A.G.O. Environmental Electronics
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics is a Victoria, BC-based manufacturer of custom winches, subsea equipment, and geophysics instruments, founded in 1986 and serving oceanographic research agencies, universities, and marine survey firms globally.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersVictoria, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What A.G.O. Environmental Electronics does
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics Ltd. is a privately held Canadian manufacturer founded in 1986 by Jim Harrington in Victoria, BC, specializing in custom and standard winches, subsea equipment, and geophysics instruments for oceanographic, marine-research, and field-survey applications. The product portfolio centers on electric and manual winch families (DBW-5/6, CSW-1/6/7/9/10, PID-03, Arctic Fox, PIP-MkI) with design features including manual backup hand-crank redundancy, drum-brake systems, levelwinds, optical-encoder wire counters, slip rings, and tension-limiting friction slip clutches. Supporting offerings include custom subsea pressure cases in plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium, subsea lasers and connectors, water sampling bottles (WSB), and the STING seabed penetrometer developed with Microsec R&D.
The company sells through a quote-based model that begins with detailed winch-requirements forms and application load modeling, supported by a global reseller network covering the Americas, UK/Europe/Middle East, and Asia/Pacific. Named customers include NOAA, USGS, DFO Canada, Parks Canada, EPFL, University of Washington, COVE Ocean, McGill/University of Victoria, Klein Marine Systems, SubC Imaging, Rockland Scientific, and Fugro, with integrations spanning Klein and EdgeTech side scan sonars, Sea-Bird CTDs, Rockland VMP turbulence profilers, and University of Washington ORCA buoys. The "Built Different" positioning emphasizes repairability via standard off-the-shelf parts, built-in mechanical redundancy, keep-it-simple electronics that field crews can troubleshoot, and durability (frequently 10+ year service life). The company is founder-owned, bootstrapped, and does not disclose revenue or headcount.
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- A.G.O. Environmental Electronics
- Legal name
- A.G.O. Environmental Electronics Ltd.
- Website
- https://agoenvironmental.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- A.G.O. Environmental Electronics is a Victoria, BC-based manufacturer of custom winches, subsea equipment, and geophysics instruments, founded in 1986 and serving oceanographic research agencies, universities, and marine survey firms globally.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Oceanographic & Geophysical Winch Manufacturing
- NAICS
- Electrical Equipment Manufacturing (33531), Search, Detection, Navigation, Guidance, Aeronautical, and Nautical System and Instrument Manufacturing (334511), Other Measuring and Controlling Device Manufacturing (334519)
- SIC
- Electronic & Other Electrical Equipment (No Computer Equip) (3600), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Electrical Engineering & Power Distribution (Generation, Switchboards, Cabling, Lighting) (IMAJAGAF)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Ruggedized/Harsh-Environment Electronics Manufacturing (IP-rated, shock/vibration, wide-temp) (IMAGAGAF)
Keywords
Where A.G.O. Environmental Electronics is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Victoria
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Winch Sales: Custom and standard winches for oceanographic, geophysics, borehole, Arctic, unmanned, and defense applications. Sales process involves detailed application requirements forms and load modeling.
- Subsea Equipment: Custom pressure cases (plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, titanium), water sampling equipment, subsea connectors, subsea lasers, and flow/current meters.
- Geophysics Instruments: STING seabed penetrometer, porous pots (non-polarizable electrodes), dummy probes and headers for borehole testing.
- Winch Accessories: Wire payout systems (TWC-1, MWC-2, EWC-6), sheaves and snatch blocks, slip rings, tripods and booms.
- Water Sample Bottle Repair Services: End cap repair services for standard PVC water sample bottles, upgrading to field-replaceable Delrin end caps.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom Winch Quoting |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels4 records
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics product offering
Product offeringCore offering
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics designs, manufactures, and sells custom and standard electric and manual winches for oceanographic, geophysical, borehole, Arctic, unmanned, and defense applications. The company also produces custom subsea pressure cases, Niskin-style water sample bottles, subsea lasers and connectors, geophysical instruments (STING penetrometer, porous pots), and accessories such as slip rings and wire counters. Equipment is built around principles of repairability, manual backup redundancy, and simple electronics for field serviceability.
