C-BIRD LTD

What C-BIRD LTD does

C-BIRD LTD, operating as C-Bird Marine, is a UK-incorporated private limited company headquartered in Edinburgh that provides drone-based non-destructive testing (NDT) inspection services for maritime vessels. Founded and led by CEO Malcolm Connolly, the company specializes in Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (UTM), close-up surveys, and LiDAR scanning conducted entirely from the deck of a vessel using Flyability Elios 3 drones equipped with ultrasonic thickness payloads and onboard 3D LiDAR sensors. The methodology eliminates the need for scaffolding, rafting, rope access, and confined-space entry, enabling inspection of cargo tanks, ballast tanks, and other hazardous spaces at temperatures up to 45°C.

C-Bird's regulatory positioning is its primary differentiator: it holds the first ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) service supplier approval globally for drone-based ESP (Enhanced Survey Program) hull gauging, achieved following a two-year program of successful pilot projects. The company also operates in compliance with IACS class rules for close-up surveys, enabling acceptance by member classification societies. Documented project outcomes include reducing inspection time from 40–60 days to approximately 7 days for 12 oil tanks, eliminating up to 15,000 hours of work at height per project, and saving approximately $1 million USD on a single 250m oil tanker class renewal survey by removing scaffolding costs.

The business model is professional services revenue generated through project-based inspection contracts with shipowners and operators worldwide, sold via direct enterprise engagement. The company serves a vertically-segmented maritime customer base including fleet operators of aged vessels (15+ years requiring intensified ESP surveys), classification societies, and oil tanker/cargo ship owners. Distribution is on-site at vessel locations globally, with marketing centered on case studies, the ABS regulatory milestone, and a strategic product advisor relationship with drone manufacturer Flyability. The company is founder-owned, with no disclosed institutional investment, public listing, or parent company.

Name

C-BIRD LTD

Legal name

C-BIRD LTD

Website

https://c-bird.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

C-BIRD LTD is a UK-based drone marine inspection service company that uses Flyability Elios 3 drones to deliver class-approved ultrasonic thickness measurements, close-up surveys, and LiDAR scanning for shipowners and operators worldwide, eliminating scaffolding and confined-space entry.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Maritime Inspection Services

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYTLAHAMAL

Underwater Hull Services (Diving, In-Water Cleaning, Propeller Polishing, Inspection)

Transportation & Logistics/Ports, Terminals & Maritime Services/Ship Repair, Dry Docking & Marine Engineering Services

SECONDARYTLAHAJAI

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

Transportation & Logistics/Ports, Terminals & Maritime Services/Ship Agency, Husbandry & Port Call Services

Keywords

• Drone vessel inspection
• Marine hull surveys
• Ultrasonic thickness measurement
• Maritime inspection services
• Non-destructive testing

Headquarters

HQ city

Edinburgh

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Drone-Based Vessel Inspection Services: C-Bird provides drone-based ultrasonic thickness measurements and close-up surveys for vessels as a professional service. Revenue is generated through project-based inspection contracts with shipowners and operators. Services include hull thickness gauging, close-up surveys, and LiDAR scanning performed entirely from the deck of vessels, eliminating the need for traditional access methods like scaffolding or rafting.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

C-Bird provides drone-based marine vessel inspection services using Flyability Elios 3 drones equipped with ultrasonic thickness (UT) measurement payloads, LiDAR sensors, and 4K cameras. Services include Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (UTM), class-approved Close-Up Surveys, and LiDAR Scanning, all conducted entirely from the deck of a vessel to eliminate scaffolding, rafting, rope access, and confined-space entry. The company delivers these class-society-approved inspection solutions directly to shipowners, fleet operators, and classification societies worldwide.

