Arlington, Virginia-based startup Quartermaster has raised $43 million in a Series A funding round co-led by First Round Capital and Quiet Capital to expand its "SmartMast" technology. This system utilizes weather-hardened sensors on ships' masts to create a real-time maritime data network, described as a "hive mind" for millions of vessels. Unlike the current, vulnerable Automatic Identification System (AIS), SmartMast aims to provide more secure and detailed information, reducing fraud and enabling various intelligence applications. Quartermaster CEO Neil Sobin stated that over 600 ships equipped with SmartMast have already covered 10 million square miles, contributing to ship identification, autonomous vehicle data collection, scientific research, and even assisting in over 20 maritime rescues. The funding will primarily support engineering hires to advance the technology, addressing what Sobin calls "low-hanging fruit" in ocean-based computer vision tasks.