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Vision Anchor
DefunctTechstars '24Ljubljana, SI · Founded 2020 · 4 employees on LinkedIn · 1 known investors
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Vision Anchor is a Slovenian company developing a smart anchoring system for boats. The system tracks the position and status of a vessel's anchor and transmits that data to onboard displays, giving crews visibility into whether the anchor is holding. It is aimed at boat owners and operators seeking to reduce the risk of dragging anchors, collisions, and related penalties.
Also known as VisionAnchor
Investors · 1
How we know: the Techstars portfolio · funding news · open dataset · Top 3000 Accelerator Startups (no YC) 2026-08 · Not right? Tell us
Company profile
researched Sep 2026Vision Anchor (VisionAnchor) is a Ljubljana-based company that developed a smart anchoring system for pleasure and commercial vessels. Its core product, VisionAnchor S, consists of a self-adjusting buoy tethered to the anchor, a removable "Smart Box" that clips into the buoy and computes and transmits satellite position fixes several times per minute, a powered onboard base station, and a smartphone/tablet app for iPhone and Android. The base station receives buoy data over LoRa, raises an alarm when the anchor moves outside a user-defined radius, connects to the phone or tablet via Bluetooth, monitors link status, and acts as the Smart Box's wireless charger. Users can set the permitted anchor movement radius between 3 and 30 metres, with about five metres typically recommended, and the app displays anchor and vessel position on a chart of the anchorage along with buoy battery status.
The system is positioned against conventional anchor alarm apps and chart plotters, which track the vessel rather than the anchor and therefore require geofences of roughly 20-40 metres or more to accommodate chain scope and swing. By monitoring the anchor itself, the product is intended to detect dragging earlier and give crews time to respond before grounding or collision. Stated specifications include a 25 m (65 ft) tethered line with a recommended maximum anchoring depth of 20 m, a tether rated to 400 kg so it can also serve as a trip line for a fouled anchor, dual alarming via app and base station, use of four satellite positioning services, and a battery life of two to seven days. The package ships with 12 V and 220 V charging adapters, a charger cable, mounting kit, D-shackle and manual. A higher-specification variant, VisionAnchor C, adds a camera.
The company was founded by Matija Jašarov (CEO), Anže Peklenk (CTO) and Andrej Podbevšek (CMO). The product emerged from a three-year programme spanning concept, design, prototyping and beta testing, with the first units sold in mid-2024. The company describes its solution as patented and had planned to add sensors and machine learning to build a data-collection network from deployed devices, as well as additive manufacturing for more modular, faster production. UK chandlery Force 4 subsequently listed the system at clearance pricing, stating that Vision Anchor is no longer trading.
Founding story
The founders developed the monitoring solution in response to their own experiences of anchoring risk, building a high-precision system that tracks the anchor rather than the vessel. Matija Jašarov, Anže Peklenk and Andrej Podbevšek served as CEO, CTO and CMO respectively, supported by a team that included a robotics engineer and a mentor with engineering, innovation and business consulting experience.
Business model
Hardware sales of anchor-monitoring units paired with a companion mobile app. Sales began as direct business-to-consumer pre-orders to build customer understanding, with distribution partnerships added in Germany and Italy and interest reported from anchor manufacturers seeking to bundle the product, yacht builders considering it as a new-build and refit add-on, and further distributors in Europe, the Middle East and Turkey. Units were also carried by chandlery retailers such as Force 4 in the UK.
One-off sales of hardware units. The base VisionAnchor S was priced at €800 and the camera-equipped VisionAnchor C at €2,800; Force 4 listed the Smart Anchoring System at an RRP of £999.95, discounted to £499.00 in clearance.
Traction
By August 2024 the company reported more than 2,500 sign-ups, €50,000 in pre-orders over the preceding two months and 60 units sold in that period to customers in Germany, the UK and Italy, with first units purchased in mid-2024. Ten beta units had been distributed to testers in the prior three months, and a 20-boat UK charter fleet ran a beta test. Distributor partnerships were confirmed in Germany and Italy. Revenue of about €2.5 million was targeted for 2025.
Latest developments
Force 4 Chandlery listed the VisionAnchor Smart Anchoring System as out of stock and no longer available, sold at half price in clearance, and stated that Vision Anchor is no longer trading and that stock purchased carries no warranty or support.
▸Full profile — market position, technology, go-to-market, geography, history, risks & controversies
Market position
Described as one of the first smart anchoring systems on the market and as creating a new product category of smart anchoring, analogous to the adoption of parking sensors and cameras in cars. Management targeted a 5-10% share of the 8-24 metre boat segment, citing yachting sector growth of about 4.1% per year. The company ceased trading, with remaining retail stock sold off at clearance without warranty or support.
