The newly added sensing layer identifies and fingerprints vessels in real time at maritime chokepoints and ports, enabling the visibility of vessels even when they go dark to evade detection

Windward, the leading Maritime AI™ company,  announced the acquisition of Azimut.ai, a maritime visual intelligence company. The acquisition adds an optical sensing layer to Windward’s multi-source platform and marks the company’s first step into ground and ship-based sensors that provide additional visibility into an opaque maritime environment.

Today’s maritime operational picture is more robust than it has ever been, relying on a rich mix of sources, including AIS, satellite imagery, and RF, that each deliver tremendous value. The challenge is that not every vessel transmits, and some of these signals depend on cooperation or external conditions and can be switched off, obscured by weather, or jammed.

Through the acquisition of Azimut.ai, Windward aims to expand its all-source strategy into the proprietary sensor and visual proof layer. This includes the placement of cameras at key thoroughfares and maritime chokepoints. Windward fuses these visual identifications with existing datasets, including ownership, sanctions, cargo, behavioral intelligence, and multiple risk layers already on its platform, turning a single sighting into an explainable assessment that government and commercial customers can act on. Designed from the ground up for privacy and security, the system provides no raw images or video footage to customers and is intended to support maritime analytics relating to vessel activity, not the identification or verification of individuals.

“For years, we have used AI to unify every signal the maritime world produces into one operational view,” said Ami Daniel, CEO and Co-Founder of Windward. “Now we are redrawing the boundaries of maritime intelligence. Acquiring Azimut is our first step in building a proprietary visual intelligence layer that gives us full visibility at sea. Owning these assets outright gives our customers a level of awareness and preparedness no one else can match. In the age of Agentic AI, data is the new oil, and this will allow us to provide our customers access to the most refined, accurate, and relevant dataset for maritime decision making.

“Together, as a community, we are stronger. We invite all stakeholders in the maritime domain, as well as anyone who wants to make a difference for safer and more secure oceans, to reach out and become a site partner.”

The acquisition reflects the three layers on which Windward’s platform stands. At the base, vast multi-source datasets feed into one all-source operational and intelligence picture. Layered on top of that is Windward’s Maritime AI, the behavioral pattern recognition, vessel verification, and anomaly detection that turn raw inputs into actionable findings. The final layer is partnership. Windward designs each capability around the operational needs of its customers, so it can provide technology to support every mission.