Subsea Services Ltd

What Subsea Services Ltd does

Subsea Services Ltd is a Mombasa-based commercial diving company providing class-approved underwater services to vessel operators, shipping companies, port authorities, hydro-power operators, and marine construction firms across the East African seaboard and, more recently, Saudi Arabia. Founded circa 1970, the company operates from a privately owned harbour-fronting yard approximately 2 km from Mombasa Port and holds class approvals from Bureau Veritas (BV) and the American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) to perform class-approved inspections and services.

The company's service portfolio spans six interconnected categories: hull cleaning (removing biofouling to reduce vessel fuel consumption), propeller polishing (claiming 3-6% reductions in main engine fuel use), in-water class-approved surveys, underwater ship repairs (wet welding, crack arrests, anode replacement, cofferdam installation), 24/7 vessel salvage services, and inspection/maintenance/repair for hydro-power plants and marine civil infrastructure. Service delivery relies on a purpose-built asset base including the Pakka motorized diving platform (accommodating four divers under IMCA-approved mixed gas operations), ARMADAHULL hydraulic hull cleaning systems, Aqua Dyne high-pressure water jetting equipment, Kirby Morgan diving helmets, and an inspection-class ROV, supported by two utility boats (Gambus 5 and 6) and 150-tonne crawler cranes.

The business model is project-based professional services revenue: pricing is quote-driven with no published rate card, billed per project against scope, vessel specifications, and operational requirements. The company sells directly to enterprise buyers through field sales engagement and a content-marketing website, with no disclosed paid marketing channels or third-party resellers. Geographic reach spans Djibouti, Somalia, Kenya, Uganda, Tanzania, Mozambique, and Madagascar, with recent expansion into Saudi Arabia supporting NEOM Beach Games preparations and ongoing offshore infrastructure inspection.

Name

Subsea Services Ltd

Legal name

Subsea Services Limited

Website

https://subsea.co.ke

Company type

Private

Founded year

1970

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Subsea Services Ltd is a Mombasa-based, BV- and ABS-class-approved commercial diving company providing hull cleaning, propeller polishing, in-water surveys, ship repairs, and 24/7 salvage to vessel operators and marine infrastructure owners across the East African seaboard and Saudi Arabia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Diving Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883), Other Support Activities for Water Transportation (48839)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Underwater Inspection, Maintenance & Repair (UWILD, Diving/ROV, In-water Cleaning) (IMAJAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Underwater Hull Services (Diving, In-Water Cleaning, Propeller Polishing, Inspection) (TLAHAMAL), Underwater Hull Inspection, Cleaning & Propeller Services (TLAKAKAJ), Salvage Diving & Underwater Recovery (Cargo/Equipment) (TLAHAIAD), Underwater Salvage & Diving Operations (UWILD, Cutting, Welding) (IMAJANAD)

Keywords

• Commercial diving services
• Hull cleaning services
• Underwater ship repairs
• Marine construction services
• Vessel salvage services

Headquarters

HQ city

Mombasa

HQ country

Kenya

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Commercial Diving Services: Project-based professional diving services including hull cleaning, propeller polishing, in-water surveys, ship repairs, salvage operations, and marine construction. Revenue is earned through service contracts for individual jobs or ongoing maintenance arrangements with vessel operators and marine infrastructure owners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Subsea Services Ltd is a commercial diving services company that provides underwater hull cleaning, propeller polishing, in-water class approved surveys, ship repairs (including wet welding and crack arrests), 24/7 vessel salvage, hydro-power plant inspection/maintenance/repair (IMR), and civil engineering and marine construction services. The company serves vessel operators, shipping companies, port authorities, hydro-power facilities, and marine construction firms along the East African seaboard.

