The vessel is being built for Inkfish, the marine research organization founded by Newell
Vard
Before anyone says ‘This isn’t a superyacht’; I know. But can we make an exception for Gabe Newell? The Valve founder is a serial superyacht owner (Leviathan, Rocinante, Draak—all his) that recently bought out Dutch yard Oceanco. Besides, REV Ocean, which is frequently cited as the world’s largest superyacht at 194.9 meters, isn’t technically a superyacht either. But that’s beside the point.
The point is that Newell is backing what could become the most capable deep-sea research vessel ever built, a €700 million project that has just become the largest single-vessel order in the history of Norwegian shipbuilder Vard. Yes, that’s REV Ocean‘s Vard.
Construction of the hull will take place at Vard’s shipyard in Romania
Vard
At 162 meters long and designed to support up to 130 scientists, engineers, crew members and operators, RV11000 is closer to a floating exploration platform than a luxury explorer yacht. Laboratories, workshops, offices, and scientific workspaces are integrated throughout the ship, enabling RV11000 to reach and analyze nearly every corner of the world’s oceans.
The vessel is being built for Inkfish, the marine research organization founded by Newell, which has rapidly emerged as one of the most ambitious privately funded ocean science initiatives in the world.
Inkfish and the Rise of Billionaire-Funded Ocean Science
The contract, valued at nearly €700 million, represents not only the largest order ever secured by Vard, a subsidiary of Italy’s Fincantieri Group, but also the largest vessel contract of its kind awarded to any Norwegian shipyard.
For Vard, the project is a milestone; for Inkfish, it’s the next step in their efforts to study and better understand the least-charted environment on Earth, with less than 30% of the global seafloor mapped to modern standards.
Data collected by its vessels is intended to contribute to open scientific repositories
Vard
RV11000 follows Inkfish’s first purpose-built research vessel, RV6000, which was ordered from Vard in 2025. The vessel has been specifically designed to support operations at depths of up to 11,000 meters—deep enough to reach the Challenger Deep in the Mariana Trench, the deepest known point in Earth’s oceans.
Once delivered, it will join a growing fleet that already includes Newell’s smaller research vessels, Hydra and Dagon.
Designed for the Deepest Oceans: 11,000-Meter Exploration Capability
To accomplish this mission, RV11000 combines technologies rarely found together on a single platform. A stern-mounted launch and recovery system will allow deployment of manned submarines, while a dedicated hangar can accommodate two submersibles. Meanwhile, a separate ROV facility will support remotely operated vehicles capable of conducting research and exploration at extreme depths.
Laboratories, workshops, offices, and scientific workspaces are integrated throughout the ship
Vard
The ship will also carry a 40-meter coring system for extracting deep-sea sediment samples, advanced oceanographic instrumentation, and fiber-rope lifting systems capable of operating across virtually the entire water column—from surface to seafloor.The hull has been optimized specifically for high-precision seabed mapping—one of the most important tools in modern oceanography—and, while not the sexiest feature, RV11000 will also carry the largest battery installation ever fitted on a ship.
This battery system will enable up to 12 hours of silent scientific operations powered entirely by batteries, reducing both emissions and underwater noise that can interfere with sensitive marine research.
The vessel will accommodate up to 130 crew members, including scientists and researchers
Vard
Like it or not, some of the biggest leaps in exploration have historically depended on the wealthy patrons willing to fund them. Shackleton had his benefactors (Sir James Key Caird, Llewellyn Longstaff); outer space has its billionaire mascots—Jeff Bezos, Elon Musk and the like—and now, it appears there’s a new face for ocean science.
But the organization’s stated goal is not exploration for exploration’s sake. Data collected by Inkfish’s vessels is intended to contribute to open scientific repositories, making findings available to researchers around the world.
So, while it may not have a beach club or a champagne deck, Gabe Newell’s latest vessel could prove far more consequential than the average billionaire’s superyacht. For that, you really will have to check out Leviathan.
