VoltSafe Marine is leveraging both hardware and software to change the way people connect to power and create a new standard in marine electrical safety.
Boat operators and marinas frequently encounter issues with antiquated shore power systems. This, when coupled with the combination of salt or fresh water can lead to premature corrosion, damage and an increased risk of electrical fires. Recognising this, VoltSafe Marine is leveraging both hardware and software to change the way people connect to power and create a new standard in marine electrical safety.
Headquartered in Vancouver, the Canadian tech startup has reinvented the electrical plug by eliminating prongs, and adding magnets alongside an “electrical fingerprint”. With this patented technology, the power doesn’t turn ‘on’ until both sides are fully connected, which in turn eliminates the risk of shock and related fire hazards.
The startup has already raised $3.6M USD to-date and is now raising $1M USD to accelerate development and commercialisation of the company’s growing product pipeline and company-making opportunities.
Safety first
The risk of electrocution is present each time you plug and unplug an electrical plug around water. Having 120V flowing through traditional electrical prongs on the dockside or falling into water increases that risk. Disconnecting both the active and passive ends of the VoltSafe Marine plug deactivates the current flow within the plug. So, even if the plug were to fall into the water, there is no risk of electrocution or tripping any electrical breakers.
Fire prevention
The trouble with traditional pronged plugs is that each time you disconnect and then reconnect a marine plug, an electrical arc occurs. Electrical arcs corrode the prongs on the plug and leave carbon deposits behind. These deposits then create resistance to the connection, which eventually leads to heat generation, which can then lead to an electrical fire. The VoltSafe Marine plug eliminates the electrical arcing by utilizing the company’s unique electrical fingerprint technology.
Strong connection
Conventional shore-power plugs require the user to twist and lock the plug blades and use a locking-ring mechanism to secure the mechanical and electrical connection. However, the plugs will still deliver current, even if there is a poor connection. So in situations where there is a lot of movement of the boat, the connection can become loose if not properly secured. As the surface area becomes inadequate to meet a high power draw demand, overheating will occur.
The VoltSafe Marine plug eliminates the question of a poorly connected plug with the use of an LED light indicator to confirm a connection.
Remote monitoring
If there is ever an issue with the plug’s connection, the VoltSafe Marine app will send a push notification. This will allow you and your marina manager to address the issue immediately. The app works via Bluetooth, Wifi or LTE connectivity and will allow remote monitoring and control of your plug from your phone. An additional benefit of the app is that it will allow marina operators to confirm how much power your boat is using in order to provide precise moorage billing.
VoltSafe’s CEO Trevor Burgess highlighted, “VoltSafe is excited to launch a new funding round, raising capital to accelerate the company’s drive towards its licensing and commercialization goals. VoltSafe is entering a new phase of the company’s growth and moving full steam ahead on multiple fronts. We’re seeing significant demand in our core verticals in both sales and licensing of our patented technology, and in new opportunities where our technology provides a significant competitive advantage. I am thrilled to be bringing on new investors, allowing us to accelerate and scale our vision.”
The marine EV industry is growing rapidly, with record amounts of investment inflows at all stakeholder levels, aimed to develop and grow the electric boat market along with all of the infrastructure to support the new ecosystem. The VoltSafe Marine technology is positioned at the core of the “Electrification of Everything” and is scalable across multiple marine verticals, including personal watercraft, recreational boating, global shipping and Navy fleets.
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