Quartermaster Secures $140M in Series B Funding for Ocean Surveillance Technology
Arlington-based startup Quartermaster has raised $140 million in a Series B funding round, significantly expanding on its earlier $43 million Series A. The investment was led by Insight Partners and supported by new investor Overmatch Ventures as well as existing backers like First Round Capital. An additional $40 million came from Stifel through a debt facility. Quartermaster’s technology involves SmartMast hardware installed on ships to collect real-time maritime data, offering more detailed insights than traditional systems such as AIS. The startup has deployed its system onto over 650 vessels across 25 countries and shipped nearly 800 units total. The growing demand for the product is prompting Quartermaster to scale manufacturing capacity while refining hardware design. CEO Neil Sobin emphasized that global events, including geopolitical tensions in Iran, have increased urgency around maritime awareness. The company aims to address what it calls “the largest blind spot on Earth” by providing real-time data insights useful for collision avoidance, shipping lane congestion analysis, and search-and-rescue operations.
