AquaMap
AquaMap, operated by Italy-based GEC s.r.l., develops subscription-based mobile marine and outdoor navigation apps featuring official hydrographic charts, AIS integration, and route planning, serving over 200,000 recreational boaters and sailing schools worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2013
- HeadquartersViareggio, Italy
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingSoftware
What AquaMap does
AquaMap is the consumer brand of GEC s.r.l., a private Italian company founded in June 2013 in Viareggio, Tuscany, that develops mobile marine and outdoor navigation applications. Its flagship product, Aqua Map, is a smartphone and tablet GPS navigation app used by over 200,000 recreational boaters and sailors worldwide, offering offline nautical charts sourced from official hydrographic offices (UKHO, NOAA, CHS, and 20+ national agencies), real-time AIS collision detection via NMEA WiFi connectivity, 40-hour marine weather forecasts, anchor monitoring with remote alerting, route planning integrated with USACE and USCG data, and integrations with community POI sources including ActiveCaptain and Waterway Guide. A complementary sub-brand, Terra Map, extends the navigation platform to land-based outdoor users (hikers, bikers, explorers) with offline maps, route planning, and georeferenced content.
The company operates a freemium subscription model with three tiers: a base Chart Subscription for regional official charts, an Expert tier ($14.99/year add-on) adding marine forecasts, AIS, AnchorLink, and WiFi instrument integration, and a Master tier ($24.99/year add-on, USA/Canada only) adding USACE surveys, USCG Local Notices to Mariners, and Canadian Coast Guard NAVWARNs, all distributed via the Apple App Store and Google Play Store with a 14-day free trial (3 days in Sweden due to hydrographic institute regulations). Distribution leverages a 20+ partner network of sailing organizations, ASA-certified sailing schools (via the September 2025 Aqua Map School Program), community data contributors, and a flagship Official Navigational Aid Partnership with Sail4th 250 for the 2026 America's 250th Anniversary flotilla in New York and New Jersey. The company appears to be founder-owned and bootstrapped, with no disclosed external institutional funding and a 1–10 person team led by CEO Enrico Valle.
AquaMap firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- AquaMap
- Legal name
- GEC s.r.l.
- Website
- https://aquamap.app
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2013
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- AquaMap, operated by Italy-based GEC s.r.l., develops subscription-based mobile marine and outdoor navigation apps featuring official hydrographic charts, AIS integration, and route planning, serving over 200,000 recreational boaters and sailing schools worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
AquaMap industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Marine Navigation Software
- NAICS
- Navigational Services to Shipping (48833), Support Activities for Water Transportation (4883)
- SIC
- Water Transportation (4400), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS) (IMAJAJAE)
Keywords
Where AquaMap is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Viareggio
- HQ country
- Italy
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
AquaMap business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Software
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Chart Subscription: Base subscription providing access to official nautical charts for specific regions, downloadable for offline use. Users select chart packs for their sailing areas.
- Expert Subscription: Annual subscription adding pro features including marine forecasts, route explorer, AIS integration, WiFi connections, and anchor monitoring on top of chart access. Price: Nautical chart cost + US $14.99/year.
- Master Subscription: Premium annual subscription including Expert features plus local data (USACE surveys, USCG LNMs, Canada NAVWARNs, France/Denmark/West Australia warnings). Available USA & Canada only. Price: Nautical chart cost + US $24.99/year.
- School Program Licensing: Free instructor licenses and discounted student licenses for sailing schools and certified instructors as part of educational outreach program.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Chart Subscription - Base nautical chart access |
| Subscription | Annual | Expert Subscription - Advanced tools for serious navigators |
| Subscription | Annual | Master Subscription - Comprehensive USA & Canada coverage |
| Subscription | Annual | School Program - Free for instructors, discounted for students |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
AquaMap product offering
Product offeringCore offering
AquaMap develops and sells the Aqua Map mobile GPS marine navigation app for iOS and Android, layering proprietary routing, AIS collision detection, NMEA/Signal-K instrument integration, AnchorLink remote anchor monitoring, and 40-hour marine weather forecasting on top of official hydrographic charts (NOAA, USACE, USCG, Canadian Coast Guard, Suriname, Guyanas). The app is monetized via tiered Chart, Expert, and Master subscriptions with a 14-day free trial, complemented by the Terra Map outdoor navigation sub-brand and the Aqua Map School Program for sailing schools.
