ESA title

Prisma

  • ACTIVITYKick-start Activity
  • STATUSCompleted
  • THEMATIC AREAMaritime and Aquatic

Objectives of the service

Artisanal fishers face extinction: 60% predicted to collapse by 2030 due to rising fuel costs (30-40% of operational expenses), declining catch efficiency, and complex regulatory burdens (2+ hours daily paperwork). While industrial fleets leverage satellite data and AI analytics, small-scale producers remain systematically excluded.

PONTOS Prisma transforms this reality. Our AI-powered maritime co-pilot democratizes satellite Earth observation through edge computing technology deployed onboard fishing vessels. The PONTOS Obs device enables:

  • Real-time fishing zone intelligence: AI processing of Copernicus Marine Service data (sea temperature, chlorophyll, currents) delivers 85% accurate fishing zone predictions - without requiring constant connectivity

  • Voice-assisted compliance: 92% accurate AI voice agent converts 2 hours daily paperwork into 5-minute verbal catch reports, automatically populating electronic logbooks

  • Marketplace pricing power: Cooperative catch aggregation and buyer intelligence enables fishers to negotiate better prices (+1-2% revenue improvement)

  • Edge AI advantage: Onboard computing eliminates dependency on expensive satellite connectivity, enabling offline operation with 95% lower data transmission costs

PONTOS creates precision artisanal fishing - industrial-grade intelligence accessible from €300/month, enabling small-scale producers to compete sustainably while preserving community-based fishing practices.

 

Users and their needs

Target User Communities:

Primary Users - Semi-Industrial Longline Fishers (12-24m vessels):

  • Geographic focus: France (metropolitan + overseas territories), Latin America (Costa Rica, Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico), Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece)

  • Total addressable market: 20,000+ vessels across target geographies

  • Demographics: Multi-generational crews (ages 25-65), variable digital literacy, operating 5-15 day fishing trips, 200-300km offshore

Secondary Users - Cooperatives & Fleet Operators:

  • 100-500 member cooperatives managing catch aggregation, quality control, buyer negotiations

  • Fleet operators (5-30 vessels) requiring performance visibility and compliance management

Critical User Needs:

  • Economic survival: Fuel costs consuming 30-40% of revenue, declining catch per unit effort threatens profitability

  • Operational efficiency: "We spend more time searching than fishing" - need intelligent zone recommendations to reduce prospecting waste

  • Compliance burden: "The paperwork is killing us" - 2+ hours daily manual logbook entry diverts captain from operations

  • Market power: "Buyers dictate prices" - lack of real-time catch aggregation and market intelligence weakens negotiating position

  • Connectivity reality: Unreliable/expensive satellite connectivity at sea - need offline-capable solutions that work in dead zones

  • Technology accessibility: Industrial solutions (€1000-2000/month) unaffordable; complex interfaces unsuitable for low-digital-literacy crews

Project Challenges:

  • Develop marine-grade edge computing system (IP67, shock/salt/temperature resistant, low-power)

  • Achieve >85% AI accuracy across multiple species (Yellowfin, Albacore, Swordfish, Dorado) and ocean basins (Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean)

  • Multi-language support (French, Spanish, English, Portuguese) with noise-robust voice recognition

  • Balance hardware cost (€800-1,200/unit) with accessible subscription pricing (€300-600/month)

  • Navigate diverse regulatory frameworks (EU CFP, IATTC, SPRFMO, ICCAT) across 3 continents

Service/ system concept

PONTOS PRISMA:

  • AI-powered fishing zone maps showing 10 days probability forecasts (color-coded: red = high, yellow = medium, blue = low catch probability)

  • Protected species alerts: Marine protected area boundaries, recent turtle/shark/marine mammal sightings, bycatch avoidance recommendations

  • Offline-capable: Pre-downloaded satellite forecasts

  • Historical analytics: Personal catch history, performance trends, zone preferences

  • AI voice catch reporting: Fishers call automated agent ("PONTOS, today's catch: 240 kilos Yellowfin, 85 kilos Dorado, Zone 7") → 92% accurate transcription → electronic logbook auto-population

  • Catch aggregation dashboard: Real-time cooperative-level totals by species, freshness windows, quality grades

  • Compliance automation: IOTC/ICATT/WCPFC format electronic logbooks, one-click regulatory submissions

