Freeboard Technology

What Freeboard Technology does

Freeboard Technology, LLC is a Cleveland, Ohio-based environmental technology company that designs, manufactures, deploys, and maintains smart water-monitoring sensor networks for lakes, rivers, wetlands, estuaries, and coastal waters. Founded in March 2022 as a subsidiary of LimnoTech, the company builds solar-powered monitoring buoys, rugged environmental data loggers, and four pre-configured sensor suites (weather, water level, hydrology, water quality) that transmit via cellular, satellite, and LoRaWAN telemetry to a cloud-hosted data portal. Its infrastructure footprint includes 30 buoys across the Great Lakes — the largest private buoy network in the region outside NOAA — plus 125 wetland data loggers, 50 Western Lake Erie Basin water-quality stations, and 10 oil-monitoring stations, collectively generating 23 million data points and 15,000 video clips per year and serving more than 100,000 unique users on its public Data.Freeboard.Tech portal.

The company's product portfolio spans hardware (Orca Buoy, EnviroDIY-based data loggers, weather/water-level/hydrology/water-quality stations), software (Data.Freeboard.Tech public dashboard and IoT Data Portal with open APIs), connectivity (a 6,200-square-mile regional LoRaWAN network built with SenNet under the Smart Lake Erie Watershed Initiative), and consumer-facing features (Text A Buoy SMS service). Revenue is generated through a mix of one-time hardware sales, professional services (custom design, deployment, installation, maintenance, calibration), and recurring data services (cloud hosting, dashboards, API access), with pricing handled on a quote basis.

The go-to-market motion is enterprise field sales led by engineers and scientists engaging technical decision-makers at water utilities, municipal governments, state and federal agencies, universities, and conservation organizations. The company is owned by LimnoTech, leverages its parent's consulting relationships as a primary referral channel, and operates through flagship partnerships with Cleveland Water Alliance, Alliance for the Great Lakes, Michigan State University, Lake Superior State University (ICOR), LEARN, ODNR, and the City of Tiffin. The named leadership team of approximately eight people is led by President Ed Verhamme, formerly principal engineer at LimnoTech and 2021 president of the International Association for Great Lakes Research.

Name

Freeboard Technology

Legal name

Freeboard Technology, LLC

Website

https://freeboard.tech

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Freeboard Technology designs, manufactures, and operates solar-powered smart buoys, environmental data loggers, and cloud data portals for real-time water quality and weather monitoring across the Great Lakes, serving government agencies, municipalities, water utilities, universities, and conservation organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Monitoring Equipment

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823)

akta.pro primary industry

Online Monitoring, Sensors & Instrumentation (SCADA-integrated analyzers, probes, samplers) (EUANAJAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Water Quality Monitoring (Surface Water, Stormwater, Drinking Water) (EUAHACAC)

Keywords

• Environmental monitoring sensors
• Water quality monitoring
• Smart sensor buoys
• IoT data platforms
• Remote sensing networks

Headquarters

HQ city

Cleveland

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Environmental Monitoring Hardware: Sale of custom-designed monitoring buoys, smart sensors, data loggers, and associated equipment. Hardware includes weather stations, water level sensors, water quality probes, and telemetry systems. One-time hardware purchase with ongoing maintenance contracts available.
2. Deployment and Installation Services: Field support services including initial planning, network design, installation, and ongoing maintenance of sensor networks. Provided through parent company LimnoTech's decades of deployment experience.
3. Maintenance and Calibration Services: Periodic cleaning, calibration, and sensor maintenance services to ensure accurate measurements. Includes both remote support and on-site tech transfer options.
4. Data Services and Cloud Hosting: Cloud data management, API access, custom scripting, and data dashboard engineering. Provides ready access to environmental sensor data through robust cloud-hosted services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Freeboard Technology designs, manufactures, and deploys solar-powered environmental monitoring buoys and customizable smart sensor data loggers for water quality, weather, water level, and hydrology monitoring in lakes, rivers, wetlands, and coastal waters. The company pairs this hardware with cloud-hosted data portals, open APIs, and end-to-end professional services spanning network design, deployment, maintenance, and calibration. Its solutions serve municipalities, water utilities, government agencies, universities, and conservation organizations primarily across the U.S. Great Lakes region.