Product overview
AquaMap is a navigation technology company that offers a dual-product portfolio consisting of Aqua Map (marine navigation) and Terra Map (outdoor/land navigation), both developed by GEC s.r.l. Founded in June 2013 in Viareggio, Italy. Aqua Map serves as the primary product - a GPS marine navigation app for smartphones and tablets featuring official nautical charts, marine forecasts, AIS integration, and community data. The offering follows a subscription-based model with three tiers: Chart Subscription (entry-level with offline charts and basic navigation), Expert Subscription ($14.99/year adding marine weather forecasts, Route Explorer, AIS Integration, AnchorLink, and NMEA Wi-Fi Connection), and Master Subscription ($24.99/year adding USACE Surveys, USCG data, and Canadian NAVWARNs for USA/Canada users). Terra Map complements the portfolio as an outdoor navigation alternative for hikers and adventurers. Key features include smart anchor alarms, real-time marine weather forecasting up to 40 hours, NMEA instrument connectivity, Route Planner combining automatic and manual modes, and integration with ActiveCaptain and Waterway Guide POI data.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Terra Map: A feature-rich app tailored for outdoor adventurers. Provides offline maps, route planning, georeferenced photos, tracks, markers, and more for hiking, biking, and exploring remote areas.
Products and services
- Aqua Map Mobile GPS marine navigation application for iOS and Android that delivers official hydrographic charts (NOAA, USACE, USCG, Canadian Coast Guard, Suriname, Guyanas), AIS collision detection, NMEA/Signal-K instrument integration, AnchorLink remote anchor monitoring, 40-hour marine weather forecasting, and route planning tools for recreational boaters, sailors, and cruisers.
- Terra Map Outdoor navigation sub-brand app extending Aqua Map's mobile cartography approach to hiking, backpacking, and other outdoor activities, including track recording and integration with Garmin and Bob423 wearables.
- Aqua Map School Program Licensed program for sailing schools and certified sailing instructors that provides free Advanced Tools subscriptions for instructors and temporary student licenses aligned to course duration, enabling nautical education to use the Aqua Map marine navigation app as the teaching platform.
Quantifiable outcome
- Trusted by 200,000+ navigators worldwide
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use AquaMap
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
AquaMap technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- Yes
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration15 records
Feature7 records
AquaMap partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Sail4th 250flagshipOfficial Navigational Aid Partner for America's 250th Anniversary celebration with largest-ever tall ships flotilla scheduled July 3-8, 2026 in Port of New York and New Jersey. Aqua Map provides free NY chart access and event-specific enhancements to boaters.
- NOAA (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration)corePartnership for Crowdsourced Bathymetry project promoted by International Hydrographic Organization. Users contribute bathymetric data to improve ocean mapping.
- Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway AssociationminorCommunity partner supporting ICW navigation users.
- Waterway GuidecorePOI data integration for marinas, anchorages, and fuel stops displayed in Route Explorer feature.
- ActiveCaptaincoreCommunity POI data integrated for navigation information including marinas, anchorages, and waterfront businesses.
- Canadian Power and Sail Squadrons (CPS-ECP)minorSailing education organization partner.
- Great LoopminorCommunity for boaters completing the Great Loop waterway circuit.
- Seven Seas Cruising Association (SSCA)minorInternational sailing organization partner.
- Salty Dawg SailingminorSailing organization partner providing community support for cruisers.
- Women's Sailing AssociationminorWomen's sailing advocacy and education organization.
- US Coast Guard (Local Notice to Mariners)coreDaily updated navigation aid data with 54,000+ lights, buoys, and beacons integrated into Master subscription.
- US Army Corps of EngineerscoreOver 90,000 hydrographic surveys integrated and updated weekly for US waters navigation.
- Canadian Coast Guard (NAVWARNs)coreNavigational warnings for changes to aids to navigation and marine hazards in Canadian waters integrated into Master subscription.
