Ocean Power Technologies acquires Marine Advanced Robotics

November 19, 2021

Ocean Power Technologies is growing! OPT announced the acquisition of Marine Advanced Robotics, Inc. (MAR), a San Francisco Bay Area -based developer and manufacturer of autonomous surface vehicles (ASVs). This acquisition immediately provides OPT with an established, innovative offshore product line that features roaming capability and highly complements the OPT business strategy.

Founded in 2004, MAR is the developer of Wave Adaptive Modular Vessel (WAM-V®) technology, which enables roaming capabilities for uncrewed equipment in waters around the world. MAR launched the first WAM-V in 2007 as a new vessel class with a mission to manufacture and deliver to customers the most reliable and robust ASVs available on the market. The WAM-V has a flexible structure that adapts and conforms to the water’s surface for an exceptionally smooth and level platform. In addition, inflatable pontoons help absorb motion and force, while hinged engine pods keep propellers in the water and further improve vehicle stability and controllability.

MAR has used WAM-V technology to build surface vessels ranging from eight feet (2.4 meters) to 100 feet (30 meters) for deployments worldwide. MAR currently offers three models of this exceptionally maneuverable and stable vessel with numerous applications across different industry sectors – the ultra-portable 8-foot WAM-V 8, the 16-foot WAM-V 16, and the more powerful 23-foot WAM-V 22.

“The acquisition of Marine Advanced Robotics is a continuation of OPT’s long-term growth strategy to expand our market value proposition, specifically in the growing Maritime Domain Awareness sector,” said Philipp Stratmann, OPT President, and CEO. “We are excited to add MAR’s roaming products to our state-of-the-art stationary products. We believe that our collective product and solutions portfolio will allow OPT to deliver real-time data to a wide variety of market opportunities. With its experienced MAR team joining our team, OPT is well-positioned to bring added value to potential customers while expanding our reach into new markets and building revenue.”

“We believe that our ultra-light vessel technology aligns extremely well with OPT’s offshore power and data solutions and engineering services,” said Mark Gundersen, MAR President and CEO. “With over 70 WAM-Vs in 10 countries, we are changing the way humans go to sea. Together I am confident that we can accelerate the growth of our WAM-V platform in defense and commercial markets.”