Product overview
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics is a manufacturer of oceanographic and geophysical winches and equipment founded in 1986 in Victoria, BC, Canada. The product portfolio centers on customizable electric and manual winches (DBW-5/6, CSW-1/6/7/9/10, PID-03 series) for applications including side scan sonar, oceanographic profiling, borehole geophysics, and Arctic research. Supporting products include subsea pressure cases, water sampling equipment (WSB bottles), geophysics instruments (STING penetrometer, porous pots), slip rings, wire counters, subsea lasers, and connectors. The company emphasizes repairability, manual backup redundancy, and simple electronics across its product line, with custom configurations available for specific payloads and applications.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- DBW-5 Electric Winch Compact electric winch for lower-load applications and shorter cable lengths, runs on 110VAC or 220VAC 1-phase power with manual backup functionality. Supports levelwinds and various slip ring options for oceanographic and borehole use.
- DBW-6 Electric Winch Larger version of DBW-5 designed for medium-duty oceanographic applications, especially side scan sonar surveying. Features improved affordability and lead time compared to CSW-7.
- CSW-1 Winch Compact winch model designed for unmanned applications like moored profiling buoys. Weights approximately 130 lbs with 32" L x 29" W x 25" H dimensions, runs on 24 VDC with approximately 200W max power draw.
- CSW-6/7/9 Classic Winch Foundational A.G.O. winch model with welded tube-and-plate frame. Quoted for applications where DBW-6 cannot meet requirements.
- CSW-10 Winch Largest A.G.O. winch model for deeper and heavier duty applications such as 3000m profiler deployments and extensive side scan sonar operations.
- PID-03 Borehole Winch Flagship borehole winch design highly disassembleable with swappable drums. Configurable with manual, drill-drive, or motorized drivetrains, and supports removable tripod/boom assembly for transport to remote field sites.
- Arctic Fox 3HP Enclosed Winch Powerful, fast, fully-enclosed winch ideal for marine operations like side scan sonar. Features mechanically-driven level wind, dog clutch, stack-light status beacons, and slip ring with 530 lbs line pull at core.
- Subsea Pressure Cases Custom cylindrical pressure cases in plastic, aluminum, stainless steel, and titanium for housing underwater equipment. Testing capabilities from 20 bar to 3000m depth ratings.
- Subsea Lasers Titanium subsea lasers in red and green, dot and line outputs, rated for water depths up to 1500m. Available in cabled (12-24 VDC) and self-powered (2x AA battery) versions.
- Subsea Connectors SEACON-style subsea connectors distributed from 3H Manufacturing (USA) and JHS Co. (China), compatible with standard SEACON pinouts including SubConn-style (MCBH, MCIL) connectors.
- STING MkII Seabed Penetrometer Free-falling penetrometer for rapid seabed composition analysis developed in association with Microsec R&D Inc. Records continuous deceleration data with 2kHz sampling for granular depth-stratified sediment profiles. 10kg weight, 300m operational depth, rechargeable battery.
- Porous Pots Non-polarizable electrodes for self-potential (SP) and induced-polarization (IP) geophysical surveys. Feature shatter-proof polycarbonate bodies for durability and fluid level visibility.
- WSB Water Sample Bottles Canadian-made Niskin-style water sample bottles designed for repairability in demanding research environments. Feature field-replaceable ultra-tough Delrin end caps that stay tough down to -40°C. Available in 5L, 8L, and 10L sizes.
- PIP-MkI Network-Controlled Servo Winch Network-controlled servo winch developed for COVE Ocean for dockside instrument deployment testing in Halifax Harbour. Features servo motor, Ethernet network control, line payout metering, and electric brake.
