Reformar

What Reformar does

Reformar's business model is a managed-services non-profit model: revenue is generated through direct service contracts with research and training institutions, governmental organizations (federal and provincial), and private organizations, supplemented by provincial and federal grants from partners such as Innovation Québec and Développement économique Canada. The customer base is concentrated among Eastern Canadian anchor clients — notably ISMER-UQAR (primary user of Coriolis II for St. Lawrence and Gulf oceanographic research), UQTR (owner of Lampsilis), and the Commission géologique du Canada (seabed mapping in the Atlantic). Reformar's go-to-market is relationship-driven, relying on long-standing university partnerships, direct contracting with government agencies, and earned media coverage (Radio-Canada, La Presse, Le Devoir) rather than traditional sales channels. Pricing is not publicly disclosed; service fees are negotiated per mission and funded in part through institutional and government grants.

Name

Reformar

Legal name

Reformar Inc.

Website

https://reformar.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Reformar is a Rimouski-based non-profit that operates the Coriolis II and Lampsilis research vessels and scientific equipment for marine science missions, serving Eastern Canadian universities (notably ISMER-UQAR and UQTR) and government agencies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Research Vessel Management Services

NAICS

Ship Building and Repairing (336611)

SIC

Ship & Boat Building & Repairing (3730)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Service Provider Coordination (Diving, Inspection, Class/Survey Support) (TLAHAJAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Naval & Government Vessel Maintenance & Modernization (TLAKAKAB)

Keywords

• Marine research vessels
• Oceanographic equipment
• Ship management services
• Marine science support
• Scientific vessel operations

Headquarters

HQ city

Rimouski

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Research Vessel and Equipment Services: Reformar provides access to its fleet of research vessels (Coriolis II, Lampsilis) and scientific equipment to researchers, institutions, and government/private organizations for marine science missions. Revenue is generated through service contracts and mission-based fees funded in part by government grants and institutional partnerships.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Reformar manages and operates a fleet of scientific research vessels (the 49.95m Coriolis II and the 23.15m Lampsilis catamaran) along with certified crews and advanced scientific equipment to support oceanographic and marine science missions. The organization delivers complete ship management, mission planning, and scientific instrument access to researchers, universities, and government agencies operating primarily in the St. Lawrence River, Gulf, Saguenay, and Atlantic waters of Eastern Canada.

Product overview

Reformar operates as a non-profit organization managing a fleet of specialized research vessels and scientific equipment for marine science research in Eastern Canada. The core portfolio consists of two research vessels — the 49.95m Coriolis II (1990), a deep-water oceanographic research platform certified to international standards (ISM, ISPS, SOLAS) with extensive seabed mapping and acoustic capabilities, and the 23.15m Lampsilis (2004), a shallow-draft catamaran operated for UQTR for riverine and coastal research in the St. Lawrence system. Supporting the fleet is a pool of portable and permanently-mounted scientific equipment including ADCPs, multibeam echosounders, sub-bottom profilers, side-scan sonar, water sampling systems, USBL positioning, and multiple specialized winches. Reformar provides complete mission management services including planning, logistics, crew coordination, and survey scheduling for researchers, institutions, and government organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coriolis II Research Vessel Management Management and operation of the 49.95m Coriolis II research vessel, built in 1990, classified by Bureau Veritas and certified ISM, ISPS, and SOLAS. Capable of worldwide navigation with over 55 square meters of laboratory space and accommodation for 14 researchers plus crew. Equipped with advanced scientific instrumentation including Kongsberg EM304 MKII multibeam echosounder, Teledyne Ocean Surveyor ADCP, sub-bottom profilers, Klein 3000 side-scan sonar, and Applanix POS MV Elite positioning. Service is provided to research institutions and government agencies conducting oceanographic missions.
• Lampsilis Research Catamaran Management Management and operation of the 23.15m Lampsilis research catamaran, built in 2004, operated for the Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR). Features a very shallow draft (1.01m max) suited for freshwater, brackish, and occasional saltwater environments. Equipped with wet and dry laboratories, water property probes, sediment and plankton samplers, and a fishing trawl. Operates approximately 160 days per year from May to October from Trois-Rivières Marina. Service is provided to university researchers and collaborators conducting riverine and coastal research.
• Scientific Equipment Fleet Access Provision of portable and permanently-mounted scientific equipment to researchers using Reformar's vessels, including Teledyne Rio Grande 1200 kHz ADCP, Seabird SBE32 water sampling carousels, Kongsberg Hipap 352P USBL underwater positioning system (21-31 kHz, 1-4000m depth), and multiple specialized winches (DT Marine DT3025/DT3020, Hawbolt 5T, JP Metal 499Kg, JP Metal T-3000) with cable lengths up to 3,638m and SWL up to 10,000 kg. Service is provided to research missions operating across the St. Lawrence, Saguenay, and Atlantic waters.
• Fleet Management and Mission Planning Services Complete management of scientific missions and research vessel fleet including planning, logistics coordination, crew management, regulatory compliance (ISM, ISPS, SOLAS), equipment maintenance, and survey scheduling. Service is delivered to researchers, research institutions, and government organizations for marine science and technology programs in the St. Lawrence River, Gulf, Saguenay, and Atlantic waters.

