We sat down with Giorgio Cuce, founder of Seares, to talk about the journey to date and plans for the future of the business.
How did you come up with the idea for the business?
I was born into a family that has always had a strong bond with the sea, especially my granddad. When I was a child, he would take me sailing in his sailboat and the more time I spent on the water, the more I started noticing problems with the traditional and outdated mooring systems that are widely used amongst boat owners. So, during the final year of my aeronautical engineering masters degree, I thought: “Why don't I create something that could solve all the problems with traditional mooring?" - and I came up with the idea for Seadamp.
Why does the industry need the solution you're providing?
Every floating body needs the same thing - a safe and stable mooring. Shipowners and offshore companies are increasingly focused on solutions that reduce maintenance costs and improve mooring quality. The environmental impact of solutions are now important considerations for owners, when evaluating and choosing the best solution.
Seares produces smart and ecological mooring systems for every floating body, from small boats to huge offshore wind farms. Each Seadamp is built with high quality, recyclable and long-lasting materials, that ensure a reduction in the carbon footprint of every mooring line.
What have you enjoyed most about starting your own company?
As every CEO knows, starting a company is a hard and long process, but overcoming all these challenges is what really makes me happy. Seares has been awarded numerous international prizes for design and technology, but what really makes me proud is seeing the result of an installation and hearing from our customers how Seadamps has changed how they live and work.
What challenges did you have to overcome at the beginning of your journey?
As a manufacturing company, Seares had major startup costs for the design and production of Seadamps. It forced me and my team to spend a lot of time planning, and there were many sleepless nights before our first Seadamps came to life.
Man has been sailing for several millennia but the boating industry accustomed to real innovation - and this, in my opinion, has made shipowners less inclined to adopt new solutions (even really good ones!). We have to make a big effort to help people understand the enormous potential and benefits of swapping their old mooring devices for Seadamps.
Any bits of advice for entrepreneurs getting started in this space?
Believe in your idea strongly and always, Don’t accept no for an answer and don’t let problems get you down - use them as fuel to keep going. Choosing a team that can support you and stand by your side in every moment will make the difference between whether you can or cannot achieve your ambitious goals.
What's the plan for the future of the business? Where do you see the company in 3-5 years?
Seares has important goals and a growing global market, driven also by relentless climate change. In the next 3-5 years Seares will increasingly position itself as a global leader in creating smart mooring and anchoring systems for every floating body. We also plan to become an enabler of industry 4.0 for ports and marinas.
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