EcoNavis accelerates growth with UK innovation funding and Glasgow expansion

EcoNavis Solutions, the maritime technology company behind the novel Eco Boss Cap propeller hub, has secured a major investment package and joined a leading accelerator program as it scales operations to meet growing industry demand for its hydrodynamic efficiency solutions.

The Glasgow-based start-up has been awarded £300,000 in funding through the UK’s Innovate UK ICURe Exploit program to support the commercialization of university research. EcoNavis Solutions is commercial spin-out from the University of Strathclyde.

The funding follows EcoNavis Solutions’ successful completion of all stages of the ICURe process, including extensive product testing and validation.

“This is a unique form of funding,” said EcoNavis founder and CEO Dr Batuhan Aktas, “because it reimburses 100% of the costs as we scale, including salaries, exhibitions, customer engagement and business development. It’s a significant endorsement of the commercial potential of our technology.”

The company began drawing down funds in February and has received £55,000 to date. The full £300,000 will be released in phases as the project progresses, enabling EcoNavis to continue expanding its capabilities and reach. The funding is being used alongside matched investment to recruit key personnel and accelerate the company’s commercial deployment program.

EcoNavis has also been accepted into the Smart Things Accelerator Centre, a specialist technology scale-up hub in Glasgow. The 18-month program provides mentoring and support across four structured growth stages. The company now occupies dedicated office space at the center and has grown its core team, including a Chief Technical Officer, Chief Operating Officer, lead CFD engineer, and an administrative manager.

“The growth in 2025 has been substantial,” said Aktas. “At the start of the year, we were just a couple of people. Now, with funding and structured support in place, we’re putting the right expertise and infrastructure in place to take environmentally and energy efficient solutions through to large-scale commercial adoption.”

EcoNavis is also awaiting responses to several additional grant applications. These include a £100,000 request to Scottish Enterprise under the Smart Grant scheme and a $500,000 proposal to the US-based National Fish and Wildlife Foundation to support collaborative trials on offshore crew transfer vessels in the Gulf of Mexico.

Further applications are under consideration by the UK Department for Transport’s TRIG program and a maritime innovation funding scheme.

The Eco Boss Cap, a hydrodynamic energy-saving device fitted to a ship’s propeller hub cap, is the first of the company’s research-led projects to be brought to market. Under development since 2022, the Eco Boss Cap is designed to improve propulsion efficiency by more than 2%, reduce emissions, and deliver measurable fuel savings across a range of vessel types and speeds.

With demand for clean technology growing in line with regulatory pressure and fuel costs, EcoNavis is positioning itself to meet increasing interest from operators across the global fleet.