New York, United States | January 13, 2026 – Viam, the software platform for marine robotics and automation, has announced a landmark partnership with Rivertrace, the global market leader in oil-in-water quality monitoring. The collaboration integrates Viam’s modular AI technology with Rivertrace’s hardware to automate critical environmental compliance, reduce ocean pollution, and modernize maritime operations at scale.
This partnership addresses a long-standing “paper-trail” risk in the shipping industry: the manual recording of oily water discharge. By digitalizing this process, the two companies are providing a “future-proof” solution for fleet operators facing increasingly strict international and regional environmental mandates.
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Modernizing the “Magic Pipe” Prevention
Historically, data from Rivertrace monitors, including oil levels (ppm), flow rates, and GPS coordinates, was often recorded manually in paper logs. This manual dependency creates risks:
- Inaccuracies: Discrepancies in oil-in-water logs can lead to ship detention and costly port delays.
- Regulatory Risk: Incomplete data is a primary target for Port State Control (PSC) inspections.
- Tamper Prevention: Automation provides an unalterable digital record, essential for verifying that discharge stays below the mandated 15 parts per million (ppm) threshold.
Viam provides the digital infrastructure and edge AI models to capture this data in real-time. This ensures that every drop of water discharged is accounted for with a high-fidelity digital twin of the event, enhancing regulatory adherence and streamlining on-board operations.
A Patent-Pending Breakthrough
The significance of this integration is highlighted by a patent application titled “Marine Data Recording Apparatus and Method,” published by the UK Intellectual Property Office on October 1, 2025. This patent recognizes the technical innovation required to unify hardware monitoring with real-time AI data recording in the harsh maritime environment.
“Working with Viam has given us a future-proof solution,” said Martin Saunders, Managing Director of Rivertrace. “The partnership highlights the benefits of the digital ecosystem within marine, automating previously manual transactions. Compliance is a key objective for our customers.”
Viam’s Strategic Expansion in the Marine Sector
The Rivertrace deal is part of a broader offensive by Viam into the maritime and industrial sectors. Founded in 2020 by Eliot Horowitz (former co-founder and CTO of MongoDB), Viam has quickly scaled its presence:
- Financial Growth: Earlier this year, Viam closed a Series C funding round led by Union Square Ventures, with participation from European investment firm Neurone. Neurone’s involvement, which includes backing from Italian industrial families, is fueling Viam’s expansion into the Mediterranean.
- European Hub: Following a successful showcase of robotic block sanding and surface-finishing systems at Metstrade 2025 in Amsterdam, Viam has opened a new R&D center in Italy. This facility serves as a hub for collaborating with manufacturers across the U.K., Italy, and Norway.
- Conservation Initiatives: Viam’s platform is also being used to restore oyster populations in New York Harbor (Billion Oyster Project) and prevent whale strikes through real-time monitoring with the Whale and Vessel Safety Taskforce (WAVS).
Solving the “15ppm” Challenge
As the maritime industry moves toward even stricter discharge standards, with some regions already pushing for 5ppm limits, the ability to automate monitoring becomes a competitive advantage. The Viam-Rivertrace solution helps fleet operators meet these evolving goals without adding to the crew’s administrative workload or disrupting day-to-day operations.
“The Viam platform brings new levels of accuracy and compliance assurance to Rivertrace’s systems, directly benefiting fleet operators, the industry, and the planet,” said Viam Founder and CEO, Eliot Horowitz.
Looking Ahead
As the industry prepares for further regulatory shifts, including the potential introduction of the UK ETS in July 2026 and evolving IMO “Net Zero” frameworks, the Viam-Rivertrace partnership provides a scalable model for how “legacy” hardware can be modernized through software. By moving from reactive maintenance to condition-based monitoring, fleet operators can reduce downtime and ensure they meet the increasingly stringent environmental standards of the late 2020s.
About Rivertrace
Rivertrace is an ISO 9001:2015 Quality-Assured company and has been the undisputed global market leader in oil-in-water quality monitoring since its inception in 1983. Based in the United Kingdom, the company specializes in designing equipment that helps the marine, offshore, and industrial sectors meet, and often exceed, tightening environmental legislation.
With over 40 years of expertise, Rivertrace is a primary authority on MARPOL compliance and the technical interpretation of environmental regulations into practical, ship-board solutions.
Core Capabilities:
- Regulatory Leadership: Designs systems that meet and exceed international mandates, such as IMO resolutions MEPC 107(49) and MEPC 108(49), which govern oily water discharge.
- Global Support Network: Maintains a massive service footprint, supported by a network of sales partners and service centers in over 45 countries, providing local technical support and spares wherever a vessel is sailing.
- Cleaner & Smarter Ethos: Focuses on “turnkey” solutions that reduce the risk of human error, such as the Smartsafe Bilge Overboard Security System, which prevents illegal discharges and ensures the integrity of the Oil Record Book.
- Industrial Versatility: While a titan in maritime, the company also provides specialized monitoring for boiler condensate, produced water, and cooling systems in the offshore and land-based industrial sectors.
About Viam
Viam is a high-growth software platform that brings modern engineering and AI to the world of robotics and automation. Founded in 2020 by Eliot Horowitz, the co-founder and former CTO of the database giant MongoDB, the company is headquartered in New York City and operates an R&D center in Italy.
Viam’s mission is to break down the barriers between complex hardware and intelligent software. The platform provides a modular, hardware-agnostic infrastructure that allows engineers to build, deploy, and scale robotic solutions far faster than traditional methods.
Key Areas of Operation:
- Maritime Innovation: Unlocking operational efficiencies for boat manufacturers and fleet operators, ranging from robotic surface-finishing to AI-driven navigation and compliance.
- Edge AI & Data: Providing the “brains” for machines to process data in real-time at the source, ensuring accuracy even in disconnected environments like the open ocean.
- Cross-Sector Impact: Beyond marine, Viam powers solutions in industrial manufacturing, climate tech, logistics, and smart infrastructure.
- Environmental Stewardship: Actively supports ocean conservation, including partnerships to restore oyster populations and leverage real-time monitoring to prevent whale strikes.
Source: Viam | Rivertrace