- Water Sample Bottle End Cap Repair Services End cap repair services for standard PVC water sample bottles, upgrading them to field-replaceable Delrin end caps for improved durability and field serviceability.
Quantifiable outcome
- Winches often keep working for over a decade with proper maintenance
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use A.G.O. Environmental Electronics
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration10 records
Feature6 records
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- University of Victoria ECOSat TeamminorPartnership from 2012-2015 to develop cubesat experiments studying diamagnetic materials for potential spacecraft propulsion. ECOSat2 won Canadian Satellite Design Challenge in 2014.
- LAR/SKA Radio Telescope Project (McGill University, University of Victoria)coreBuilt winches for Large Adaptive Reflector radio telescope prototype. A.G.O. supplied mechanical winches; researchers developed control systems. Project funded by National Research Council of Canada and Canadian Foundation for Innovation.
- Bert InstrumentsminorReseller in Miami, FL, USA and Cartagena, Colombia. Handles A.G.O. winches and products in the Americas region.
- Carolina Unmanned VehiclesminorReseller in Raleigh/Durham, NC, USA.
- EdgeTechminorReseller in West Wareham, MA, USA.
- General OceanicscoreA.G.O. is General Oceanics' Canadian sales representative. Also resells General Oceanics equipment. Strong partnership for water sampling and flow meter products.
- GeonicsminorReseller in Mississauga, ON, Canada.
- Geospectrum TechnologiescoreReseller in Dartmouth, NS, Canada. Longstanding partnership for geophysical equipment integration.
- JASCO Applied SciencesminorReseller in Halifax, NS, Canada.
- Klein Marine SystemscoreReseller in Salem, NH, USA. Partnership since early 2000s that launched A.G.O. into side scan sonar industry. A.G.O.'s 'breakout moment' into broader marine market.
- Rockland ScientificcoreReseller in Victoria, BC, Canada. Purpose-built Rockland PID-02 winch for VMP-250 turbulence profiling instrument.
- Sea SciencesminorReseller in Arlington, MA, USA.
- SubC ImagingcoreReseller in Clarenville, NL, Canada. Purpose-built SubC DBW-5 winch for SubC Imaging's Tow Camera System.
- TERAMARAminorReseller (formerly DASCO Equipment) in Kensington, PEI, Canada.
- C-MAXminorReseller in Dorset, UK.
- CADDENminorReseller in Nantes, France.
- FugrominorReseller in Dubai, UAE.
- Pulse Structural MonitoringminorReseller in Wokingham, UK.
- Unique GroupminorReseller in Aberdeen, UK and Abu Dhabi, UAE.
- Enviro-Asia Co., Ltd.minorReseller in Wong Chuk Hang, Hong Kong.
- PT. Geotindo Mitra KencanaminorReseller in Jakarta, Indonesia.
- Shanghai P-Nav Scientific Instruments Co., Ltd.minorReseller in Shanghai, China.
- Microsec R&D Inc.coreAssociation with Microsec R&D Inc. for STING seabed penetrometer. Microsec helped develop the STING's electronics. A.G.O. sells the STING in association with Microsec.
- COVE OceancoreCollaborative development of PIP MkI servo winch for COVE's dockside instrument testing rig. A.G.O. built the mechanical winch; COVE team implemented the user interface for network control.
- 3H ManufacturingminorDistribution partner for SEACON-style subsea connectors made in USA.
- JHS Co.minorDistribution partner for SEACON-style subsea connectors made in China. Offers SubConn-style connectors as cost-effective alternative.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- EdgeTech: Massachusetts-based manufacturer of side scan sonar, sub-bottom profilers, and bathymetric systems. A.G.O. resells and configures winches for EdgeTech systems, placing it in the same oceanographic survey workflow.
- Klein Marine Systems: New Hampshire-based side scan sonar manufacturer and long-standing A.G.O. reseller since the early 2000s. Comparable through its dominance in marine search/detection systems that A.G.O. winches are configured to deploy.
