NEWCASTLE, 16th APR, 2026 – BRITISH clean-tech scale-up Kinewell has announced the acquisition of ForeCoast® Marine, a leading marine weather risk software for the offshore wind industry.
The acquisition will see ForeCoast® Marine incorporated into the Kinewell business and complement its existing software-as-a-service (SaaS) solutions.
The offshore wind industry – which the Global Wind Energy Council (GWEC) expects to reach a global capacity of 2TW by 2030 – faces increasing pressure to deliver projects faster, at lower cost, and more reliably and the addition of ForeCoast® Marine will enable Kinewell’s award-winning solutions to be used throughout the entire lifespan of an offshore wind farm.
Kinewell’s existing software solutions support the planning and design phase, optimising inter-array cable layouts, enhancing export system design and maximising energy by optimising turbine placement, saving developers millions of pounds and hundreds of hours in development time.
By simulating marine operations and entire sea campaigns using historical metocean data and real-world operational constraints, ForeCoast® Marine will allow project teams to see how projects would have performed across past seasons. This further strengthens Kinewell’s offering by giving developers, contractors, operators and consultants actionable insights that help them forecast future uncertainty and make informed, de-risked decisions.
Tony Appleton, Chief Commercial Officer at Kinewell, said: “The future of offshore wind depends on digitalisation and adding ForeCoast® Marine to our software portfolio will enable Kinewell’s solutions to optimise every single stage of a project lifecycle, from installation to the operational and decommissioning stages.
“It will help the industry to move faster, de-risk projects and lower costs, while positioning Kinewell at the forefront of offshore wind digital transformation. We are delighted to welcome it into the Kinewell family.”
The marine management software market is swiftly becoming a global industry, with the latest findings from Market Research Future revealing that it is worth $2.5billion per year and is forecast to continue growing by around 10-11% per annum.
The acquisition of ForeCoast® Marine will allow the King’s Award winner to establish itself within this rapidly emerging market, while allowing its team to continue supporting the global transition to a net-zero society and increase its total revenue by approximately 30% per year.
Dr Andrew Jenkins, founder and chief executive of Kinewell, added: “ForeCoast® Marine’s software will provide a major boost to the entire supply chain, from developers to consultants, insurers, marine planners, operators and ports, providing a single, easy-to-use solution that can not only de-risk developments, but also maximise performance and improve project financials.
“We also see huge potential in the use of ForeCoast® Marine beyond offshore wind, with the software also used to support the planning and execution of any marine activity.
“It has already been well-received by our existing clients and has allowed new relationships to be forged with others in the sector. It will provide a real boost to the business as we seek to continue developing digital solutions for some of the industry’s most complex problems.”
The acquisition of ForeCoast® Marine follows the recent news that Kinewell has raised £750,000 in the first investment by the new North East Accelerate Fund, managed by Mercia Ventures.
The investment will unlock a further six-figure sum in grant funding, bringing the total raised to over £1m. The funding will enable Kinewell to accelerate the development and commercialisation of its technology, and to almost double in size within six months with the creation of 10 new jobs.
Andrew said: “The funding, combined with the acquisition of ForeCoast® Marine, will see 2026 be yet another stellar year for the team, with the creation of more high-skilled jobs and an ever-greater service offering for our customers.
“And with more offshore wind farms set to come to fruition over the coming months and years, particularly in Asia and Europe where we have already firmly established ourselves, there will be even more exciting announcements to follow.”
For more information on Kinewell, visit: https://kinewell.co.uk/
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