Monitors the anchor's own position rather than the vessel's, allowing an alarm radius of roughly 3-5 metres instead of the 20-40 metre geofences required by vessel-tracking anchor alarm apps and chart plotters, which can fail to alarm while a dislodged anchor drags. Other stated differentiators include fixes from four satellite systems, rapid position updates, monitoring of both the LoRa and Bluetooth communication links, dual alarming on the app and base station, a buoy that is visible to other vessels, a tether usable as a trip line, a patented solution, and a modular design produced with additive manufacturing.
Technology
The buoy carries a Smart Box that acquires position fixes from four satellite positioning services and transmits them multiple times per minute over LoRa to a powered onboard base station; the base station links to a smartphone or tablet over Bluetooth and also monitors the health of both links. Alarms are raised both in the app and on the base station when the anchor leaves a user-set 3-30 metre radius. A self-adjusting line module inside the buoy controls tether tension so the buoy can rise and fall with waves and tide without disturbing the anchor, and the 400 kg-rated tether doubles as a trip line. The company described a proof of concept for adding further sensors and machine learning, and use of additive manufacturing for modular, replaceable components.
Go-to-market
Market research comprising roughly 100 interviews and surveys with owners and captains, online marketing campaigns, and a beta programme in which 10 units were sent to testers including charter companies, sailing schools, distributors and NGOs, plus a beta test with a UK charter company operating 20 boats. Commercial launch ran through direct B2C pre-orders, followed by confirmed distributor partnerships in Germany and Italy, a partnership proposal from electric catamaran builder Silent Yachts, and retail listings such as Force 4 in the UK. Planned internationalisation focused on the United States and Australia.
Tech-savvy owners and skippers of boats between roughly 8 and 50 metres that are used for overnight stays; owners of 15-25 metre motor yachts were said to favour the camera version while sailing yachts more often chose the buoy-only version. Additional interest came from commercial fleets that spend time at anchor, charter companies, sailing schools and distributors.
Geography
Headquartered in Ljubljana, Slovenia, with customers in Germany, the United Kingdom and Italy, distributor partnerships in Germany and Italy, retail availability in the UK, inbound distributor interest from Europe, the Middle East and Turkey, and stated expansion plans toward the United States and Australia.
History
The product resulted from a three-year development programme covering initial concept, design, prototyping and beta testing through to launch, with the first units purchased in mid-2024. In March 2024 the company was named among ten Slovenian startups to watch by EU-Startups, which cited €135k raised at that point. By August 2024 cumulative funding of €400,000 was reported from Techstars, EIT Digital, EUSPA, Weidmann-Paulsson and the Slovene Enterprise Fund, alongside plans for an €800,000 pre-seed follow-on. The company subsequently stopped trading, and UK retailer Force 4 cleared remaining stock at half price without warranty or support.
Risks & controversies
The company ceased trading; a UK retailer clearing remaining inventory stated that units carried no warranty or support. Operating assumptions before that point included an unrealised €800,000 pre-seed follow-on round and a €2.5 million revenue target for 2025. Practical product constraints include a 20 m maximum anchoring depth and a buoy battery life of two to seven days.
Compiled by commissioned research from 4 cited public sources — announcements, filings, and press listed under research sources below.
Key figures
latest reportedCompany-reported or press-reported figures, each dated to when it was claimed — not independently audited.
Timeline · 5
launches, deals, and filingsUK chandlery Force 4 listed the VisionAnchor Smart Anchoring System as out of stock and no longer available, noting that Vision Anchor is no longer trading and that clearance stock came without warranty or support.
Press coverage reported that VisionAnchor had raised EUR 400,000 to date from Techstars, EIT Digital, Euspa, Weidmann-Paulsson and the Slovenian Entrepreneurial Fund, and was seeking an additional EUR 800,000 pre-seed follow-on round.
The company confirmed partnerships with one German and one Italian distributor, received a partnership proposal from electric catamaran builder Silent Yachts, and was contacted by distributors in Europe, the Middle East and Turkey.
Following a three-year programme of concept, design, prototyping and beta testing, the first VisionAnchor S units were purchased in mid-2024.
Dated company events from announcements, filings, and press; legal rows summarize public dockets and regulator releases.
▸Research sources · 4
primary sources listed
- VisionAnchor Smart Anchoring System - Force 4 Chandleryforce4.co.uk · web
4 public sources were cited for this profile; the first-party ones are listed here.
Frequently asked questions
- What does Vision Anchor do?
- Slovenian maker of VisionAnchor, a buoy-based smart anchoring system that monitors an anchor's position and alerts crews to dragging.
- Who are Vision Anchor's investors?
- Vision Anchor's investors include Techstars.
- Where is Vision Anchor headquartered?
- Vision Anchor is headquartered in Ljubljana, SI.