Sailsense Analytics acquires Powerail
Founded in 2017 by Nicolas De Laet and Yannick Vereerstraeten, the young company Sailsense Analytics continues to grow. The company, which specializes in the field of boat monitoring through on-board data acquisition and artificial intelligence processing software for preventive maintenance purposes, now employs around 20 people. On May 11, 2022, it announced the acquisition of Lyon-based Powerail, founded in 2004, which designs and produces digital switchboards connected through the principle of digital switching.
Improve the accuracy of the data collected on the boat
The acquisition of Powerail allows Sailsense Analytics to offer a complete hardware offering and improved accuracy of its predictive maintenance models. "Powerail completes our ecosystem around connected digital switching and predictive maintenance. Thanks to Powerail, we have the consumption details of each element, where we used to use the NMEA 2000 bus. We can detect the motor that overheats, the refrigerator compressor that runs continuously or the shower pumps that have an abnormal operation upstream and avoid even better the breakdown and the bad surprises" explains Nicolas de Laet.
Continue software development and the OE offer
In five years, Sailsense Analytics has equipped 1,500 boats in 35 countries, and while 80% of the units belong to rental fleets, the company is expanding into original equipment. "We work more and more with new boat builders. Sailsense allows them to know the risks of breakdown and to be proactive for maintenance by contacting boaters and proposing the sending of spare parts. For a cost equivalent to other digital switching, we also offer e-maintenance with the ability to diagnose and update remotely and by controlling the various outputs the possibility of remote after-sales service. In addition, we have worked hard to ensure the availability of the equipment in a short period of time, which is a challenge at the moment" says the founder of Sailsense Analytics.
The Franco-Belgian start-up is now working on software advances around the connected boat, remote control and energy management to minimize consumption and maximize the use of renewable energy.
