About BLUEiQ

Transforming undersea sound into actionable intelligence

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The BLUEiQ Team standing on a dock.

What we do

At the heart of our team lies a dynamic blend of seasoned professionals and visionary innovators, committed to pushing the boundaries of technology and business development.

Our team is composed of veterans in business development and technical leadership, boasting extensive experience across relevant sectors. We bring unparalleled expertise and strategic insight, ensuring robust growth and sustained success.

We are driven by a proven track record of innovation and entrepreneurship within the technology domain.

Our passion for innovating new solutions and ventures fuels our commitment to excellence and continuous improvement.

Our strength lies in our ability to cultivate and lead high-performing teams. We are dedicated mentors and adept team builders, fostering a culture of collaboration, growth, and achievement.

As wizards in technological innovation, we are at the forefront of driving advancements in the field of sensors and sensing. Our relentless pursuit of cutting-edge solutions propels us to set new standards and shape the future of technology.

BLUEiQ’s s based in Boston, Massachusetts, Newport, Rhode Island, and Gulfport, Mississippi

Our Values

Innovation

Leveraging advanced AI and edge computing to create cutting-edge solutions for underwater acoustic monitoring.

Experience

A wealth of knowledge and expertise in marine technology, defense, and environmental monitoring.

Commitment

Focused on protecting marine ecosystems, enhancing port security, and improving operational efficiency.

Collaboration

Working closely with customers to tailor solutions that meet their specific needs and challenges.

Meet the Founders

Sea-Level Experts

At BLUEiQ, we are charting new frontiers in acoustic AI sensing and edge intelligence, redefining how we understand and interact with the underwater sound world. Our team is a fusion of seasoned experts, visionary innovators, and relentless problem-solvers, united by a mission to push the boundaries of technology for defense, maritime security, and biodiversity intelligence.

Kim Gavin, CEO
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From space satellites to seafloor sensing, Kim has spent 20+ years pushing the boundaries of sensor innovation, tech transition, and strategic growth across government, industry, and think tanks. A leader in emergent technologies, she thrives on turning cutting-edge research into real-world impact. As a mentor ambassador for women in science and technology, she’s not just shaping the future—she’s driving BLUEiQ to redefine persistent sensing with innovative impact.

Rob McGurrin, CTO
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With 20+ years of expertise in underwater acoustics and signal processing, Rob leads the technical development of OpenEar technology, driving innovation from R&D to real-world deployment. A proven innovator with patented advancements, his work bridges cutting-edge AI sensing with practical solutions. Passionate about maritime domain awareness and noise pollution reduction, Rob ensures BLUEiQ’s technology is both impactful and mission-driven.

Awards

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August 1, 2024

2024-2025 Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) Incubator

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August 29, 2024

2024 Office of Naval Research (ONR) RISE-UP Technology Implementation Award - Winner

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October 7, 2024

2024 Ocean Exchange Award - Finalist

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January 15, 2025

BLUEiQ Awarded CRADA by NOAA in January 2025

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Testimonials

A Ripple Effect

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The success of a startup is most determined by the capabilities and qualities of the Founders. Kim and Rob rank at the top of all the Founders I have had the pleasure of mentoring over many years. Let me articulate their strengths: 1. Strategic vision and building an adaptive strategy and tactics based upon circumstances and facts. 2. Excellent understanding of market requirements by segment(s) and associated value propositions. 3. Building a broad and deep (where required) network of investors, business partners, and customers, plus the ability to connect the "dots" between them. This leads to market and customer understanding and insights. 4. Personal qualities - smart and hard workers, maturity, poise, dedication, professional, business acumen, technical. 5. Timely and thorough completion of CTO program modules and assignments. Excellent work. In summary, highly recommended.
Chris Davis
As the Director of Research, Development, Test & Evaluation, and Training at the University of Southern Mississippi's Roger F. Wicker Center for Ocean Enterprise, I am pleased to provide this recommendation for BlueIQ and their innovative Open Ear product. Our collaboration with BlueIQ has proven to be instrumental in advancing maritime domain awareness, particularly in vessel detection through the integration of their cutting-edge technology with our oceanographic buoys. During our partnership, BlueIQ's software defined hydrophone was rigorously tested on our buoys, demonstrating exceptional performance in real-world maritime environments. The product consistently delivered high-quality acoustic data which was crucial for our research and partner's operational needs. Currently, BlueIQ’s team is working closely with us to co-develop and test machine learning models tailored for vessel detection and classification. We are proud to be working alongside Kim and Rob.
Dr. Jason McKenna Technical Director and CTO
Navy CNMOC
I had the pleasure of mentoring BLUEIQ (Kim Gavin and Rob McGurrin) during the Blue Excelerator Program. I was very impressed with their vision for passive acoustics and drive to provide an ultra-low power solution with classification capabilities. Working with underwater vehicles for many years, the need for such a product is critical for long term monitoring solutions. I see immediate applications, especially for identifying right whales that may need protection in shipping lanes. I look forward to continuing our relationship and finding common interests.
Bob Melvin Chief Engineer
Teledyne
BLUEiQ was one of six companies selected for the University of Southern Mississippi Gulf Blue Navigator Cohort - 1, out of over 260 potential applicants. Applicants went through a rigorous selection process to be accepted into the program. BLUEiQ was selected based on the company’s strong leadership, technical expertise, and novelty of their innovative OpenEar AI acoustic sensor technology. From USM’s Center for Ocean Enterprise efforts in working with BLUEiQ on testing and demonstration projects for validating and enhancing BLUEiQ’s OpenEar acoustic AI technology, BLUEiQ has demonstrated superior technical capabilities and expertise. Their technology represents a significant innovation in the field of marine sensing technology. Based on this experience working with BLUEiQ I can highly recommend them without any reservation.
Joe Graben Director at Gulf Blue
University of Southern Mississippi
Participation in the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) Newport, RI demonstration highlighted BLUEiQ as a premier innovator in real-time actionable intelligence with OpenEar, our software-defined hydrophone solution for persistent, autonomous, ubiquitous marine sensing and monitoring.
Providence Business Journal
Both Kim and Rob were fantastic to work with and eager to learn about any applications their product could improve. They have the skills needed to run a successful business. I believe that they can modernize the passive acoustic world by bringing real-time data at an affordable price. I look forward to working with them in the future and would recommend their services to anyone looking to expand their passive acoustic capabilities.
Aaron Whitman

Wave-Making Allies

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