EIT Digital-backed startup Nereid launches interactive boating platform

Nereid, an integrated management system for marinas, incorporating specialised features for boat owners, has been launched successfully on the Aegean Sea and could be coming soon to a marina near you! 

Nereid helps boaters find a nearby marina and book a space online. It is being developed to help them reach their berth easily, with 3D imaging that ensures smooth sailing while they navigate into the port.

Throughout the process boat crews can communicate easily with the marina, and also find and book amenities like dinner and entertainment. "From the time you make the reservation until you leave, we are next to you," says Georgios Birkas, the 23-year-old CEO and co-founder of Nereid.

Services for marinas include a platform providing digital management of the relationship with customers, to deal with reservations, online payments, personal requests and storing customer data.

 All data is kept highly secure through a block-chain based solution. The platform is also being developed to use artificial intelligence that helps manage dock space, so that marinas can fit in more boats and always know what space they have or will have at any given time.

"It's like a personal assistant, a full package for the boat owner," Birkas explains. "At the same time, we are creating a fully automated marina management system for the marinas. They just click and the AI will handle everything."

Then there are promotional services: the platform is free for boaters, so the audience of customers can constantly grow. These boaters are guided toward the marinas, who pay Nereid a subscription fee for all of the services, as well as a small commission for every new customer the platform attracts.

Birkas sees a real need for these services. "The industry is not digitalised yet. Now is the right moment," he says.

"We launched our startup in July 2022 - after we graduated from the EIT Digital Venture Programme competition. It was a very helpful programme, providing a lot of training, and it was our first big success," Birkas says. 

The EIT Digital Venture Program is designed to take budding entrepreneurs from idea to investment in less than a year. Participants come to the programme with an idea and leave with a minimum viable product that is ready for investment. The programme features intensive training at bootcamps and competitions offering cash prizes.