Darmstadt based start-up Aquaplot opens its platform by establishing a marketplace for third party applications for the maritime industry in autumn. A first partnership with Vendola Solutions to develop new web-based solutions for vessel owners, charterers and brokers powered by Aquaplot’s platform has been reached. Henning Grimm, CEO of Aquaplot, will give an insight into the functions of the marketplace on 30 May during a presentation on route planning for the maritime sector at the Breakbulk taking place in Bremen from 29-31 May.
“Our Aquaplot marketplace is a neutral platform for data and apps for the maritime sector. For the first time, we will be integrating apps from a third-party in cooperation with Vendola Solutions in order to create a marketplace for specialised applications for various areas of the maritime industry. We combine our technical competence and infrastructure solutions, for example for routing and vessel tracking, with the market and domain knowledge of our partners from decades of practical experience,” says Henning Grimm, CEO of Aquaplot.
Grimm also emphasises the practicability of the Aquaplot marketplace: “The maritime industry needs a platform where users, data and applications meet to drive innovation and reduce the cost of bringing new solutions to market. We already have several thousand users, routing and AIS data on the platform and will continue working on adding more sources and services, for example weather forecasts or vessel databases. The idea is to make all these parts interoperable so applications can utilize the available infrastructure without needing to reinvent the wheel for every app.”
The aim of Aquaplot is to push ahead with digitisation in maritime shipping in order to improve transport and make it more efficient and safer. This is why the shipping start-up not only positions itself as an aggregator, but also invests in the development of components, such as route planning, which are required for all applications. The start-up uses natureinspired artificial intelligence based on particle swarm optimisation and evolutionary algorithms. Together with integrated data feeds (weather, AIS), dynamic factors such as wind and flow conditions can also be included in the calculations. This not only allows real-time monitoring, but simulations and various scenarios can also be run for realistic forecasts and order calculations. In addition to cost-benefit advantages, the aim is to increase safety in the shipping industry. This means that in future, meteorological developments can be taken into account when planning routes in real time.
About Aquaplot: Aquaplot was founded in Karlsruhe in 2015. The company develops web-based technologies for maritime route planning. The company also supports other innovators in this area with app components such as user interface modules and provides data and information services via a computer interface (API). Further information at www.aquaplot.com.
About Vendola Solutions: The start-up Vendola Solutions Ltd. was founded in 2017 and offers business intelligence solutions for maritime transport. The aim of the company is to be able to offer shipping a comprehensive IT-based service with tailor-made applications, which is aimed at improving efficiency and thus competitiveness. Further information at www.vendolasolutions.com.