Product overview

Subsea Services Ltd operates as a unified commercial diving services company offering integrated underwater services along the East African seaboard. The core offering encompasses six interconnected service categories: Hull Cleaning Services (including in-water class approved surveys), Propeller Polishing, Ship Repairs, 24/7 Vessel Salvage Services, Hydro-Power Plants and Dams Service, and Civil Engineering and Marine Construction. Equipment assets including the Pakka motorized diving platform and utility boats Gambus 5 and 6 support these service delivery operations. All services are delivered under Bureau Veritas (BV) and American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) class approvals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hull Cleaning Services
• In Water Class Approved Surveys
• Propeller Polishing
• Ship Repairs
• 24/7 Vessel Salvage Services
• Hydro-Power Plants and Dams Service
• Civil Engineering and Marine Construction

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 70% of a ship's propulsive energy is used to overcome friction from biofouling; regular hull cleaning significantly reduces fuel consumption
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• EFT Africa LtdminorOthersSubsea Services Ltd performed specialized underwater installation work for EFT Africa Ltd, installing custom-designed shoes on the spuds of the self-elevating platform Ngamia. The platform is used by OYO Corporation for geotechnical seabed investigations.
• Bureau VeritascoreOthersBureau Veritas (BV) provides class approval certification to Subsea Services Ltd, enabling the company to offer class-approved services and inspections that meet international maritime standards.
• American Bureau of ShippingcoreOthersAmerican Bureau of Shipping (ABS) provides class approval certification to Subsea Services Ltd, validating the company's capability to perform class-approved commercial diving services and inspections.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Unique Group: UAE-based provider of subsea equipment, diving systems and offshore services with operations across the Middle East, Africa and Asia. Direct comparable in commercial diving, ROV and offshore inspection services, and active in the same emerging-market geographies where Subsea Services competes.
• Jifmar Offshore Services: France-based commercial diving and offshore services company providing ROV, IMR and saturation diving globally. Direct comparable in service mix (underwater inspection, hull cleaning, marine construction) and operational model (mobile diving teams + class approvals), though operating at larger scale across offshore energy markets.
• Mermaid Maritime Public Company: Thailand-based subsea services provider offering diving, ROV and cable lay services to the offshore energy sector in Southeast Asia and the Middle East. Comparable in core subsea IMR service offering and dependence on a regional operating base, though broader offshore oil & gas exposure.
• Shelf Subsea: Australia-headquartered subsea IMR contractor providing commercial diving, ROV and offshore vessel services to oil & gas and marine infrastructure clients. Closely comparable service mix and dependence on regional mobile diving operations, though operating primarily in Australian/APAC waters.

Broad incumbents

• Helix Energy Solutions Group: US-listed subsea services and robotics company operating globally with well intervention, ROV and commercial diving capabilities. Provides broader portfolio including offshore energy intervention, but competes in core underwater inspection and intervention markets where Subsea Services operates.
• Saipem (Sonsub): Italian-headquartered global engineering and offshore contractor with Sonsub division providing underwater robotics, tooling and intervention services. Larger incumbent providing overlapping underwater inspection, intervention and tooling capabilities across offshore energy markets.
• DOF Subsea: Norway-based subsea services operator with global diving, ROV and offshore vessel capabilities serving oil & gas and renewables markets. Operates as a broad incumbent across the same subsea IMR value chain where Subsea Services' diving-led offering competes at the regional level.
• Boskalis Westminster: Dutch global marine services and dredging contractor with broad subsea services portfolio including diving, marine construction and offshore support. Provides overlapping capabilities in underwater construction and survey but as part of much larger integrated marine infrastructure business.
• Subsea 7: Global offshore contractor delivering subsea engineering, construction and IRM services to the oil & gas and renewables sectors. Operates at much larger scale across SURF and IMR scopes where Subsea Services' underwater inspection and marine construction capabilities overlap.

Emerging players

• ROVOP: UK-headquartered ROV operator providing inspection-class and work-class ROV services to offshore energy and telecom sectors. Direct partial overlap with Subsea Services' inspection-class ROV work for subsea infrastructure, though ROVOP does not offer commercial diving or hull cleaning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/subsea-east-africa

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Subsea Services Ltd