New Zealand maritime technology company Sea-Flux has raised nearly NZ$3 million to accelerate its global expansion, with plans to strengthen its presence in New Zealand, Australia, the UK, and the Middle East.
Funding Round Led by Punakaiki Fund to Drive Global Expansion
A funding round led by Punakaiki Fund, with support from existing shareholders, will enable the company to streamline customer onboarding, grow international sales, and continue development of its award-winning vessel management software. Founder and former superyacht skipper Tai Ellis said the raise marks a turning point.
“Our vision has always been to make vessel operations safer, smarter, and more connected. This funding accelerates our ability to expand the global reach of New Zealand-built technology.”
Family-Built Sea-Flux Now Serves 1,300 Vessels Worldwide
Sea-Flux was born out of Tai Ellis’s first-hand experience with disjointed systems at sea, leading to the creation of a cloud-based platform covering safety, compliance, maintenance, and crew management. Early customers were secured with the help of his parents, who promoted the software on the road.
The platform is now trusted by over 9,000 users on vessels across aquaculture, tourism, harbour operations, and more. “From a family-driven idea to an international growth story, we now have the resources to scale our onboarding and global reach with a customer-centric service and optimised experience,” Managing Director Phil Martin said.
Global Recognition for Innovation in Vessel Technology
Sea-Flux won the Innovation Award for Electronic and Electrical Systems at the European Commercial Marine Awards last year, held at Seawork Expo in England, Europe’s largest commercial vessel exhibition.
The award placed Sea-Flux among the fastest-growing digital vessel management platforms in the world.
Investor Confidence in Maritime Innovation
Punakaiki Fund’s investment manager, Cormac McCullough, said the team had long admired the company’s progress. “Tai and the Sea-Flux team have built a business we’ve admired for a while. We’re delighted to welcome them into the 2040 Ventures fold.”
“The global commercial maritime sector is an enormous market with scope for innovation. Tai and his team bring years of experience with a deep understanding of their customers and what they value. The resulting product is absolutely best in class, and it brings genuine benefits to vessel owners and operators globally.”
Tom Culley, Head of Investor Relations at 2040 Ventures, said the deal was “directly enabled by the Active Investor Plus Visa programme.”
He noted that investor migrants had already channelled more than $10 million across its managed funds, helping unlock investment into high-growth Kiwi companies like Sea-Flux.