Dutch yachting startup, Nauticare B.V., building the first unified digital platform for the industry, has raised €50.000 in pre-seed funding through a SAFE agreement at a €2M post-money valuation.

The investment comes from ScaleSlay, the new venture platform founded by experienced angel investor Eelco Haarsma, focused on backing high-potential early-stage founders in Benelux.

This funding marks a pivotal milestone in Nauticare’s mission to modernise and streamline operations across the yachting ecosystem, connecting yacht owners, crew, shipyards, and marinas through one integrated platform. The capital will be used to accelerate product development, onboard pilot users, and prepare for a larger funding round planned for January 2026.

“CEO Matteo Senes has the clarity, grit, and responsibility I seek in early-stage founders,” said Eelco Haarsma, founder of ScaleSlay. “Together with his technically strong cofounders and deep domain knowledge, the Nauticare team is well-positioned to build the digital backbone for the yachting industry.”

Nauticare was recently named a finalist in the prestigious Mark Challenge 2025 in the Yachting category, validating its vision to bring software-driven efficiency and transparency to a traditionally fragmented sector.

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“This investment allows us to fast-track our development and start making a tangible difference for professionals in the marine space,” said Matteo Senes, CEO and co-founder of Nauticare. “We’re grateful for the support from ScaleSlay and excited to keep building momentum.”

The Nauticare founding team consists of Matteo Senes (CEO), a sailor with four years in startups and digital marketing from the Unknown Group program; Michał Kosior (CTO), a software engineer with 10+ years in full-stack development and AI/ML; and Lyam Last (CCO), a yacht broker with ties to the TSAL Family Office which owns the 61m Feadship M/Y Samadhi. The team combines industry knowledge, technical capabilities, and business strategy to address the yachting and leisure marine sector.

A traditional industry on the verge of transformation

Long seen as conservative and slow to adopt digital tools, the yachting industry is now beginning to embrace change. As new generations of yacht owners, guests and crew bring higher expectations for user experience and connectivity, the demand for smart, streamlined solutions is accelerating.

Modern technologies, from AI-driven maintenance predictions to integrated crew management systems, are starting to reshape how yachts are operated, chartered, and maintained. Increasingly, shipyards are building more connected vessels and marinas are digitising their infrastructure.

Yet, despite this shift, much of the industry still runs on fragmented systems, spreadsheets, and manual communication. This is where Nauticare sees its opportunity: to unify and digitise the ecosystem with a single, intuitive platform that meets the evolving expectations of owners, professionals, and partners alike.

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