From challenger app to OEM partner: Savvy Navvy expands into integrated marine navigation
Image courtesy of Savvy Navvy
Self-titled as the Google Maps for boats, Savvy Navvy has leveraged CEO Jelte Liebrand’s former experience at Google to shape its positioning. Savvy Navvy provides smart navigation giving users the optimal route and dynamic ETAs based on real-time data: departure time, chart information, weather conditions, tide, boat specifications and local regulations. And it now boasts over 3m app downloads.
Until recently, Savvy Navvy was actioned from a user’s phone. But in an effort to enter the market with boatbuilders and engine manufacturers, the company launched Savvy Integrated around a year ago, where the technology can be employed directly at the helm.
Boatbuilders want to integrate and provide bespoke options
Where “traditional” manufacturers provide an off-the-shelf unit, Liebrand [pictured left] says Savvy Integrated provides customisable solutions in many cases.
Having boatbuilders embed Savvy Navvy directly into tens of thousands of boats enables the company to attract a new segment of users, according to the team.
Liebrand says: “There are a lot of manufacturers in there [sales pipeline] with different vessel sizes, different types of vessels, different unit volumes. There are significant unit volumes, and significant players.”
Liebrand points to multiple manufacturer partnerships currently under NDA. The company closed a new funding round in December 2025 to accelerate momentum around Savvy Integrated and expand its manufacturer pipeline.
“From a B2C perspective, we’ve become the lead challenger brand to Navionics. Over the last 12 months, a lot of manufacturers who previously would go to the likes of Garmin, Raymarine or Simrad to get a helm unit have come to us to do some more innovative things.
“They [boatbuilders] want to differentiate themselves from other manufacturers. Sometimes that’s just charts, but many of our partners want innovation above and beyond that. They want smart routing – not just from A to B, but from A to B knowing exactly what the regulations are, how one can traverse that route, what you’re allowed to do, what you’re not allowed to do, and crucially, what the weather is doing, right?”
USP: offer smart flexibility
Savvy Navvy offers a pick-and-mix solution for OEMs, allowing builders to integrate the functions they require.
Liebrand continues: “For some, that means just the charts. In the case of Avikus, they do their own routing for the autonomous vehicles, but they need charts so we can plug and play the various parts they need.”
Liebrand says Savvy Integrated is demonstrating to manufacturers across electric, petrol and sail markets a more collaborative and flexible development model.
“Manufacturers can see ‘oh, this isn’t just a simple solution that you buy once and that’s what you get.’
No, we can work with you as a partner [Savvy has worked with autonomous solution company, Avikus, RAD Propulsion, CPAC Systems and many others] to innovate and change what they bring to the user.”
USA: the company’s big market focus
The company is targeting US expansion, with a focus on inland lakes and the East Coast. Liebrand explains: “Because we’re so close with the manufacturers, they can help us prioritise growth areas. They can advise – this is where we’re selling the most of the boats, this lake or area, and so we know even more the hotspots.
“We haven’t really done anything in the Middle East or Asia because our focus is the US. It’s such a massive market. We have a really good brand recognition here in the UK, and now that’s growing in the US.”
Smartphones power a step change in navigation expectations
When it launched, Savvy Navvy gained rapid attention for its smartphone-first design, which met consumer expectations for seamless digital connectivity.
Liebrand says consumers want connectivity that mirrors what they use in the rest of their lives.
“When I get in my car to drive home, my phone knows where my home is, what music I like to play and where all my favourites are.
“And it just syncs without me having to do anything. That’s that same experience that manufacturers want and what we can deliver.”
Savvy Navvy most recently introduced a new NMEA Connect feature, which integrates NMEA-enabled boat instruments with the app, providing real-time data and enhanced AIS visibility. Working with Actisense, Savvy Navvy’s new NMEA Connect feature enables boaters to view real-time data, including wind, depth, engine RPMs, speed through water, heading and more, in the app.
Through NMEA Connect, boaters can now access their boat’s instruments and Savvy Navvy’s smart routing technology in their app, eliminating the need to switch between multiple screens or devices.
The challenges: building market recognition
Liebrand says one of the most challenging aspects for the business lies on the marketing side and getting “eyes on the prize” – with boat shows offering limited visibility for app-based products compared with hardware displays.
He adds: “It’s not a case of… build it and they’ll come,” he muses. “We need people to understand and see what we do, and that’s challenging, particularly because we are an app, so it’s not like you have lots of big, shiny products to showcase on a boat show stand. So, we work hard on brand recognition via partnerships. Because nothing works better than somebody else saying that this is good, right? It’s all well and good that we say it’s brilliant and we put an ad out or whatever. But what we need is other people within the industry, advocates, ambassadors, to really promote it.”
The company has worked on brand recognition via partnerships. “We have a programme with instructors so that they can use us in the classroom, and their feedback has been amazing. It has really helped us build a better product. Aside from that, it means anybody coming into boating will hear about us, which is also great. We also have a really good partnership with the RNLI. Partnerships have worked really well, which is why in the UK we have that brand recognition.”
Some insights from the industry spurred the appetite for Savvy Navvy Integrated and the move to helm integration. “I was actually at Southampton International Boat Show in 2024 next to the Navico stand, and a Navico dealer rushed up to me because he saw my Savvy Navvy t-shirt. He told me he had four people come to the stand that day, asking if their hardware worked with our software.
“So people are coming to the manufacturer saying, ‘I want Savvy Navvy on this’, which is great! That’s what we want to see, of course.”
Electric boat range
Electric customers are another pillar for business. Liebrand outlines how the “smart range” technology is also being integrated with electric propulsion systems to provide accurate range calculations based on battery capacity, tides, and weather conditions. Crucially, this helps address range anxiety for electric boat users by showing exactly where they can travel safely.
“Range fear is a big factor for electric propulsion users, but because we have all the information about tides and weather, and we are integrated with the propulsion system, Savvy can determine how long your battery is going to last on a specific day with those particular conditions.”
Aqua superPower’s network of marine fast-charging stations is now integrated into the Savvy Navvy app, making it easier for electric boaters to plan journeys.
Removing barriers to boating
Liebrand believes the Savvy Navvy tools can help remove barriers for new and novice boaters by simplifying navigation and enhancing confidence.
“New boaters come onboard and generally see some giant screen and go ‘what the hell’s going on here’. We can actually help them.”
He says that, particularly in the US, boating attrition is a hot topic.
“After covid everybody bought a boat, everybody bought an RV and guess what? They all sold them again. So how do we stop people from leaving boating – and why are they leaving the boating?
“Cost is, of course, one factor – there’s no denying it, and we’re not going to change that, but another key factor is that it’s intimidating. You buy a boat and think that’s it. Well, no, that’s not it, and there’s a lot more that comes with boating. So if you can make driving a boat and navigating easier, it’s even more pleasant and more enjoyable, particularly for new boaters.”