- UK Hydrographic OfficecoreOfficial nautical chart data from UKHO with permission for use in Aqua Map product.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
AquaMap competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- Orca: Orca builds a connected boating platform combining marine charts, routing, and onboard hardware — an emerging mobile-first competitor in recreational marine nav with deeper integration ambitions than Aqua Map.
- savvy navvy: savvy navvy is a marine navigation/routing app focused on smart boat routing with weather integration, targeting recreational boaters with a mobile-first experience — overlapping Aqua Map's Route Planner + Marine Forecasts proposition.
- PredictWind: PredictWind specializes in marine weather forecasting and passage routing for sailors and racers, providing routing that overlaps Aqua Map's Route Explorer + Marine Forecasts features.
- Wavve Boating: Wavve Boating offers a social + navigation boating app combining charts with community location sharing — an emerging mobile competitor overlapping Aqua Map's Live Sharing and chart features.
Direct peers
- iNavX: iNavX is a marine navigation app supporting multiple chart providers with offline charts, AIS, and route planning — a direct mobile-app competitor with similar NMEA integration and recreational sailing focus.
- Navionics (Garmin): Navionics is the dominant marine chart app globally, now owned by Garmin and tightly bundled with Garmin chartplotters — the most direct competitive overlap with Aqua Map on nautical charts, AIS, and routing for recreational boaters.
- C-MAP: C-MAP provides commercial-grade marine cartography and chart apps widely used by recreational and professional mariners; its mobile chart offerings overlap directly with Aqua Map's Chart/Expert/Master subscription model.
Broad incumbents
- Garmin Marine: Garmin is the incumbent in marine electronics (chartplotters, sonar, autopilots), with apps (including ActiveCaptain) competing broadly against Aqua Map across hardware, software, and integrated POI/community data layers.
Others
- ActiveCaptain: ActiveCaptain (Garmin-owned) provides marina, anchorage, and waterfront POI data that Aqua Map integrates into its Route Explorer; it is a data source / adjacent navigation community rather than a direct mobile-app competitor.
- Explorer Charts: Explorer Charts publishes specialty paper + digital charts often used in Aqua Map's chart ecosystem; an adjacent chart-data peer enabling niche cruising rather than a direct mobile-app competitor.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
AquaMap social profiles
Digital presenceAquaMap financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
AquaMap leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles7 records
AquaMap funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
AquaMap 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 AquaMap
What does AquaMap do?
AquaMap develops and sells the Aqua Map mobile GPS marine navigation app for iOS and Android, layering proprietary routing, AIS collision detection, NMEA/Signal-K instrument integration, AnchorLink remote anchor monitoring, and 40-hour marine weather forecasting on top of official hydrographic charts (NOAA, USACE, USCG, Canadian Coast Guard, Suriname, Guyanas). The app is monetized via tiered Chart, Expert, and Master subscriptions with a 14-day free trial, complemented by the Terra Map outdoor navigation sub-brand and the Aqua Map School Program for sailing schools.
Is AquaMap a public or private company?
AquaMap is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was AquaMap founded?
AquaMap was founded in 2013. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is AquaMap based?
AquaMap is headquartered in Viareggio, Italy, in the Europe region.
How does AquaMap make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Chart Subscription is the primary driver. The others are expert Subscription, master Subscription and school Program Licensing.
Who are AquaMap's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are Orca, savvy navvy, PredictWind and Wavve Boating. Direct peers are iNavX, Navionics (Garmin) and C-MAP. Garmin Marine is listed as a broad incumbent. Others are ActiveCaptain and Explorer Charts.
Does AquaMap have an API?
Yes. Aqua Map provides a REST API that allows users to access their data relating to Aqua Map. Any use of the API, including use through third-party products/services that access Aqua Map, is bound by the Terms and Conditions. The API documentation URL is not specified in the source material.
What industry is AquaMap in?
AquaMap's product category is Marine Navigation Software. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAJAJAE, Marine Navigation Systems (ECDIS, Radar, GNSS, AIS). Its NAICS code is 48833 and its SIC code is 4400.