Shining a light into a watery black hole

Who knows what’s going on out there? Aotearoa – New Zealand is 90% ocean, or thereabouts. It is the fourth largest ocean space on Earth, and we’re responsible for what’s happening in and on it.

But how do we keep track of an area that size? This question was answered, to a large degree, by Starboard Maritime Intelligence. They are a start-up, entering the tech market with their cloud-based platform, offering satellite tracking of boats.

The data and the analysis they provide can pinpoint unusual and concerning movements by marine vessels in our waters – casting a light into this watery black hole to reveal dangerous or unconsented activity.

This goes beyond just illegal fishing into human trafficking and drug drops. The software tracks every vessel on the ocean with an AIS system (Automatic Identification System) – over 400,000 ships globally. Using algorithms and machine learning, the Starboard system provides a unique insight into vessel movements and behaviour for customers around the world.

In 2023, we saw an opportunity to invest in their work. It supports a range of issues for us as a Foundation, from environmental protections to human safety.

The New Zealand Ministry of Defence has seen the benefit of receiving this intelligence and has signed a contract with Starboard as a service provider. The announcement was made by Government on 12 July. We’re delighted to see Starboard’s work being put to such great use. In venture philanthropy, this is what success looks like.

Image: Project Kahurangi – silhouettes of ships waiting to dock