: A P&I club already partnering with Sea-Connect for content distribution. Comparable as a stakeholder in maritime welfare, but operating as an insurance mutual rather than a community platform.
• MarineTraffic: Established maritime intelligence platform with vessel tracking and a community layer frequented by seafarers. Comparable in targeting maritime professionals as an audience, though its core product is AIS/data rather than social networking.

Emerging players

• YPI Crew (Yacht Crewing): Specialized crew recruitment and community platform for the superyacht industry. Comparable in seafarer audience and community-plus-jobs model, but addressing the yachting niche rather than merchant seafarers.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/SailorDiary
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/seaconnect

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Sea-connect