Product overview

C-Bird is a drone-based marine inspection service company offering a unified portfolio of vessel survey solutions. The core offerings include Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (UTM), Close-Up Surveys, and LiDAR Scanning services, all conducted using specialized drone technology (Flyability Elios 3) from the deck without requiring confined space entry, scaffolding, or traditional access methods. The company provides class-approved inspection services in collaboration with major classification societies for hull surveys, thickness gauging, and visual inspections across various vessel types.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Ultrasonic Thickness Measurements (UTM) Drone-based Non-Destructive Testing (NDT) service that performs hull thickness readings entirely from the deck using a Flyability Elios 3 drone equipped with an ultrasonic thickness (UT) payload. Eliminates confined-space entry, scaffolding, and traditional access methods while ensuring regulatory compliance for shipowners and operators.
• Close-Up Survey Class-approved drone-based close-up survey service conducted entirely from the deck of a vessel, capturing high-resolution visual data without staging, rafting, or confined-space entry. Provided to shipowners and operators for IACS-compliant class surveys.
• LiDAR Scanning LiDAR-equipped drone service delivering detailed 3D representations of vessels' complex internal and external structures with precision. Enables repeat surveys, measurement of state changes between surveys, and modeling of degradation rates without scaffolding, rafting, or human entry.
• Collaborative Marine Survey Solutions Comprehensive marine survey package delivered in collaboration with major classification societies (including ABS), providing class-approved modern inspection methods for a wide range of vessel types worldwide. Designed for shipowners and operators seeking integrated survey programs rather than individual inspection tasks.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduced inspection time from 40-60 days to 7 days for 12 oil tanks
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• FlyabilitycoreTechnology or IntegrationFlyability is the manufacturer of the Elios 3 drones used by C-Bird for inspections. C-Bird's CEO Malcolm Connolly serves as a Flyability product advisor and beta-tester for the UT payload. This partnership provides C-Bird with access to cutting-edge drone inspection technology and early access to new capabilities.
• American Bureau of Shipping (ABS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerABS is a major classification society that certified C-Bird as an approved recognized service supplier for ESP hull gauging following a 2-year program of successful pilot projects. This certification is the first of its kind globally for drone-based inspection. ABS works with C-Bird to validate inspection data and class surveys.
• IACS (International Association of Classification Societies)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerC-Bird is class-approved to carry out close-up surveys in line with IACS class rules. IACS sets the standards for the design, construction, and through-life operation of vessels, and C-Bird's compliance with these rules enables its services to be accepted by member classification societies worldwide.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves3 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MMT Group: MMT provides marine surveying and inspection services using ROVs, AUVs, and surface vessels for shipping, offshore, and renewables clients. They are a direct peer in marine survey and inspection services with established class society relationships and global operations.
• Rovco: Rovco provides subsea inspection, survey, and asset integrity services using ROVs and AI-enabled inspection technology for offshore wind and oil & gas. While they operate underwater, they are a direct peer in marine asset inspection services targeting fleet operators with technology-enabled inspection offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Subsea 7: Subsea 7 is a major subsea engineering and services company offering inspection, maintenance, and repair services to the offshore energy industry. They represent a large incumbent in marine asset integrity services that could expand into or compete with drone-based above-water hull inspection.
• Kongsberg Maritime: Kongsberg Maritime provides marine technology including underwater robotics, positioning systems, and sonar-based inspection solutions. They serve the same maritime inspection market as C-Bird through traditional sensor and ROV platforms and represent a large incumbent with the resources to develop or acquire drone-based inspection capabilities.
• Oceaneering International: Oceaneering is a global marine services provider offering subsea robotics, ROV-based inspection services, and marine asset integrity solutions. While they primarily focus on subsea ROV inspections, they serve the same fleet operators and class society customers as C-Bird and represent the broader marine IMR (Inspection, Maintenance, Repair) competitive context.
• DeepOcean: DeepOcean provides subsea IMR, survey, and inspection services to the oil & gas and renewables industries using ROVs and autonomous underwater vehicles. They compete for the same vessel inspection budgets as C-Bird through traditional underwater hull inspection methods, representing a likely incumbent competitor as the market shifts toward above-water drone inspection.
• iXblue (Exail): Exail (formerly iXblue) provides autonomous maritime solutions including USVs, AUVs, and inertial navigation for subsea inspection and hydrographic survey. They compete in marine survey and inspection services with technology-enabled offerings targeting similar fleet operator customers as C-Bird.
• Saab Seaeye: Saab Seaeye is a leading manufacturer and operator of electric underwater robotic systems (ROVs) used for inspection, intervention, and survey work in marine environments. They represent the traditional underwater inspection technology that C-Bird's drone-based approach complements or competes with.

Emerging players

• Perceptual Robotics: Perceptual Robotics provides autonomous drone-based inspection solutions for industrial assets including wind turbines and other infrastructure. They are an emerging player in industrial drone inspection that could expand into maritime hull surveys or represent an analogous drone-inspection business model targeting similar inspection pain points.

Regional players

• Ardent (formerly JD-Contractor): Ardent provides subsea construction, IMR, and marine asset services primarily in the Asia-Pacific region. They serve oil & gas and offshore wind clients with ROV-based inspection services, representing a regional marine IMR peer that could expand geographically to compete with C-Bird's global offering.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/c-bird-ltd

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 C-BIRD LTD