Product overview

Freeboard Technology offers a unified portfolio of environmental monitoring solutions built around smart buoy systems and customizable sensor stations. The core offering consists of Environmental Monitoring Buoys and Environmental Data Loggers that serve as the hardware foundation, complemented by four pre-configured sensor suites (Weather Station, Water Level Station, Hydrology Station, and Water Quality Station). Data is collected and delivered through the Data.Freeboard.Tech Public Dashboard and IoT Data Portal platforms. The company provides full-service lifecycle support including Custom Design & Manufacturing, Deployment & Installation, Maintenance, and Data Services. Additional offerings include the Text A Buoy SMS service, Orca Buoy product line, and EnviroDIY-based data loggers for specialized applications. The technology portfolio is connected via LoRaWAN, Cellular, and Satellite telemetry options, with all data accessible through open APIs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Data.Freeboard.Tech: Public dashboard for viewing real-time environmental data from buoys and monitoring stations.
• Freeboard Technology IoT Data Portal

Products and services

• Environmental Monitoring Buoys Solar-powered buoys supporting dozens of environmental parameters including water quality, weather, water level, and coastal monitoring. Features rugged enclosures, remote configuration, robust mooring systems, and customized data dashboards. Designed for lakes, rivers, and coastal environments.
• Environmental Data Logger Customizable, rugged sensor station integrating weather stations, water level stations, hydrology stations, and water quality stations. Supports cellular, satellite, and LoRaWAN telemetry with on-board data storage and direct cloud platform connection.
• Data.Freeboard.Tech Public Dashboard Cloud-hosted data portal providing public station pages and intuitive display of complex environmental data from buoys and environmental monitoring stations. Accessible without user sign-in and supports open APIs.
• IoT Data Portal Customer portal for Freeboard Technology customers to access data dashboards for their sensors and stations. Specifically designed for low-cost Internet of Things (IoT) devices.
• Custom Design and Manufacturing Services Custom environmental sensor solutions created for partners and clients. Services include sourcing appropriate sensors and creating individual stations or entire monitoring networks.
• Deployment and Installation Services Professional installation and deployment support for environmental sensors, including initial planning, network design, and field installation. Leverages decades of experience deploying the largest private network of monitoring buoys in the Great Lakes region.
• Maintenance and Calibration Services Periodic cleaning and calibration services to keep sensors operating properly. Includes maintenance of sensors, mitigation of biofouling and corrosion, and extension of equipment lifespan. Includes both remote support and on-site tech transfer options.
• Data Services and Cloud Hosting Data management ecosystem collecting and forwarding remote data from hundreds of sensors using satellite, LoRaWAN, and cellular communications. Includes cloud data management, API usage, custom scripts, and engineering of user-friendly data dashboards.

Quantifiable outcome

• 30 buoys operating in Great Lakes region (largest private network outside NOAA)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship, major and minor.

• LimnoTechcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLimnoTech is the parent company of Freeboard Technology, founded in 1975 and headquartered in Ann Arbor, Michigan. Freeboard Technology was spun off from LimnoTech in 2022 to focus specifically on technology manufacturing and deployment while LimnoTech continues its environmental consulting practice. Ed Verhamme, a principal engineer at LimnoTech, serves as President of Freeboard. The partnership involves shared engineering resources, customer relationships, and operational deployment capabilities.
• Cleveland Water AllianceflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerCleveland Water Alliance partnered with Freeboard Technology and LimnoTech to implement the Smart Lake Erie Watershed Initiative starting in 2022. The initiative aims to jumpstart water technology development across the Lake Erie region, deploying custom buoys, IoT sensor packages, and a regional LoRaWAN network covering 6,200 sq miles.
• Lake Erie Aquatic Research Network (LEARN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLEARN, contracted by Ohio Department of Natural Resources, partnered with Freeboard Technology to design and manufacture custom data loggers for the H2Ohio Initiative wetland monitoring program. Freeboard developed 125 EnviroDIY-based data loggers deployed across wetland sites to assess nutrient removal effectiveness.
• Alliance for the Great LakesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership in 2025 to build and deploy water quality monitoring infrastructure at 50 locations throughout the River Raisin watershed and Western Lake Erie Basin. Funded by MDARD with approximately $5 million investment.
• Michigan State UniversitymajorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCollaborating with Freeboard Technology on the Western Lake Erie Basin water quality monitoring project as part of the MDARD-funded initiative to implement better conservation and land management practices.
• Lake Superior State University (LSSU)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLSSU received a multi-million-dollar grant for the International Consortium on Oil Research (ICOR) for Our Waters of the North. Freeboard partnered to develop, design, build, and evaluate oil spill monitoring technologies including 10 real-time oil monitoring stations and a custom wave maker for controlled experiments.
• Algoma UniversityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution that deployed oil spill monitoring sensors as part of the ICOR Great Lakes oil spill monitoring network.
• University of WindsorminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution that deployed oil spill monitoring sensors as part of the ICOR Great Lakes oil spill monitoring network.
• Bays Mills Indian CommunityminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartner institution that deployed oil spill monitoring sensors as part of the ICOR Great Lakes oil spill monitoring network.
• Ohio Department of Natural Resources (ODNR)flagshipImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerODNR contracted LEARN for wetland monitoring program under H2Ohio Initiative. Freeboard Technology supplies custom data loggers for the program evaluating nutrient removal effectiveness of restored wetlands.
• H2Ohio InitiativeflagshipOthersState of Ohio initiative addressing complex water quality challenges including nutrient pollution and ecosystem degradation. Freeboard Technology provides monitoring equipment for wetland restoration effectiveness assessment across Ohio.
• SenNet (LoRaWAN Network)coreTechnology or IntegrationSenNet's Radio Access Network (RAN) platform was selected for deploying LoRaWAN network across the Great Lakes region as part of the Smart Lake Erie Watershed Initiative, enabling low-power transmission of sensor data at a fraction of cellular communication costs.
• City of Tiffin, OhiomajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity partnered with Freeboard in 2024 to deploy radar-based level sensors and cellular data loggers for combined sewer system monitoring, replacing manual visual inspections with automated overflow detection.
• Water Treatment PlantscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerWater treatment plants partner with Freeboard to deploy and maintain sensor networks for real-time source water quality monitoring, providing early indication of harmful algal blooms, dissolved oxygen changes, and other water quality parameters.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Peers

• Hach (Danaher):

Direct peers

• Sutron Corporation: Sutron builds hydrometeorological monitoring stations, telemetry systems, and data collection platforms used by government agencies — overlapping with Freeboard's weather, water level, and hydrology stations and SCADA/cloud data services.
• In-Situ Inc. In-Situ produces multiparameter water quality instruments, sondes, and telemetry systems for groundwater and surface water monitoring — directly comparable to Freeboard's water quality stations and buoy-mounted sensor packages.
• Aanderaa Data Instruments: Aanderaa, part of Xylem, builds oceanographic and water quality sensors and smart sensor platforms for marine and freshwater monitoring — closely aligned with Freeboard's buoy-based multiparameter monitoring approach.
• NexSens Technology: NexSens manufactures environmental monitoring buoys, data loggers, and sensor systems for lakes, rivers, and coastal waters — directly overlapping Freeboard's buoy, telemetry, and cloud-data product portfolio.
• Sea-Bird Scientific: Sea-Bird Scientific manufactures oceanographic sensors for conductivity, temperature, depth, and water quality — comparable to Freeboard in marine and freshwater monitoring instrumentation, though with a stronger oceanographic focus.
• Eureka Water Probes: Eureka Water Probes produces multiparameter water quality sondes for lakes, rivers, and estuaries — directly comparable to Freeboard's buoy-mounted water quality sensor stations for environmental monitoring applications.

Broad incumbents

• Campbell Scientific: Campbell Scientific designs environmental data loggers and integrated monitoring systems used across hydrology, meteorology, and water quality research — closely comparable to Freeboard's EnviroDIY-based logger and weather/water station offerings.
• YSI (Xylem): YSI, part of Xylem, is a leading manufacturer of water quality sondes and multiparameter instruments used by utilities and researchers globally — overlapping with Freeboard's water quality sensor stations but at vastly greater scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/freeboardtech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 Freeboard Technology