Marcura, a maritime technology provider, has acquired Brightwell Navigator, the maritime crew payroll and payment services division of Brightwell.

Marcura said that the transaction expands its footprint in the cruise sector where Navigator has a significant North American presence. Marcura leads commercial shipping crew payments with established strength in Europe and Asia.

Together, the company added, the companies will be responsible for paying more than 150,000 crew in any given month.

Marcura said in a press release that Brightwell Navigator will become part of Marcura’s payments division, MarTrust, maintaining its existing brand during a transition period that ensures continuity for existing Navigator customers. John Markendorf, Brightwell’s current COO, will continue as president of the Navigator business.

“With 25 years in maritime, Marcura is a proven leader,” said Markendorf. “Its scale, focus and commitment to crew welfare make it the right home for Navigator’s next chapter. This move builds on the foundation we laid at Brightwell and ensures continuity for both our customers and our team.”

Brightwell remains under the leadership of CEO Larry Hipp and will be focused on scaling embedded finance and cross-border payment innovations.

The integration will prioritize continued operational excellence, maintaining Brightwell Navigator’s experienced team, supported by MarTrust’s capabilities, according to the press release.

MarTrust and Navigator will initially align corporate services, allowing operators of both cruise and commercial fleets to manage all crew payments through a single corporate portal while preserving features valued by existing customers.

Navigator will transition to MarTrust’s next-generation platform over time as part of a phased integration.

“Successful payments businesses are built on a foundation of robust technology infrastructure and scale,” said Stuart Gregory, CEO of MarTrust.

“We have made significant investments in rebuilding our crew account technology platform on next-generation systems. Brightwell Navigator brings the scale and specialized cruise capabilities we need to serve the entire global seafarer community with services that have a meaningful impact on crew welfare,” added Gregory.

Marcura said that it will maintain a continued partnership with the remaining Brightwell business, which will include offering Brightwell’s Latitude reimbursements service to cruise line customers through a reseller agreement.

The acquisition was completed with the support of Marlin Equity Partners, the private equity investor in and shareholder of Marcura.

Image: Stuart Gregory, CEO of MarTrust and John Markendorf, president of Brightwell Navigator