Sofar Ocean

Sofar Ocean is a California-based ocean intelligence platform that offers a real-time map of oceanic metrics, including weather, wave energy, wind, surface currents, sea temperatures, and more. The company uses a sensor network comprising coastal and open ocean drifting IoT sensors called “Spotter” buoys. Sofar Ocean provides route guidance by assessing over 100 million routing options daily, taking into account weather forecasts, charter party requirements, and environmental considerations.

As of August 2023, the company has deployed 2,200+ sensors and 25 million device ocean hours. It collects more than 200,000 data points per day and is reportedly 40% better at predicting global waves than leading government forecasting centers. It accumulates more than five million hours of operation, delivering ocean data points to customers across various industries, including shipping, government, environmental research, and more. The company claims to operate the world's largest ocean sensor network.

Key customers and partnerships

In August 2023, Sofar Ocean partnered with Naval Meteorology and Oceanography Command (Naval Oceanography) to advance the US Navy’s ocean weather forecasting and data collection capabilities. In November 2021, Sofar joined the "ABS My Digital Fleet Alliance Program" to integrate its ocean data system with the ABS My Digital Fleet platform. Sofar's solution is utilized by various entities, including Berge Bulk in Singapore, to tackle supply chain challenges related to Covid-19 and environmental regulations, as well as Aqualink for coral bleaching awareness. Government organizations like DARPA and the Office of Naval Research collaborate with Sofar to advance ocean research, including the development of the Bristlemouth hardware standard for ocean data collection devices. In August 2024, Sofar Ocean partnered with Mitsui O.S.K. Lines, who will use Sofar’s Wayfinder platform, which it claims could reduce emissions by around 6 percent per voyage.