Technologist, entrepreneur, and founder of Valve Corporation, Gabe Newell acquired Oceanco earlier in 2025.
He has now spoken about what drew him to the company and what he believes success will look like in the future.
Gabe’s involvement with Oceanco began as a client and it was during the design and build of his 111m/364ft yacht Leviathan, that he says he discovered an energising partnership that organically transitioned into something more.
“When you’re building a yacht with Oceanco, it’s a very collaborative and enjoyable process – they make you feel like you are part of the team,” he explained.
Over time, we will start to identify interesting technologies, prototype them and move them into production.
Gabe Newell
“I started to have conversations with Marcel and his team, and with Dr. Barwani [the former owner of Oceanco], about whether I could help move the organisation forward if I took a more direct role in ownership.”
Speaking at Monaco Yacht Show, Gabe emphasised that he is part of the team, not just an investor and that looking forward, he is not proposing any immediate change.
Oceanco’s culture, strategy and priorities remain firmly in place, while growth is about quality and impact, not scale, he said.
“Initially, my involvement is just about supporting the things the organisation already knew it wanted to do,” he emphasised.
Recent acquisition
One of those priorities was the recent acquisition of system integrator Alewijnse, a move that was part of a wider focus on strategic expansion, creating opportunities for more integration and closer collaboration across industries.
Alewijnse now joins Oceanco, Lateral, Mercury and Aluship within the Oceanco Group.
Looking longer-term, Gabe sees potential to share his background in technology development.
“Just about everything I’ve been involved in over the years has moved some aspect of technology forward in a way that benefits customers,” he explained.
“Over time, we will start to identify interesting technologies, prototype them and move them into production.
Long-term value
“But for now, there’s important work to do simply supporting what Oceanco already does brilliantly.”
His ambition is to help Oceanco increase the long-term value of its yachts for owners and their teams, such as shaping future projects that build on the achievements of Leviathan by pushing further into crew-centric design.
“What gets me out of bed in the morning is doing work that communities value,” Gabe concluded.
“I care enormously about being someone who can add value to the yachting community, so entering this world is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking.
“At this stage, I feel very much part of the team and see how we can be a force for good in the industry.”
