RanMarine

RanMarine is a Rotterdam-based aquatic robotics company founded in 2016 by Richard Hardiman. It designs and builds autonomous surface drones — most notably the WasteShark — that collect floating debris and record water-quality data in ports, marinas, canals, rivers, ponds and other inland waterways. The company positions itself at the intersection of environmental technology, smart-city infrastructure and ESG reporting, selling to port authorities, municipalities, facilities-management firms, hotels, resorts and event organisers. The flagship WasteShark is a small, electrically powered surface robot whose design is inspired by the wide, filter-feeding mouth of the whale shark. It swims through the water and traps floating waste in an onboard basket while its sensors log environmental parameters. RanMarine has expanded the platform with the WasteShark Plus and the CyanoShark, the latter aimed at chemical-free treatment of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms. The company also offers data services and an ESG toolkit that lets customers quantify collected waste and report sustainability impact. Since its first prototypes were tested in Dutch canals in 2016, RanMarine has deployed its fleet across four continents. The company reports that its WasteShark fleet has collected hundreds of thousands of litres of waste and patrolled tens of thousands of kilometres of waterways annually. Early international deployments included the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom in 2019, followed by the United States, South Africa and Australia in 2020, and South America in 2023. Documented case studies include PortsToronto's Trash Trapping Programme in Canada, Hudson River Park in the United States, Challenge Almere-Amsterdam in the Netherlands and Love Boat in Italy. RanMarine remains a privately held company headquartered in Rotterdam. Its leadership team combines robotics, industrial design, sales and finance experience, with Richard Hardiman as founder and Mike Foss serving as CEO and Chairman. The company's mission is to help cities, ports and organisations protect waterways with robotics that deliver visible impact, lower operational cost and zero emissions.

RanMarine was founded in Rotterdam in 2016 by Richard Hardiman, who had observed that conventional waterway cleanup was expensive, labour-intensive and reactive. The company's first prototypes were tested in Dutch canals that same year, and the first WasteShark was launched in 2017. The WasteShark is a small, electrically powered autonomous surface robot designed to collect floating waste and record water-quality data. Its form mimics the wide, filter-feeding mouth of the whale shark, which swims slowly and filters tiny organisms; similarly, the WasteShark swims and collects floating waste in an onboard basket. International expansion followed quickly. In 2019 the first RanMarine robots were deployed in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom. In 2020 the company added the United States, South Africa and Australia, and in 2023 it reached South America. By the mid-2020s RanMarine reported that its WasteShark fleet had collected hundreds of thousands of litres of waste and patrolled tens of thousands of kilometres of waterways annually across four continents, serving ports, marinas, municipalities, facilities managers, hotels, resorts and event venues. RanMarine has broadened its platform beyond debris collection. It offers data solutions and an ESG Toolkit that help customers measure and report the impact of their cleanup operations. In 2025 the company launched the WasteShark Plus and announced that the CyanoShark — a drone designed for chemical-free treatment of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms — was in final R&D. Documented case studies include PortsToronto's Trash Trapping Programme in Canada, where two WasteSharks named Ebb and Flow supplemented stationary Seabins; Hudson River Park in the United States; Challenge Almere-Amsterdam in the Netherlands, where CyanoShark was used to restore swim-safe water quality; and Love Boat in Italy, which uses RanMarine technology to maintain water quality in harbours and marinas. The company remains privately held and headquartered in Rotterdam. Its leadership team includes founder Richard Hardiman, CEO and Chairman Mike Foss, CFO Anton Hemelaar, CAO Esther Lokhorst and a group of product, sales and marketing specialists. RanMarine's stated mission is to help cities, ports and organisations protect their waterways using robotics that deliver visible impact, lower operational cost and zero emissions.

• 2025

  Launch of WasteShark Plus; CyanoShark in final R&D.

• 2023

  First robots deployed in South America.

• 2020

  First robots deployed in the United States, South Africa and Australia.

• 2019

  First robots deployed in the United Arab Emirates and the United Kingdom.

• 2017

  First WasteShark launched.

• 2016

  RanMarine founded in Rotterdam; first prototypes tested in Dutch canals.

Smart marine robotics for cleaner waterways, combining autonomous waste collection with water-quality data and ESG reporting.

• WasteShark

  Autonomous surface drone that collects floating waste and records water-quality data; design inspired by the whale shark's filter-feeding mouth.

• WasteShark Plus

  Enhanced version of the WasteShark launched in 2025.

• CyanoShark

  Drone for chemical-free treatment of cyanobacteria (blue-green algae) blooms; in final R&D as of 2025.

• Data solutions

  Geo-referenced data services that help customers understand where debris is found and monitor water quality.

• ESG Toolkit

  Toolkit that shows how WasteShark enhances sustainability reporting and creates sponsorship opportunities.

1. 1RanMarine | Smart Marine Robotics for Cleaner Waterwaysranmarine.io
2. 2Our Story: Mission for Cleaner Water - RanMarineranmarine.io
3. 3Case Studies & Results: Real-World Impact - RanMarineranmarine.io
4. 4PortsToronto - RanMarineranmarine.io
5. 5RanMarine - Wikidatawikidata.org