XOCEAN Expands with Acquisition of Survey Specialists 4D Ocean
British ocean data company, XOCEAN, announced last week that it has completed the acquisition of 4D Ocean, a specialist autonomous hydrographic survey company, as part of the company’s strategic global growth plans. The announcement follows the news of XOCEAN’s successful €7.9 million funding round earlier this month. XOCEAN is transforming the way ocean data is collected using marine robotics known as Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs). The company has recently delivered projects for clients including BP, Equinor, PX Group and the UK’s Maritime and Coastguard Agency. The services provided by XOCEAN include mapping the seabed, inspecting subsea structures and monitoring the environment.
4D Ocean Founder and CEO, Duncan Mallace said: “Both companies have been growing together at an unprecedented rate and it was obvious that there was great synergy, both in complementary skills and in our vision. It is an exciting time to be in the industry and together we can continue to transform it.” Currently, XOCEAN has USVs in operation in the UK, Azerbaijan, Trinidad and Canada with plans to build an additional 22 USVs over the next 12 months and recruit an additional 140 employees to service the market demand.
Commenting on the acquisition, James Ives, CEO, XOCEAN said: “Combining XOCEAN’s innovative technology and 4D Ocean’s deep industry expertise we look forward to expanding our services.” Using Unmanned Surface Vessels (USVs), XOCEAN provides turnkey data collection services to surveyors, companies and agencies. From mapping the seabed to environmental monitoring, the platform offers a safe and economical solution to collecting ocean data.