Ask the expert – Bill Dobie

June 28, 2024

Bill Dobie, Founder and CEO of Sedna reveals how their Pulse AI solution transforms unstructured market data, improving efficiency, decision-making and reducing manual errors for maritime charterers

What is Pulse and how does it transform market data from charterers’ inboxes into a competitive advantage?

Pulse is an innovative AI solution we publicly launched back in February. Initially aimed at maritime charterers, Pulse revolutionises how they get visibility on market data that’s coming from email and other disparate systems. Pulse transforms scattered, unstructured market data into a consolidated, customisable list so it is easier to take informed actions on. By offering a deduplicated and structured view of tonnage and cargo opportunities, we’re making it so much easier for charterers to confidently and quickly make fixtures. If you think of email as the backbone of trade communication – which I believe it is – you can build on it to turn its data into a competitive advantage. That’s exactly what we’ve done.

How is Pulse positioned in relation to your core email product, Stream?

Pulse is the first major product we’ve released since our original data-driven communication platform, Stream. You can think of Pulse as an AI-driven ‘data layer’ that sits on top of Stream’s email inbox. Within the Pulse app, users are seeing consolidated lists of opportunities which are sourced directly from their email. It is an enrichment of the chartering teams’ communication arsenal, handling and analysing the email data then presenting it in an easy-to-understand format. Building on the inherent value of email, Pulse enhances collaboration, data accessibility and operational efficiency – streamlining the fixture process significantly.

Could you explain the process of developing Pulse?

We deeply understand the challenges preventing charterers from getting work done efficiently and successfully, and this motivated us to create a new product. The development of Pulse was a collaborative effort, incorporating insights from leading shipping companies around the world. Their valuable input helped tailor Pulse to effectively address industry-specific challenges, ensuring its features meet the nuanced needs of chartering teams in particular. Before being publicly launched, Pulse was already being trialled by a few of our global maritime customers on top of Stream – which we are proud to say is used by thousands of shipping professionals. This partnership approach ensured Pulse was designed with practicality and customer value at its core.

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