Eugene Kimura

Background

About Eugene Kimura

I usually go by Eugene internationally (my given name is Yujin, pronounced “YOU-jeen”, similar to Eugene). I am the CEO and Co-Founder of Eight Knot Inc, a maritime technology startup pioneering autonomous navigation for small to mid-size vessels. Before founding Eight Knot, I worked at Apple, where I learned to build products that seamlessly combine technology, design, and user experience. With years of hands-on boating experience, I realized how challenging vessel operation can be — from maneuvering during docking to maintaining safety in unpredictable waters. These experiences inspired me to start Eight Knot with the mission of making boating safe, accessible, and stress-free through autonomy. Our flagship platform, AI CAPTAIN, integrates sensor fusion, model estimation, and intelligent decision-making to help anyone operate a boat confidently. After proving commercial deployment in Japan, we are expanding into the U.S. market, starting with premium boats in the Great Lakes, Florida, and California. At Eight Knot, we are driven by the vision of building a sustainable future for maritime mobility through autonomy, data-driven diagnostics, and global partnerships.