- Sea-Bird Scientific: Bellevue, WA-based leading manufacturer of oceanographic CTD and water-sampling instrumentation. A.G.O. winches (CSW series) are commonly deployed with Sea-Bird CTDs/rosettes, making them adjacent peers serving the same research-vessel end customers.
- Fugro: Dutch-headquartered global geoscience and offshore survey company operating A.G.O. winches across its survey fleet. Comparable as a heavy end-user/customer of marine winch systems and an active reseller in the UAE.
Direct peers
- Markey Machinery: Seattle-based manufacturer of oceanographic and scientific winches (DEEPSEA, Oceanographic, Hydrographic series). Closest direct competitor to A.G.O. with overlapping winch product lines sold into research vessels, government science agencies, and hydrographic survey operators.
- Hawboldt Industries: Nova Scotia-based manufacturer of marine deck machinery and winches, including oceanographic and subsea winch systems. Comparable custom-engineering model serving government research and offshore customers in Canada and internationally.
- MacArtney: Danish-headquartered subsea equipment supplier offering winch systems, slip rings, subsea connectors, and pressure housings. Overlaps with A.G.O. across multiple product lines (winches, slip rings, subsea connectors) and shares an oceanographic customer base globally.
- Interocean Systems: San Diego-based maker of oceanographic winches, current meters, and sediment coring equipment. Direct peer in custom marine winch design for the same research-vessel and survey customer base that A.G.O. serves.
Emerging players
- General Oceanics: Miami-based manufacturer of oceanographic sampling equipment including Niskin bottles, rosettes, and flow meters. Direct peer in the subsea sampling product line and an existing mutual sales-representative partner of A.G.O.
- Rockland Scientific: Victoria, BC-based maker of turbulence profiling instruments (VMP series) that integrate with A.G.O.'s purpose-built PID-02 winch. Highly comparable niche oceanographic instrumentation manufacturer operating in the same regional ecosystem and customer segment.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics social profiles
Digital presenceA.G.O. Environmental Electronics financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about A.G.O. Environmental Electronics
What does A.G.O. Environmental Electronics do?
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics designs, manufactures, and sells custom and standard electric and manual winches for oceanographic, geophysical, borehole, Arctic, unmanned, and defense applications. The company also produces custom subsea pressure cases, Niskin-style water sample bottles, subsea lasers and connectors, geophysical instruments (STING penetrometer, porous pots), and accessories such as slip rings and wire counters. Equipment is built around principles of repairability, manual backup redundancy, and simple electronics for field serviceability.
Is A.G.O. Environmental Electronics a public or private company?
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was A.G.O. Environmental Electronics founded?
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics was founded in 1986. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is A.G.O. Environmental Electronics based?
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics is headquartered in Victoria, Canada, in the North America region.
How does A.G.O. Environmental Electronics make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Winch Sales are the primary driver. The others are subsea Equipment, geophysics Instruments, winch Accessories and water Sample Bottle Repair Services.
Who are A.G.O. Environmental Electronics's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are EdgeTech, Klein Marine Systems, Sea-Bird Scientific and Fugro. Direct peers are Markey Machinery, Hawboldt Industries, MacArtney and Interocean Systems. Emerging players are General Oceanics and Rockland Scientific.
Does A.G.O. Environmental Electronics have an API?
No public API is recorded for A.G.O. Environmental Electronics.
What industry is A.G.O. Environmental Electronics in?
A.G.O. Environmental Electronics's product category is Oceanographic & Geophysical Winch Manufacturing. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAGAF, Electrical Engineering & Power Distribution (Generation, Switchboards, Cabling, Lighting), with a secondary code of IMAGAGAF, Ruggedized/Harsh-Environment Electronics Manufacturing (IP-rated, shock/vibration, wide-temp). Its NAICS code is 33531 and its SIC code is 3600.