Sedna, a provider of intelligent communication platforms for the maritime and global trade sectors, has won the Innovation and Business Expansion awards in the 2025 Ship Technology Excellence Awards for its transformative contributions to operational efficiency and digital advancement in the shipping industry.
The Ship Technology Excellence Awards honour the most significant achievements and innovations in the shipping industry. Powered by GlobalData’s business intelligence, the Awards recognise the people and companies leading positive change and shaping the future of the industry.
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Sedna won the Innovation award in the AI Platforms category for developing an artificial intelligence (AI)-powered platform that redefines maritime communication and workflow automation. Sedna won the Business Expansion award in the Maritime Digitalisation category for its strategic growth and leadership in driving large-scale digitalisation across the global maritime sector.
AI-powered automation for maritime communication
Sedna’s AI-powered platform addresses the persistent challenges of managing high-volume, complex communications in the maritime sector. Unlike generic email solutions, Sedna is purpose-built for shipping, leveraging advanced AI technologies such as natural language processing and machine learning to automatically sort, tag, and prioritise messages. Maritime teams who must process thousands of emails daily, ranging from supply requests to regulatory notifications, can find this automation valuable. By reducing manual intervention, Sedna helps organisations save time and minimise the risk of human error, which can have significant operational and compliance consequences.
A notable example is Hafnia, a major global tanker operator, which faced frequent delays and IT resource drain due to its legacy on-premise email system. The migration to Sedna’s cloud-based platform was executed with a strong focus on stakeholder involvement and user training, ensuring rapid adoption across departments. Sedna’s on-site support during implementation enabled immediate troubleshooting and minimised disruption, even when technical challenges arose. As a result, Hafnia achieved a seamless transition, improved disaster recovery, and increased user satisfaction, with consistent performance across devices supporting its mobile workforce.
Enhancing document management and compliance with AI
Sedna’s impact extends beyond communication efficiency to advanced document management and regulatory compliance. For example, Casper Customs, a customs clearance provider, faced the challenge of processing thousands of declarations monthly with a small team. Manual data entry from emails and attachments was both time-consuming and error-prone, especially in the post-Brexit regulatory environment. By implementing Sedna’s Customs Declaration Automation, Casper Customs was able to extract relevant data directly from commercial documents, automate compliance checks, and integrate seamlessly with customs software. This resulted in an 80% reduction in processing time and virtually eliminated manual errors, enabling the company to scale operations without increasing headcount.
The platform’s AI capabilities also support features such as instant search, intelligent tagging, predictive analytics, and compliance monitoring. Sedna’s live search function allows users to retrieve information across millions of emails in less than a second, while automated tagging and categorization streamline workflows. Built-in compliance tools help organizations adhere to regulatory standards by flagging sensitive information and enforcing retention policies. Sedna’s commitment to user-centric design, comprehensive training, and stakeholder involvement ensures that digital transformation initiatives deliver measurable operational benefits and set a new standard for resilient maritime communication.
Strategic acquisitions driving maritime digitalization
Sedna’s recognition with the Business Expansion award is rooted in its ability to drive digital transformation at scale through targeted acquisitions and strategic growth. The company’s acquisition of Nordic IT, a well-established maritime email solutions provider, expanded Sedna’s customer base to over 500 organisations and reinforced its leadership in maritime communications. Nordic IT’s platforms, such as reMARK and MARK5, brought decades of industry expertise and a strong client base, while Sedna’s AI-driven capabilities provided a pathway to future innovation for these customers.
Further strengthening its market position, Sedna acquired CompassAir, an Athens-based provider of maritime workflow solutions, and Flytta, an AI-powered workflow automation platform. CompassAir’s expertise in Sale & Purchase (SnP) and chartering workflows is now integrated into Sedna’s platform, enabling commercial teams to manage negotiations, transactions, and fixture execution within a single, secure workspace. Flytta’s technology, originally developed to address complex post-Brexit customs challenges, is now part of Sedna’s AI suite, serving high-volume clients such as Casper Customs and Pentagon Freight Services. These acquisitions have also expanded Sedna’s presence in key shipping hubs, including Greece, Norway, and Northern England.
Expanding the digital ecosystem through partnerships and investment
Beyond acquisitions, Sedna has formed strategic partnerships to extend its digital ecosystem and enhance operational efficiency for maritime organisations. Integration with Marcura’s ClaimsHub and PortLog allows users to manage claims, access port data, and process charter party documents directly within Sedna’s platform, reducing the need for system switching and manual data transfers. The partnership with Seaber enables charterers and shipowners to leverage AI-powered scheduling intelligence, optimise fleet utilisation, and streamline cargo planning – all from within the Sedna environment.
These partnerships are supported by Sedna’s open API-driven architecture, which allows seamless integration with over 25 maritime systems and supports broader industry objectives such as decarbonisation and compliance. Sedna’s business expansion has also been fuelled by significant growth financing, including a $10 million facility from CIBC Innovation Banking, which is being used to accelerate product development and platform integration. The operational impact of these initiatives is reflected in client-reported productivity gains of up to 80%, substantial cost reductions, and the ability to scale operations efficiently. By integrating acquired technologies, fostering an open partner ecosystem, and maintaining a focus on user needs, Sedna has positioned itself as a central player in the ongoing digital transformation of the maritime industry.
“At Sedna, we believe that strong relationships are grounded in shared understanding and context. We recognise that email holds the critical information teams need, and our platform goes beyond managing communication – it transforms that information into a competitive advantage, helping teams make faster, more informed decisions. This recognition from the Ship Technology Excellence Awards affirms our commitment to revolutionising how global trade teams operate, delivering efficiency while preserving the insights that create real value.”
– Bill Dobie, Founder & CEO at Sedna
Company Profile
Sedna Communications Ltd is a London-based AI technology company transforming enterprise communication in global trade. Sedna’s platform streamlines high-volume, complex workflows for businesses operating in shipping, logistics, freight forwarding and supply chain management.
Contact Details
Links:
Website: https://sedna.com/
Connect & Build Webinar with Dataloy
Join us on 10th September at 4pm (BST) for our Connect & Build Webinar, where we’ll be sharing our integration with Dataloy – built to empower Vessel Owners, Operators and Charterers to instantly access contextual information from Dataloy within time-sensitive Sedna messages.