 

Space Added Value

Space Added Value

PONTOS demonstrates exemplary use of Copernicus Marine Service as the intelligence foundation:

Satellite Earth Observation (Primary Space Asset):

  • Copernicus Marine Service provides daily global ocean data:

    • Sea Surface Temperature (SST): 4km resolution, daily updates - critical for identifying thermal fronts where fish aggregate

    • Chlorophyll-a concentration: 4km resolution, daily - indicates phytoplankton abundance (base of food chain attracting pelagic fish)

    • Ocean currents (velocity, direction): 4km resolution, daily - reveals convergence zones where nutrients and prey concentrate

  • Coverage: Global, including all target territories (Pacific, Atlantic, Mediterranean, Indian Ocean)

  • Cost: Free (EU program) vs. commercial alternatives (€500-800/month for inferior resolution)

AI Value-Add on Satellite Data: PONTOS transforms raw oceanography into actionable intelligence:

  • ML model training: 5 years Copernicus historical data + 2,400+ cooperative catch logs → Random Forest + Gradient Boosting algorithm learns species-specific environmental preferences

  • Predictive accuracy: 85% accuracy identifying high-probability fishing zones 24-48 hours in advance (vs. traditional fisher intuition ~60% accuracy)

  • Species differentiation: Yellowfin Tuna prefers 24-27°C + high chlorophyll edges, Albacore prefers 18-22°C + moderate chlorophyll, Swordfish prefers 18-24°C + deep thermoclines - PONTOS customizes recommendations by target species

Satellite Navigation (Secondary Space Asset):

  • GPS positioning: Automatic fishing zone identification (geofencing), electronic logbook geo-tagging (IOTC/WCPFC compliance requirement), fleet tracking

  • Added value: Eliminates manual position logging errors, enables precise zone performance analysis ("Zone 7 had 30% better catch rate than Zone 3 this week")

Space Technology Enabling Sustainability:

  • Protected species avoidance: Satellite tracking of turtle/marine mammal migration patterns → real-time alerts → bycatch reduction (supports MSC certification)

  • Climate adaptation: Multi-year satellite data reveals shifting fish distributions due to ocean warming → PONTOS helps fishers adapt to changing conditions

  • Fisheries science: Anonymized catch + satellite data from 500 vessels → stock assessment models → science-based quota management

Current Status

Kick-Start Achievements (March - October 2025):

Technical Feasibility Proven:

  • Fish detection AI: 85% accuracy achieved (Yellowfin Tuna, Pacific Ocean) using Copernicus Marine Service data + Costa Rica cooperative catch logs (2,400+ fishing events)

  • Voice agent: 92% accuracy demonstrated (French and Spanish languages, controlled environment) - transcribes species, quantities, zones with 94% species name accuracy

  • Edge computing architecture: PONTOS Obs specifications finalized - NVIDIA Jetson Nano-based system with marine-grade IP67 enclosure, sensor integration (accelerometer, temperature, GPS, camera), <25W power consumption

Business Model Validated:

  • Pricing acceptance confirmed: 40% of survey respondents indicated €300/month acceptable, validated by €44K actual commitments

  • Exceptional unit economics: 92.5% contribution margins (€740/month per vessel) driven by edge computing eliminating recurring connectivity costs + marketplace transaction revenue

  • Financial projections: €11K revenue (2025) → €19K (2026) → path to break-even at 60-77 vessels (Year 3)

Currently In Progress (November 2025 - March 2026):

  • Demonstration Project proposal finalization for ESA submission (November 2025)

  • PONTOS Obs detailed hardware specification: Sensor procurement, power management optimization, camera integration characteristics

  • Multi-species AI model development: Expanding from Yellowfin to Mediterranean species (Bluefin Tuna, Swordfish for European markets), Atlantic species (Albacore)

Geographic Expansion Strategy: Following successful Costa Rica and Réunion pilots, PONTOS targets France (metropolitan fishing fleets), Latin America (Peru, Chile, Ecuador, Mexico - 5,000+ vessels), Europe (Spain, Portugal, Italy, Greece - 10,000+ vessels). Total addressable market: 20,000+ semi-industrial longline vessels.

Prime Contractor(s)

PONTOS

France

https://www.pontos.ai

Status Date

Updated: 24 November 2025