Maritime & Marine

Preparing to make a splash as savvy navvy app gets ready to launch fifth crowdfunder round

By Staff Reporter [email protected]

Published: January 10, 2023 | Updated: 11th January 2023

What could be the last crowdfunder for an innovative navigation app which has taken the global marine world by storm is set to launch in a matter of weeks.

Often referred to as ‘Google maps for boats’, savvy navvy was founded by avid sailor Jelte Liebrand in 2017.

The ex-Google software engineer’s aim was to simplify boating navigation.

Together with Co-founder Kevin O’Neill, and backed by the founders of Kahoot, the savvy navvy app now has more than 600,000 registered users across the world.

It integrates essential marine information into one app, with a modern interface.

As a result savvy navvy has made it quick and easy for users to cross-check their traditional navigation plans, reducing the risk of human error as well as the stress of preparing to get out on the water.

A year ago a fourth round of crowdfunding on the investment platform Seedrs raised over £1.35m from 832 investors.

The initial £750,004 target was exceeded within hours of the funding round opening.

Pre-registration is now taking place with the fifth crowdfunding round likely to open in the next month or so.

Jelte, pictured, who lives in Poole and is CEO of savvy navvy, said: “We are now in a position where we’ve grown significantly and at the cusp of effectively breaking even and sustaining ourselves.

“There’s a very good chance this will be our last crowdfunding round.

“We’ll see if the appetite is there.

“My gut feeling is that it will be similar to last time.

“If you look at other crowdfunding campaigns that are out there today most, if not all, are overfunding.

“As long as the product is sound, your plans are sound and where you’re heading is sound, then I think there’s enough appetite out there.

“One of the reasons we do it this early in the year is we really want to get it done prior to the boating season.

“For us, the boating season is important and, therefore, pre-season is important from a marketing perspective.

“The last thing we want to be doing is to be too busy with the funding round when we should be focused on product.

“Effectively April to October is the boating season but we want to start the marketing before that.

“People, me included, are dying for spring, counting down the days when they can put the boat back in the water.

“That’s the right time to be telling people about our latest products and services.”

Jelte, 46, said savvy navvy had doubled annual recurring revenue to £1.5 million by the end of last year.

The business has a 15-strong fully remote team based around the world including Greece, Copenhagen, Amsterdam, United States, Georgia and the UK.

He said: “We are knocking at the door of profitability.

“That is a big shift for us.

“As a company we’re moving into a new phase now.

“We’re always boating-related but we’ve already branched out last season into more of a B2B (business to business) angle.

“Our core product is B2C (business to consumer) with the navigational app for boaters, leisure mariners and beyond.

“And not just sailing but motor boating, paddleboarders, kayakers and jet-skiers.

“In fact, anyone on the water if we can help them and keep them safe, then that’s what we’re after.

“But an offshoot of that is promoting anyone in the marine industry.

“We have a map-based app so if you were looking at Poole Harbour, and you wanted to see where the boatyard is or a marine electrician, then they’re able to promote themselves directly on the map.

“It’s similar to what Google Maps do and is the B2B product we launched at the end of last year.

“Now we’re looking at a few more additional B2B activities and streams where all the data we’re collected over the last five years we can monetise.”

Jelte said it had been a true rollercoaster since launching savvy navvy.

He said: “There are days when you think to yourself ‘oh, my God what have I started’ but there are a lot where you say ‘this is amazing’.

“The first time we did a crowdfunder we overfunded in 24 hours.

“It’s an amazing feeling that so many people stand behind you and put their money where their mouth is and say ‘we believe in this product and we believe in you and your team to get this done’.

“But the thing that gives me even more of a buzz is our actual customers.

“Last summer we had somebody who sent us an actual review and said they were out on their boat and because of something, I think a heatwave, all the electronics on the boat failed.

“savvy navvy got them home safely.

“That particular person has subsequently come on board as an investor.

“We now have thousands and thousands of customers who are very loyal because they believe in what we do.

“We can see how we truly help them and that, for me, is above and beyond anything crowdfunding might give me.”

savvy navvy is available on Android, IOS, PC and Mac and can be used on an unlimited number of devices simultaneously.

It is charts, weather, tide, marina details and passage planning with full tidal vectors – all in one place.

Prices range from £39.99 to £69.99 a year.

Latest Posts

Senior Sunseeker team meet with Poole MP to talk company ownership & future prospects

Savvy Navvy’s marine navigation charts make ‘perfect fit’ for boat builders across the pond

Portland Port looks forward to bumper 2025 after welcoming over 117,000 passengers last year

A match made at sea! Savvy Navvy teams up with RAD Propulsion to integrate its smart range tech

Sunseeker insists layoffs are ‘temporary’ as staff across Poole await late January return

All Manufacturing Stories »

Latest Posts

Lewis-Manning hosts ‘inspirational and uplifting’ visiting lecture on future of palliative care

Jongleurs Comedy set to take over Bournemouth Pier on St Paddy’s weekend for night of stand-up

New global safety standard for Eco Sustainable Solutions is ‘result of a lot of hard work’

Alice’s sustainable fashion popups give rise to new clothes swapping shop - now open in Southbourne!

Goadsby’s Property Roundup: Poole offices and freehold investment & letting in Dorchester

All Latest News »