Inspiring Conversations with Theo Arranz of Nava

Today we’d like to introduce you to Theo Arranz.

Hi Theo, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’m a Miami-based tech entrepreneur with a background in hospitality, luxury services, and maritime operations—industries where inefficiency has been normalized for far too long. I’ve always been drawn to building technology-driven startups in spaces where legacy systems create friction, and where innovation can unlock massive, overlooked opportunity.

Living and operating in Miami, one of the most boat-dense cities in the world, I experienced firsthand how broken water transportation really is. Despite thousands of boats, marinas, and waterways, there was no simple, on-demand way to move people on the water. Everything was fragmented—charters, captains, docks, pricing, availability—none of it connected through a modern platform.

That problem became the foundation for Nava.

Nava is a Miami-based technology startup building an on-demand boat ride app designed specifically for water mobility. We’re not a boat company—we’re a tech company creating the infrastructure layer for maritime transportation. Nava connects riders, independent boat owners, licensed captains, and marinas through a single mobile app ecosystem, enabling real-time booking, transparent pricing, and seamless water transport.

What sets Nava apart from traditional boat rental or charter platforms is that it’s asset-light and built by operators who understand maritime economics. We don’t own boats. We don’t employ captains. Instead, we empower existing supply—boat owners and marinas—while giving riders the same convenience they expect from modern ride-sharing apps.

Nava includes a Rider App, Owner App, Captain App, and Marina App—each designed to remove friction and create aligned incentives across the entire ecosystem. Marinas can generate new revenue through pickups and drop-offs. Boat owners monetize idle assets. Riders get affordable, on-demand access to the water. Everyone wins.

My entrepreneurial journey hasn’t been linear, but it’s been intentional. Every business I built before Nava sharpened my understanding of operations, scaling, and product-market fit. Nava is the culmination of that experience—combining technology, mobility, and Miami’s unique geography into a platform built for the future.

We believe water transportation is the next frontier of urban mobility. Most people still think about boats as luxury toys, not infrastructure. That’s the disconnect—and that’s the opportunity.

Nava is building the future of on-demand water transport in Miami and beyond. And we’re just getting started.

Would you say it’s been a smooth road, and if not what are some of the biggest challenges you’ve faced along the way?
It definitely hasn’t been a smooth road—and that’s expected when you’re building a tech startup in a legacy industry like maritime transportation.

One of the biggest challenges has been changing mindset. The boating and marina world is still largely offline, relationship-driven, and resistant to technology. Introducing a modern, on-demand boat ride app in a space that has never operated like Uber or Lyft required deep education, patience, and trust-building with boat owners, captains, and marina operators—especially in Miami, where the water ecosystem is complex and highly regulated.

Another major challenge has been building real infrastructure, not just an idea. Nava isn’t a simple consumer app—we’re building a multi-sided platform with a Rider App, Owner App, Captain App, and Marina App that all need to work together seamlessly. That means solving technical complexity, real-time availability, pricing logic, compliance, and user experience simultaneously, all while bootstrapping and moving fast.

Capital access has also been a test. Early-stage hardware-adjacent mobility startups don’t always fit traditional VC checkboxes, especially when you’re disrupting an industry people underestimate. That forced us to be capital-efficient, disciplined, and execution-focused from day one—building real product, real partnerships, and real traction instead of relying on hype.

Finally, doing this in Miami adds both opportunity and pressure. Miami is one of the best cities in the world for water transport innovation, but it also means operating in a highly visible, competitive environment. The upside is massive—but only if you’re willing to outwork, outlearn, and outlast.

Every obstacle sharpened the business. Instead of slowing us down, the challenges validated the need for Nava. They forced us to build smarter, leaner, and with a deeper understanding of maritime economics and on-demand mobility.

If it were easy, it would already exist.

Thanks – so what else should our readers know about Nava?
Nava is a Miami-based tech startup building the first true on-demand boat ride app designed for modern coastal cities. Think Uber or Lyft—but for water transportation. Our platform allows users to instantly book boat rides through a mobile app, while empowering boat owners, licensed captains, and marinas to monetize their assets efficiently.

What sets Nava apart is that we’re not just a consumer app—we’re building a full maritime mobility ecosystem. Nava operates through four interconnected platforms: the Rider App for passengers, the Owner App for boat owners, the Captain App for licensed operators, and the Marina App for dock and pickup management. This structure allows us to solve real operational problems in the water transport industry, not just surface-level booking.

We specialize in on-demand water transport, marine mobility technology, and marketplace infrastructure, starting in Miami—one of the world’s most active boating cities—and expanding to other coastal markets. Nava was built specifically for dense waterfront cities where roads are congested but waterways are underutilized. Our technology unlocks that unused capacity.

Brand-wise, we focus on accessibility, efficiency, and scale. Boating has traditionally been expensive, fragmented, and difficult to access. Nava changes that by making water transport simple, transparent, and available on demand—whether you’re a local resident, a tourist, or a daily commuter. We’re proud to be lowering the barrier to entry while creating new income opportunities for boat owners and captains.

What we want people to know is that Nava isn’t a lifestyle brand—it’s a real mobility startup built by entrepreneurs with deep experience in technology, marketplaces, and the marine industry. We’re building real infrastructure, in real cities, with real economic impact.

At its core, Nava is about redefining how people move through coastal cities. We’re turning waterways into highways—and Miami is just the beginning.

What were you like growing up?
Growing up, I was naturally curious, independent, and always questioning how things worked—and why they were done a certain way. I was drawn to movement, freedom, and systems, whether that meant travel, technology, or business. I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset, even before I had the language for it. I didn’t just want to participate in systems; I wanted to build better ones.

I was interested in tech early on, but just as much in people, cities, and how environments shape behavior. Growing up around coastal areas and later living in places like Miami, I became very aware of how underutilized certain infrastructures were—especially waterways. That awareness stayed with me.

Personality-wise, I’ve always been driven, restless in a good way, and comfortable taking calculated risks. I learn by doing. I’m not afraid of uncertainty, and I’ve always believed that progress comes from action, not permission. That mindset carried into my career as an entrepreneur and ultimately into founding Nava.

Looking back, the common thread was always freedom—freedom of movement, freedom of time, and freedom to build. Nava is a direct reflection of that mindset.

Contact Info:

• Website: https://ridenava.com/
• Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/ridenava?igsh=bGJndWJla3Z6MTBr&utm_source=qr
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/share/15KuxjfSwBp/?mibextid=wwXIfr
• LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/nava-technologies-inc/
• Twitter: https://x.com/ridenava?s=21
• Other: https://www.tiktok.com/@ridenava_?_r=1&_t=ZT-91JkhtZOhjh