ELNAV.AI / Helm Order Monitor

Increase the safety of marine navigation

Croatia

About Us
ELNAV's founder & CEO, Hrvoje Mihovilovic, has studied nautical science at the Faculty of Maritime Studies in Croatia, and I have an unlimited Master’s license. He sailed on many different types of ships, such as cargo, ferries, and cruise ships. He worked for Mediterranean Shipping Company, a.k.a. MSC, and Carnival Corporation. After thirty years at sea, in April 2021, he founded the company ELNAV to research and develop advanced technologies to increase the safety of navigation.

We joined the maritime science, information technology, electrotechnical engineering, and marketing sectors to develop such a technology. We are a team of 5 experienced professionals.

Ante is a computer programmer with expertise in AI. Nikola is a computer engineer with experience with speech recognition applications. Kristijan studied naval architecture. Mislav is an advisor and a marketing agency owner.

Problem we are solving
Helm Order Monitor is the first technological solution to the problem of insufficient monitoring of helm orders between helmsman and pilot or navigator onboard ships.

Did you know that the disaster of Costa Concordia happened due to the helmsman applying the helm on the wrong side shortly before the impact?

We are fixing this problem with an electronic device that combines automatic speech recognition and data from the ship's sensors. The device monitors, in accordance with maritime regulations, and in conjunction with the ship’s sensor data, whether the issued helm orders are clear, confirmed, and correctly executed.

Helm Order Monitor is like Lane Departure Warning to use an analogy with road transportation.

Below are the main problems that Helm Order Monitor solves:

• The most apparent problem is that nothing prevents a helmsman from putting the rudder over the wrong way. The helmsman can also misinterpret or otherwise wrongly execute issued helm orders.
• Most automated warnings are not available in hand steering, such as Default RoT deviation warning, Drift limit alarm, Max. rudder alarm and Low-speed alarm.
• Monitoring of helm orders requires a high level of concentration which reduces situational awareness.

Sustainable Impact on Blue Ecconomy
The device would primarily be attractive to insurance companies from the maritime transportation sector, shipping companies that continuously invest in navigation safety systems, and training centers for seafarers.

The practice has shown that insurance companies were the initiators of new technologies implementation on ships (devices Bridge Navigational Watch & Alarm System - (BNWAS) and Voyage Data Recorder (VDR).

There are currently around 53.000 merchant ships, cruise ships, and very large yachts operating globally, while the total number of commercial vessels is about 94.000.

Apart from shipboard use, our product can be utilized in Nautical simulators for training and monitoring the proper use of helm orders.

Financial NeedsPre-money valuation is € 3.7 M. We are raising € 900K with a SAFE or Convertible Note instrument, € 3.6M CAP, and a 20% discount. The expected runway is 24 months. Besides money, we are also looking for an experienced partner with expertise in the maritime sector. Most funds will go to Research & Development and Sales & Marketing. The headcount is expected to increase by 4; we seek a CTO, Marketing Officer, Software Developer, and Logistics Manager. The Cost of Goods Sold will comprise 25% of the allocated funds. The previous product roadmap summarizes our funding outcomes for the next 24 months.