London and Tokyo, 11 November, 2019. GNS, the maritime technology company, and Cornes Chart Group, a leading charts business, today announced the acquisition of GNS by Cornes.

This deal follows Cornes’ acquisition of US and Singapore based Safe Navigation earlier this year. The combination of the three companies creates the largest provider of navigation software, data and products in the world.

The Cornes-GNS deal builds on and is a natural extension of the already close working relationship between the two companies that has been established over many years in areas such as navigation management software and digital service delivery.

Toshiyuki Kamoshita, director of Cornes & Co., LTD and COO of Cornes Maritime Division, said, “We are very pleased to be able to welcome GNS and its employees into the Cornes Group. Cornes is one of the leading chart businesses in the world. GNS has the highest quality software in the sector and has pioneered the use of data analytics in the delivery of digital solutions to its customers. There is a great geographic fit between the two businesses and Cornes looks forward to investing in GNS and developing the customer proposition even further in the coming years.”

Paul Stanley, CEO of GNS, said, “Over the last 4 years GNS has invested heavily in developing the market leading suite of digital products for marine navigation, Voyager. GNS’s combination with Cornes will accelerate the development of Voyager and GNS’s other services and will maintain GNS’s strong culture around the safety of life at sea.

About Cornes
The Cornes business was founded in Yokohama more than one-and-a-half centuries ago on 1st April 1861 in the closing years of Japan’s Edo period by Frederick Cornes and his partner, William Aspinall. Initially trading in silk and tea, the business quickly expanded to include the import of cotton, metals, consumer goods, coal and other raw materials. The company was also a pioneer in the Japanese insurance market starting with its appointment in 1868 as the first Lloyd’s agent in Japan – a position that is still held today. With the development of its maritime and insurance operations, Cornes paved the way for new services-based industries in an age when business was still dominated by trade in material goods.

Today, the Cornes business encompasses a wide range of products and services including European luxury automobiles, marine charts and related publications, kitchenware, electronics and other high-tech products and equipment. Whatever the field of endeavour, Cornes strives unceasingly to deliver the highest level of quality and service to its customers and takes pride in being a bridge for ideas and innovation from the rest of the world to Japan. http://www.cornes.co.jp/en/

About GNS
GNS, the maritime solutions company, supports more than 7000 commercial shipping vessels and super yachts around the world with a broad range of digital solutions for real-time navigation, navigation management, voyage optimisation, regulatory compliance, ship-to-shore communications and cyber security and uses data intelligence to help its customers enhance safety, improve efficiency and reduce costs. GNS is present in major shipping hubs worldwide providing 24/7/365 support to the vessels and companies it serves. To learn more about GNS please visit www.gnsworldwide.com.

Image Caption (Left to Right): Simon Harrison, GNS Operations Director, Phil Stothard, GNS Chief Information Officer, Kamoshita Toshiyuki, GNS CEO, Sarumaru Yasuhito, Cornes CFO, Hayley van Leeuwen, GNS Marketing and Product Director, Kieron Abernethy, GNS Chief Revenue Officer