THE BLOG

Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis: SeeOnSea at the Intersection of Technology and Environment

The startup SeeOnSea aims to leverage technology for a better understanding of the environment.

SeeOnSea’s concept targets professionals in the tourism and maritime sectors to better engage the general public, enhancing their appeal by contributing to environmental protection.

SeeOnSea offers a suite of integrated, adaptable, and subscription-based B2B tools to highlight the environment by disseminating knowledge.

The various solutions allow sharing of local environmental information through communication channels of tourism and maritime professions such as tourist offices, boating, hotels, ports, science, hiking, and more.

SeeOnSea relies on its network for sharing knowledge and observations in the sea, coastline, and hiking areas. This network offers varied observations, ranging from flora and fauna to natural phenomena, human footprint, and remarkable sites.

Observations mainly sourced from the SeeOnSea partner network also enable the general public to actively participate in environmental protection by providing them with a wealth of information and tailored advice that considers species protection levels.

Established in the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis since its inception in late 2021, this innovative company has capitalized on the local ecosystem to develop an offering aimed at professionals in tourism, maritime sectors, and scientific communities.

With a mission focused on environmental valorization and improving human behavior, SeeOnSea is committed to creating tools that both disseminate scientific knowledge and contribute to environmental protection.

Interview with Laurent Lungeri, Founder and CEO of SeeOnSea.

Could you describe the genesis of SeeOnSea?

The idea for SeeOnSea sprouted in 2020 during a sea voyage with a skipper friend. We noticed the absence of tools allowing boaters to know in advance what they might encounter at sea. That was our starting point.

With a team of computer engineers, we quickly developed a prototype. After an in-depth market study, we broadened our vision.

Our goal became the valorization of the environment and the dissemination of simplified scientific knowledge. We aim to change human behavior by disseminating this knowledge. Our concept is not limited to the sea; it also covers terrestrial and riverine spaces.

We address a variety of topics, from flora and fauna to natural events and human footprint. In summary, our ambition is to reach as many people as possible to provoke behavior change through the knowledge and information we provide.

In terms of tools, we offer a subscription-based B2B range entirely dedicated to the environment:

SeeOnSeaVIEW allows sharing the local environment with visitors to any website, increasing the organization’s appeal.
SeeOnSeaPACK is a white-label tool adaptable to the needs of our clients and their members. It is used in various sectors such as tourism, science, boating, and hiking.
SeeOnSeaAPI makes our platform accessible to all external applications.

Could you detail the specific advantages of your offer?

Our offer is multidimensional and revolves around several key products and services. It would be interesting to break down the specifics of our offer based on the different partners with whom we work.

For scientific organizations, we offer a scalable platform that allows not only the dissemination of environmental knowledge but also the recording and tracking of observations with an adapted validation process. These observations can concern a variety of subjects, from biodiversity to marine pollution, to natural events. Our evolving concept has been designed to promote collective intelligence, and it is constantly updated with new information and technologies. Moreover, the platform is intended to communicate to the general public and thus make known the actions put in place.

As for actors in the tourism sector, such as tourist offices, hotels, resorts, vacation clubs, etc., we have developed a plugin that can be easily integrated into their websites. This plugin highlights the immediate environment of the organization and allows reaching a broad audience and disseminating environmental knowledge on a large scale. It is an effective way to increase their appeal and rework their image by participating in environmental protection.

For hotel groups and vacation clubs, we offer a white-label service that allows them to present our tools on their own platform while ensuring the security and confidentiality of the data collected. This service is particularly suited to a clientele wishing to participate in environmental protection and behavior improvement. Data monitoring allows valorizing actions to the general public through communication via various channels, including social networks.

For software publishers, our APIs provide a secure service making available to their users the SeeOnSea concept and its data. Applications for Connected Ports, those for hiking, and others can integrate the features made available to them and thus offer a unique and innovative service as part of their activity.

Finally, our platform has rigorous monitoring and data feedback to the appropriate organizations (INPN in France).

It should be noted that all our tools are modular and adaptable to the needs of our clients, who are also our partners.

Importantly, in 2023, we launched our first range of products with particularly attractive pricing, making our offer even more interesting.

Partnerships are a key element of our strategy. We have the honor of collaborating with several renowned organizations. For example, the Ailerons Association is a valuable partner that works on monitoring rays and sharks in the Mediterranean and integrates into SeeOnSea the data from its network of more than a hundred observer organizations. We also work in collaboration with INPN (National Inventory of Natural Heritage) to integrate reliable scientific data into our platform. These collaborations allow us not only to strengthen the credibility of our services but also to actively contribute to environmental initiatives.

To illustrate further, we have some notable collaborations. For example, the tourist office of the metropolis has integrated our service, as you can see on their website Explore Nice Côte d’Azur. We also have our own Live of maritime observations, which allows users to follow real-time observations at sea. In collaboration with the Ailerons platform, we have developed an observation map that is a valuable tool for their network, based on a strict and adapted process of entering and validating their observations. Finally, boaters can access the SeeOnSea concept in many Mediterranean ports using the Connected Ports application from our partner NauticSpot.

What are the advantages of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis for SeeOnSea?

The Metropolitan Nice Côte d’Azur is a dynamic ecosystem that has much to offer companies like ours.

First, we were winners of the Innovation Prize of the TravelCamp Sud of the South PACA region in 2022, which testifies to the territory’s commitment to innovative companies.

We have also integrated two regional incubators, Linkeus Incubation in Marseille for the tourism part and Provence Côte d’Azur Incubator in Nice for the more scientific part. These incubators have provided us with valuable support in our development phases.

Moreover, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, through the Innovation Hub that we have just joined, also supports us. This Hub (the CEEI – European Center for Enterprises and Innovation) is a platform that promotes innovation and the development of local companies.

In addition, our team is mainly based in Nice, which allows us to benefit from the rich local ecosystem in talents and opportunities. We also have collaborators in Montpellier and Clermont-Ferrand, which shows the flexibility and openness that our location on the Metropolis allows.

The Nice Côte d’Azur Metrpolis presents a fertile environment for companies like ours.

What are your development projects for the future?

Our ambitions are multiple and extend well beyond French borders. First, we plan to deploy in Italy and Spain, as our solutions are natively multilingual.

Contacts have been established, and we plan to hire in these countries to support our expansion.

In France, we also plan to expand our team. We are currently a small team of six people, and our development requires reinforcement to meet growing demand.

As for our products and services, we are constantly evolving. We regularly add new information and technologies to our platform. This includes expanding our range of tools for disseminating environmental knowledge, which is unique and does not exist in any other country.

To deepen the issue of partnerships, we are currently looking to establish new collaborations with hotel groups and vacation clubs, as well as other types of activities, so do not hesitate to contact us.

Our partnerships are always in a win-win spirit!

We integrate into the ecosystem and adapt our concept to the wishes of our partner, provided they adhere to our philosophy.

Finally, another important point to highlight is that our company is preparing to become a Mission-driven Company. Our raison d’être is to “Valorize the environment to improve human behavior.” We have environmental objectives, such as the development of innovative tools to disseminate environmental knowledge and encourage respectful curiosity for biodiversity.

We also aim to promote eco-responsible solutions. On the social side, we encourage teleworking, the use of French and local products, and quality of life at work for a better personal balance for everyone.

Website : https://www.seeonsea.com

Contact : https://www.seeonsea.com/contact