French maritime data analytics platform Kpler wants to buy ship tracking company Spire Maritime, whose satellite data is a vital resource for oil traders and shipping companies, but some Spire customers fear
French maritime data analytics platform Kpler wants to buy ship tracking company Spire Maritime, whose satellite data is a vital resource for oil traders and shipping companies, but some Spire customers fear Kpler will cut them off and have raised antitrust concerns to U.S. authorities, sources familiar with the matter say.
The $241 million deal announced on Nov. 13 would give Kpler control over Spire's satellites and maritime Automatic Identification System (AIS) data stream, which tracks ships globally, particularly in the open ocean, with a refresh rate of every 15 minutes.
This capability is unmatched by competitors, including Orbcomm, which has 7-10 satellites and takes about 36 hours to update.
Spire's advanced technology allows it to track tens of thousands more ships than its competitors, making it an attractive information source for various customers including cargo trackers, the U.S. Department of Defense and intelligence agencies. The data is also used by commercial maritime companies and commodities and energy desks at Wall Street firms who use it to trade oil contracts.
Other customers include Maxar Intelligence, Polestar Global, Lloyd's List Intelligence, Windward, Vortexa, MapLarge as well as shipping and cruise companies, the people said.
Veson Nautical, which lists Cargill and Trafigura
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