Innovate Maritime Africa (IMA), the venture studio catalyzing Africa’s maritime transformation, has formally onboarded Crew360, a pioneering welfare platform for seafarers, as a strategic venture under its innovation portfolio. This partnership reinforces IMA’s commitment to backing purpose-driven founders building Africa’s ocean economy from the inside out.
Crew360’s platform addresses one of the most critical and underserved aspects of maritime life: the well-being, rights, and onboard experiences of seafarers. With modules spanning mental health support, legal rights access, telemedicine, and smart HR solutions—all optimized for offline functionality—the platform is uniquely engineered to meet the realities of African and global seafaring.
“At Innovate Maritime Africa, we don’t just invest in ideas—we build transformative ventures. Crew360 embodies our mission: solving real pain points at sea with bold innovation and local insight.”
— Tobi Alade, Founder, Innovate Maritime Africa
Tackling a Deep Industry Need
Seafarers are the backbone of global trade, yet their welfare remains fragmented, underfunded, and frequently invisible—especially across African waters. Crew360 is designed to change that.
The venture’s modular design puts the seafarer first:
Mental Health & Well-being Hub: Tele-counselling, motivational content, and peer communities.
Legal Aid Companion: Tools for grievance reporting, contract verification, and access to maritime lawyers.
Onboard Medical Assistant: 24/7 telemedicine, symptom checkers, and first-aid guides.
Smart HR Dashboard: Repatriation reminders, document storage, and direct HR support.
Importantly, the app works offline, a critical need where connectivity at sea remains unreliable.
“Crew360 was born out of listening to real seafarers. Their voices shaped our MVP, and with IMA’s backing, we’re scaling those solutions into an ecosystem.”
— Founder, Crew360
A Strategic Fit with the IMA Model
IMA is more than a backer, it is a co-creator of ventures. Through its studio model, IMA provides founders like Crew360 with:
Access to capital
Operational structure
Technical architecture
Industry mentorship
Regulatory navigation
This partnership marks a major step toward IMA’s mission to shape Africa’s ocean economy through sustainable, scalable, and commercially viable solutions.
What Comes Next
With early pilots underway in Nigeria and Ghana, Crew360 will leverage IMA’s ecosystem to:
Expand multilingual support across African crews.
Establish partnerships with ship operators and unions.
Finalize integrations with welfare bodies like ISWAN and ITF.
Deepen trust-building and privacy-first architecture.
This is only the beginning.
“Africa’s maritime future isn’t something we wait for—it’s something we build. Crew360 is proof of that.”
— Innovate Maritime Africa Team
About Innovate Maritime Africa
Innovate Maritime Africa (IMA) is a venture studio dedicated to building and backing startups that solve Africa’s biggest maritime challenges. From port logistics to training, IMA co-creates scalable ventures with visionary founders, shaping the continent’s ocean economy—one venture at a time.
Learn more at innovatemaritimeafrica.com
About Crew360
Crew360 is a comprehensive seafarer welfare platform designed to improve life at sea. Through offline-ready tools focused on mental health, legal support, medical care, and HR access, the platform empowers seafarers to thrive—no matter where they are in the world.