THE 30STARTUPS OF KANSAI

Eight Knot is a maritime technology startup developing intelligent navigation technologies that make safe vessel operation the norm. Our core products are the Eight Knot AI CAPTAIN System, a retrofit solution that adds advanced navigation capabilities to existing vessels, and the AI CAPTAIN Module, which provides individual functions such as vessel control, positioning, route generation, obstacle and vessel recognition, and safety judgment. By combining software, sensors, and control technologies, we help vessel operators introduce advanced automation without having to replace their entire fleet.

Maritime operators around the world face growing challenges, including crew shortages, an aging workforce, high operating workloads, and the need to improve safety. Eight Knot’s technology helps ferry operators, workboat operators, local communities, and other maritime businesses address these issues by supporting safer and more efficient vessel operation. By automating or assisting tasks such as navigation, route following, obstacle awareness, and precise vessel control, our technology can reduce the burden on crews, support stable operations, and help maintain essential maritime services even where skilled personnel are limited.

Eight Knot’s strength is its ability to combine perception, positioning, route planning, safety judgment, and vessel control into a practical platform that can be adapted to many types of vessels. Our technology is designed for retrofit installation as well as modular integration into new vessels and third-party systems. This flexibility allows shipbuilders, marine equipment manufacturers, and operators to adopt only the functions they need. Our development is also grounded in real-world vessel operations, enabling us to refine the technology under actual waves, wind, traffic, and operating conditions.

Our goal is to make intelligent vessel technology a new global standard for maritime operations. We plan to expand the use of AI CAPTAIN across passenger transport, workboats, surveying, offshore operations, and unmanned vessels, while building partnerships with shipbuilders, marine equipment manufacturers, and operators worldwide. By offering both complete retrofit systems and modular technologies, we aim to make advanced navigation capabilities accessible to a wider range of vessels. In the long term, we envision safer, more efficient, and more sustainable maritime mobility supported by intelligent technologies on every vessel.