What SOS Méditerranée does

SOS Méditerranée is a France-domiciled, non-governmental humanitarian organization founded in May 2015 by citizens in response to escalating deaths in the Central Mediterranean. Its core service is maritime search and rescue in the Libyan and Maltese Search and Rescue Regions, delivered primarily through the chartered 69.3-meter offshore supply vessel Ocean Viking (Norwegian International Ship Registry), which is equipped with three rigid-hulled inflatable boats, an on-board medical clinic, and mass rescue devices capable of receiving approximately 100 people. Since the February 2016 launch of its predecessor vessel Aquarius and the July 2019 transition to Ocean Viking, the organization has conducted 452 rescue missions and rescued more than 42,700 people from 50+ countries of origin, including 6,000 women and nearly 10,400 children (80% of child survivors unaccompanied). In November 2025 the organization extended its capability with the ALBATROSS civilian aerial monitoring mission.

The organization operates a European federation of national associations in France, Germany, Italy, and Switzerland, with additional Arabic-language outreach under SOS MEDITERRANEE Arabia, supported by a network of more than 1,000 volunteers in France. On-board medical and humanitarian care has historically been delivered through strategic partnerships, first with Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF) and subsequently with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC); the IFRC partnership concluded in December 2025. The technology backbone combines the Ocean Viking platform, complementary aerial reconnaissance aircraft (Colibri, Moonbird), and information relay from the Alarm Phone distress hotline. The organization is led operationally by a Director of Operations (Frédéric Penard, also referenced as Xavier Lauth) and co-founder Sophie Beau (General Director of SOS MEDITERRANEE France).

SOS Méditerranée is funded entirely by donations and grants rather than commercial revenue; services to beneficiaries are provided free of charge. Suggested individual donation tiers include €20 for a hypothermia kit, €50 for a life jacket for mother and child, and €110 for one day of meals for 10 rescued people, with one-time and recurring giving options. Institutional support has come from IFRC and other partners, and the Ocean Viking is reported to carry a daily operating cost of €14,000. The go-to-market motion is community-led: donor cultivation, volunteer mobilization, survivor testimony publication, press advocacy, and campaigns to maintain public visibility on the Central Mediterranean migration crisis.

Name

SOS Méditerranée

Legal name

SOS Méditerranée

Website

https://sosmediterranee.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOS Méditerranée is a France-based, citizen-founded humanitarian NGO operating maritime search and rescue in the Central Mediterranean via the chartered Ocean Viking vessel, serving refugees and migrants in distress at sea. Funded by donations, it has rescued over 42,700 people since 2016.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Public donations from individuals via one-time and recurring giving programs. Donation tiers include €20 (hypothermia kit), €50 (life jacket for mother and child), €110 (one day of meals for 10 rescued people).
2. Corporate/Institutional Partnerships: Partnerships with organizations such as IFRC and other institutional donors for operational support.
3. Fundraising Campaigns: Organized fundraising initiatives including events, festivals, and campaign drives to raise awareness and funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SOS Méditerranée conducts maritime search and rescue operations in the Central Mediterranean Sea to save people in distress who are fleeing conflict, persecution, and extreme poverty. Once rescued aboard the chartered vessel Ocean Viking, survivors receive immediate medical care, psychological support, food, water, clothing, and coordination of safe disembarkation. The organization also operates the ALBATROSS aerial monitoring mission, conducts humanitarian advocacy, and documents survivor testimonies.

Product overview

SOS MEDITERRANEE is a maritime and humanitarian organization operating search and rescue services in the central Mediterranean. The organization runs a unified service centered on the Ocean Viking rescue ship (successor to the Aquarius), supported by the ALBATROSS aerial monitoring mission. Core offerings include maritime search and rescue operations to save lives at sea, survivor care and protection with medical and psychological support, and humanitarian advocacy. The organization operates as a citizen-led NGO funded primarily through donations, with operations conducted in international waters in the Libyan Search and Rescue Region.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ocean Viking Rescue Ship
• Maritime Search and Rescue Operations
• Survivor Care and Protection
• ALBATROSS Aerial Monitoring Mission
• Humanitarian Advocacy

Quantifiable outcome

• 42,700+ lives saved since 2016
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2021IFRC partnered with SOS MEDITERRANEE for rescue operations aboard the Ocean Viking since September 2021. IFRC teams participated in ten patrols helping rescue more than 2,700 people. The partnership includes emergency appeals and operational support. Partnership ended in December 2025.
• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2019MSF provides medical and humanitarian care for rescued survivors aboard the Ocean Viking. The partnership involves 9 MSF staff including 4 medics (1 doctor, 2 nurses, 1 midwife), 1 logistician, 1 cultural mediator, 1 humanitarian affairs officer, 1 field communications manager, and 1 project coordinator. The partnership began with the Aquarius (2016-2018) and continued with Ocean Viking since August 2019.
• Pilotes VolontairessupportingTechnology or IntegrationAssociation operating the Colibri airplane (MCR 4s) for civil aerial reconnaissance missions to support search and rescue operations at sea in the Central Mediterranean.
• Sea-Watch / Humanitarian Pilots InitiativesupportingTechnology or IntegrationJoint operation of Moonbird airplane for civil aerial reconnaissance over Central Mediterranean Sea. Moonbird conducts searches for potential boats in distress and shares information with rescue coordination centers.
• Alarm Phone (Watch The Med)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlarm Phone is an alarm phone number where people in distress at sea can report their situation. Alarm Phone relays information to Rescue Coordination Centers, supporting SOS MEDITERRANEE's rescue operations.
• Jasmund ShippingsupportingOthersShipping company previously in charge of management of the Aquarius, including certification, insurance, bunkering, catering, engine/bridge/accommodation maintenance, and navigation management.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• MOAS (Migrant Offshore Aid Station): Founded in 2013 (predates SOS MEDITERRANEE) and historically operated rescue vessels and aerial drones in the Central Mediterranean. Closely comparable SAR mission and migrant rescue focus.
• Sea-Eye: German-based civilian SAR organization operating rescue vessels (Alan Kurdi, Sea-Eye 4) in the Mediterranean. Directly comparable mandate, vessel model, and European donor base as SOS MEDITERRANEE.
• Sea-Watch: German-registered civilian SAR NGO operating rescue vessels (Sea-Watch 3, Sea-Watch 5) in the Central Mediterranean. Most direct operational peer to SOS MEDITERRANEE, also focused on migrant rescue and European advocacy, and co-operates via the Moonbird aerial reconnaissance aircraft.
• Proactiva Open Arms: Spanish civilian SAR NGO founded in 2015 operating the Open Arms vessel in the Central Mediterranean. Closely comparable mission, fleet structure, and donor-driven funding model to SOS MEDITERRANEE.

Broad incumbents

• Médecins Sans Frontières (MSF): Global humanitarian medical organization that has been SOS MEDITERRANEE's core medical partner aboard the Aquarius and Ocean Viking since 2016. Provides embedded medical teams and humanitarian advocacy, and at times operates own rescue assets.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/SOSMedIntl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC6qsT44bZofj5dk-1lh1Y_Q
• Instagraminstagram.com/sosmediterranee

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 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 SOS Méditerranée