SynMax is an innovative MDA/ satellite data analytics company that provides actionable intelligence and brings transparency to the maritime environment.
Founded in 2021 by energy trader Bill Perkins and quantitative analyst Eric Anderson, SynMax was formed to bring a competitive edge to the energy markets by combining the objective proof afforded by satellite imagery with the capacity of machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI). Since then, SynMax has broadened its ambitions, applying its technical innovations to the threats posed by dark and illegal shipping, creating Theia, a unique maritime domain intelligence platform.
Theia was developed by an expert team comprised of data scientists, engineers, remote-sensing specialists, and ex-Five Eyes intelligence professionals, bringing decades of experience at the forefront of their respective fields. SynMax integrated these specializations in Theia’s design, build, and continued development, resulting in a platform that prioritizes the analyst’s experience.
Data agnostic, Theia can ingest almost all data sources onto its foundation of satellite imagery fused with SIGINT. Our ethos of prioritising intelligence fusion maximises the inherent individual strength of each data source while adding the redundancy afforded by using multiple streams to negate the vulnerabilities implied when relying upon a single source. As such, Theia has been designed to integrate additional data streams as they become available, future-proofing against new technologies and changing tactics.
Redefining intelligence scalability, Theia eliminates the need for laborious manual processes. Capable of automatically identifying, attributing, and analysing every vessel over 30 meters across millions of square kilometres, Theia effectively mass produces actionable imagery intelligence for decision makers. With modules capable of automatically identifying ship-to-ship transfers and AIS spoofing, exhaustive manual searching and imagery analysis expertise are not required.
As well as global scalability, extensive archival imagery means Theia is temporally scalable. Historic imagery of vessels engaged in crimes, sanctions breaches, or other illicit behavior leaves no room for accusations of bias or debate. Traditional tip and cue analysis requires prior knowledge of a crime’s time, location, and perpetrators. Theia, on the other hand, allows analysts to investigate thousands of vessels’ voyage histories and lifespans visually, meaning illicit behaviour can be exposed and prosecuted based on intelligence gathered following the slightest suspicion or as part of routine due diligence.
