Tonjo, a Shanghai-based marine technology company, will debut at the International BoatBuilders’ Exhibition and Conference in Tampa, Fla., as it works to accelerate its entry into the U.S. market. Tonjo will exhibit alongside nine other international startups in the Yachting Ventures Start-Up Pavilion at IBEX, running Oct. 6-8.
The company’s Intelligent Helm System, built on a unified software architecture, brings navigation, engine and systems monitoring, lighting, climate and entertainment together through a single interface, with voice control and vessel monitoring designed to run on-device in areas of limited connectivity, according to a press release.
“The automotive industry spent the past decade turning the cockpit into one system that runs the whole vehicle,” Tonjo founder Chenglun Zhang said in the release. “We’re bringing that approach to boats: one system that runs the whole vessel so its functions are easier to understand, access and control.”
Tonjo has orders for more than 500 units of the Intelligent Helm System and has completed its first installation, aboard an Allegro Yacht 62CAT.
Tonjo plans to enter the U.S. through a B2B2C model, working with local distributors and after-sales service providers to reach boatbuilders, dealers and end users. The company is also seeking senior U.S. marine industry advisors to support its market-entry strategy and the planned establishment of a U.S. subsidiary in 2027, the release said.
