Ocean Exchange is a unique ocean tech accelerator that hosts an annual startup pitch competition to recognize and advance innovation in technologies for the health of our oceans and the Blue Economy. As an exclusive media partner, Ocean News & Technology looks back at past Ocean Exchange finalists and shares brief updates on where they are now.

Explicit ApS, founded in 1998 by Bettina and Jon Knudsen, is based in Denmark. Using advanced drone technology, Explicit measures harmful emissions and delivers actionable data.  Ocean Exchange welcomed them to the stage as a finalist in 2014 for their solution on how to independently monitor sulfur emissions from ships.

The team has reached several significant milestones in 2025.  A major contract with Equinor Energy to survey methane emissions across their Norwegian assets, including more than 40 offshore and onshore facilities, and a breakthrough in N2O monitoring with a final report published by the Danish Ministry of Environment that confirmed the effectiveness of their technology for monitoring nitrous oxide at wastewater treatment plants, to name a few.

Over the course of 2025, the company experienced more than 100% revenue growth, with survey operations expanded to more than 20 countries across five continents.

Explicit’s Drone Flux Measurement (DFM) sets them apart in the greentech space. They use proprietary, ultra-sensitive sensors mounted on drones that measure gas concentrations (methane, CO2, N2O, NOx, and SO2) to detect and quantify critical emissions from a multitude of sources as the drone flies through the emission plumes.

Winning Formula: “As innovators, we’ve found that success often boils down to two things: How much disruptive value your solution brings to the market, and how much credible proof you can show to back up your claims and make people trust you. We have worked diligently to deliver on both counts.”

Discover more about their mission and technology: https://explicit.dk/