Quantifiable outcome

• Coriolis II has accommodated missions with up to 14 researchers simultaneously plus crew, with lab spaces totaling over 55 sqm.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

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

• Green MarineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGreen Marine is a voluntary environmental certification program for the maritime industry. Reformar's participation demonstrates commitment to environmental stewardship in its vessel operations.
• Institut des sciences de la mer (ISMER) – UQARcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerISMER is the primary research partner and main user of the Coriolis II vessel. Reformar manages the vessel on behalf of ISMER/UQAR, enabling the institute to conduct multidisciplinary oceanographic research in the St. Lawrence and beyond.
• Université du Québec à Trois-Rivières (UQTR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUQTR owns the Lampsilis research catamaran, which Reformar manages and operates. The partnership enables UQTR researchers and collaborators to conduct freshwater and brackish water research across multiple waterways.
• Chaire de recherche en géologie marine – UQAR / CRGMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Research Chair in Marine Geology at UQAR conducts seabed geology research using Reformar vessels. Guillaume St-Onge, Director of ISMER, holds the Canada Research Chair in Marine Geology.
• CIDCO (Centre interdisciplinaire de développement de la cartographie des océans)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDCO is an ocean mapping center that collaborates with Reformar on seabed cartography and oceanographic data collection missions.
• Armateurs du Saint-LaurentminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArmateurs du Saint-Laurent is a shipping association for the St. Lawrence River. Reformar participates as a member in this industry organization.
• Centre d'études nordiques (CEN) – Université LavalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEN at Université Laval conducts northern research and partners with Reformar for marine science missions in support of northern and Arctic studies.
• Réseau Québec Maritime (RQM)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRQM is a Quebec maritime research network that coordinates and federates the Quebec maritime research community. Reformar collaborates with RQM on initiatives including the Odyssée Saint-Laurent program which funded six research projects at a value exceeding $1.3M. RQM also co-coordinated a $75,000 equipment acquisition competition with Reformar.
• Innovation MaritimeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation Maritime is a Rimouski-based marine research and innovation center that partnered with ISMER and Multi-Électronique on the MARS (Marine Acoustic Research Station) project, a world-first underwater acoustic research station deployed in the Laurentian Channel.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• NORCE Norwegian Research Centre: Norwegian applied research institute with growing marine and Arctic research operations including vessel-based missions. Comparable as an emerging research operator in the cold-ocean / Arctic science niche, intersecting with Reformar's Arctic sovereignty positioning.

Regional players

• Bedford Institute of Oceanography (DFO): Government of Canada oceanographic research facility in Dartmouth, Nova Scotia, operating Atlantic-region research vessels for Fisheries and Oceans Canada. Regionally comparable as a Canadian public-sector research vessel operator in the same Atlantic/St. Lawrence geography.

Broad incumbents

• CSIRO (Marine and Atmospheric Research): Australian national science agency operating the Marine National Facility research vessel (R/V Investigator). Comparable as a large government research organization managing a flagship research vessel with sophisticated instrumentation for institutional ocean science.
• GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel: German marine research institute operating multiple research vessels (e.g., R/V Sonne) for ocean science globally. Broadly comparable as a publicly funded marine research organization with in-house fleet management and scientific instrumentation capabilities.
• IFREMER: French national oceanographic research institute operating a large fleet of research vessels and submersibles for marine science. Comparable at a broader scale as a government-backed operator of research vessels and scientific equipment for institutional clients.
• NOAA Office of Marine and Aviation Operations (OMAO): U.S. federal operator of NOAA's research and survey vessels (e.g., R/Vs Oceanus, Ronald H. Brown, Discoverer-class) supporting government and academic ocean science. Broadly comparable as a federally operated research vessel fleet for government research missions.

Direct peers

• REV Ocean: Norwegian non-profit foundation that built and operates one of the world's largest research vessels (R/V REV Ocean) for global ocean science. Directly comparable as a non-profit, mission-driven vessel operator funded by philanthropy and partnerships.
• Schmidt Ocean Institute: Private non-profit founded by Eric Schmidt that operates state-of-the-art research vessels (R/V Falkor and successor) for oceanographic science globally. Highly comparable as a philanthropy-funded, mission-driven research vessel operator with similar positioning to Reformar but at larger scale.
• OceanX: Non-profit ocean exploration organization operating converted vessels (e.g., M/V Alucia2) for marine research and media missions. Directly comparable as a private non-profit research vessel operator serving scientific and public-facing missions.
• Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute (MBARI): Private non-profit ocean research organization operating its own fleet of advanced research vessels and ROVs for oceanographic science. Comparable as a privately funded research institute with proprietary vessels and scientific equipment serving academic and government clients.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Reformar-1763755760525848
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/reformar-maritime

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Reformar