About
Unseenlabs is a French space-tech company that operates a proprietary constellation of RF-detection satellites to deliver maritime surveillance intelligence. Unlike traditional vessel tracking systems that rely on AIS (Automatic Identification System) transponders, Unseenlabs passively detects the radio frequency emissions of any ship at sea—regardless of whether the vessel is broadcasting its position. This capability is critical for identifying 'dark vessels': ships that intentionally turn off transponders to conceal illicit activities such as illegal fishing, sanctions evasion, or smuggling. The platform delivers raw RF data including geolocation coordinates, accurate timestamps, and technical RF parameters for every detected emitter. On top of this, Unseenlabs offers analytics and data fusion services that combine RF intelligence with other data sources to identify, track, and characterize suspicious vessels. Intelligence reports provide in-depth situational context for decision-making. With coverage anywhere on Earth, in any weather, and at any time of day, Unseenlabs addresses a core gap in maritime domain awareness—currently, up to 35% of ship positions are unknown or inaccurate. The company serves a diverse range of clients including government agencies managing territorial waters and exclusive economic zones, business and trade intelligence analysts, offshore facility operators, fisheries enforcement bodies, marine insurers, NGOs, and commercial shipowners. As of 2026, their constellation includes 20 satellites (BRO series), with ongoing launches expanding coverage and revisit rates.
Key Features
- Space-Based RF Signal Detection: A proprietary satellite constellation passively captures radio frequency emissions from ships across vast ocean areas, regardless of AIS status.
- Dark Vessel Identification: Detects and geolocates vessels that deliberately disable tracking transponders, exposing illegal or suspicious maritime activity.
- Accurate Geolocation & Timestamps: Delivers precise coordinates, timestamps, and technical RF parameters for every detected emitter to support incident analysis and reporting.
- Data Fusion & Analytics: Combines RF data with complementary sources to produce fused intelligence, vessel identification, and in-depth situational awareness reports.
- Global, All-Weather Coverage: Operates 24/7 in any weather condition, covering any ocean zone including remote areas beyond coastal radar range.
Use Cases
- Government agencies monitoring territorial waters and exclusive economic zones for unauthorized or suspicious vessel activity
- Trade and business intelligence teams tracking sanctions-evasion or illicit cargo transfers between dark vessels
- Fisheries enforcement authorities identifying vessels engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing
- Marine insurers assessing vessel risk profiles and verifying declared routes against actual ship movements
- NGOs and researchers studying maritime pollution, human trafficking, or environmental violations at sea
Pros
- Detects Non-Cooperative Vessels: Unique RF-based approach captures ships that evade AIS-based tracking systems, closing a major gap in maritime surveillance.
- Growing Satellite Constellation: With 20 satellites launched by 2026, revisit rates and global coverage continue to improve with each new BRO satellite deployment.
- Cross-Sector Applicability: Serves a wide range of clients—from government defense agencies to commercial fisheries and marine insurers—making it highly versatile.
Cons
- Enterprise Pricing: Services are tailored for institutional and government buyers, making cost and access a barrier for smaller organizations or researchers.
- Specialized Use Case: Focused primarily on maritime RF intelligence, limiting applicability for organizations outside the maritime domain.
- Limited Public Documentation: Detailed technical specifications and pricing are not publicly disclosed, requiring direct engagement with the sales team.
Frequently Asked Questions
What makes Unseenlabs different from traditional ship tracking systems?
Traditional systems rely on AIS transponders that ships can disable. Unseenlabs passively detects the RF signals inherently emitted by any vessel's onboard electronics, making it impossible for ships to hide simply by turning off their AIS.
What types of data does Unseenlabs deliver?
Unseenlabs provides geolocation coordinates, accurate timestamps, and RF technical parameters for each detected emitter, along with optional data fusion analytics and intelligence reports for deeper situational context.
Who are the primary customers of Unseenlabs?
Customers include government agencies (navies, coast guards, customs), business and trade intelligence analysts, offshore facility operators, fisheries enforcement authorities, marine insurers, NGOs, and commercial shipowners.
How many satellites does Unseenlabs operate?
As of March 2026, Unseenlabs operates 20 satellites in its BRO constellation, with ongoing launches to increase coverage and revisit frequency.
Can Unseenlabs operate in adverse weather conditions?
Yes. Because Unseenlabs relies on RF signal detection rather than optical imaging, the system works in any weather condition, day or night, across all ocean regions.
