Alewijnse, a Netherlands-based electrical systems integrator, is now part of the Oceanco Group, following acquisition by Gabe Newell, Oceanco’s new owner. Oceanco and Alewijnse have collaborated on megayacht projects dating back to the 1990s. “With Alewijnse joining the Group, we have the opportunity to develop new solutions and innovations that serve not only yachting, but also other maritime sectors,” says Marcel Onkenhout, Oceanco CEO.
Read on for our original article.
An American superyacht enthusiast who’s further a client of Oceanco’s is taking over the shipyard. Gabe Newell, best known for being the co-founder and president of Valve Corporation, a video-games maker, has acquired it from Mohammed Al Barwani, who’s owned Oceanco for 15 years.
Newell is renowned in the gaming world. However, he’s also high profile in yachting and has previously publicly shared his love of the water. A scuba-diving enthusiast, Newell owns a few superyachts, in fact, including the 300-foot (91.5-meter) Oceanco Draak (ex-Equanimity, below). He owns the 257-foot (78.4-meter) Rocinante (ex-Madsummer), a Lürssen, too. Additionally, as widely reported in media, Newell is taking delivery of the yacht Leviathan, a.k.a. Oceanco Y722, later this year.
Furthermore, Newell owns Inkfish, a marine-research company. Among other things, Inkfish owns the research vessel Pressure Drop and the Triton Submarines deep-sea submersible Limiting Factor. Limiting Factor holds the records for the deepest crewed dives in the world’s five oceans. Victor Vescovo, a retired naval officer and undersea explorer, was aboard the sub for all five missions.
“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,” Newell shares. “I started to have conversations with Marcel and his team, and with Dr. Barwani, about whether I could help move the organization forward if I took a more direct role in ownership.”
Notably, Oceanco states that Newell “is not entering this world as a financier or a strategist, but as a hands-on visionary.” It adds that he “respects the sea, the craft, and above all, the people who make it possible.” Newell himself says, “Initially, my involvement is just about supporting the things the organization already knew it wanted to do.” This means strengthening ties between the shipyard and Oceanco Group companies like Lateral Naval Architects, for example. Eventually, he sees his experience in technology development playing a role. “Just about everything I’ve been involved in over the years has moved some aspect of technology forward in a way that benefits customers,” Newell notes. “Over time, we will start to identify interesting technologies, prototype them, and move them into production.” He further confesses, “entering this world is both exciting and a little nerve-wracking,” due to how much he personally cares about yachting.
According to Oceanco, the Barwani family is turning its focus to Turquoise Yachts. The Turkey-based builder joined the corporate fold in 2014, two years after Mohammed Al Barwani acquired Oceanco. Under his ownership, Oceanco launched some of the world’s largest and most significant yachts. They include the sailing superyachts Black Pearl and Koru. Black Pearl’s LOA is 350 feet (106.7 meters), while Koru is 417 feet (127 meters). As for motoryachts, the 361-foot (110-meter) Kaos is among them.
Oceanco oceancoyacht.com
(updated September 27, 2025 to include quotes from Gabe Newell)
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