BGF has invested £15 million in Sulmara, a Glasgow-based independent provider of survey and inspection services for the offshore wind and energy sectors. The funding aims to fuel Sulmara's continued expansion, with a focus on advanced technologies like uncrewed surface vessels (USVs), autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs), next-generation geophysical sensors, and enhanced data products.
Sulmara, founded in 2019, has experienced significant growth, achieving a compound annual growth rate of 61% in revenue over the past four years and establishing a global presence with offices in locations including Glasgow, Aberdeen, Houston, and Singapore. The company attributes its rapid success to its emphasis on technological innovation and its commitment to delivering efficient, lower-carbon survey solutions for global clients such as Ørsted, Chevron, and Seaway7.
The new investment will enable Sulmara to advance remote and low-carbon data collection in challenging environments, reducing reliance on conventional methods while ensuring faster and higher-quality data turnaround. Sulmara is the first offshore wind services company to sign the Climate Pledge and recently achieved Carbon Neutrality certification under the BSI PAS 2060:2014 standard.
Sulmara CEO Kevin McBarron remarked, “BGF's investment comes at an important moment for the company as we look to build on the success of our technology and innovation efforts to date and to accelerate their introduction to our service offerings.”
As part of the investment, Richard Pugh and Davis Larssen will join Sulmara's board as non-executive directors. Both bring extensive experience in energy services and technology, and Pugh emphasized their commitment to supporting Sulmara's continued growth trajectory.