Port of Progress: September's Strategic Moves and Market Insights
Port of Progress: September's Strategic Moves and Market Insights
This is Gateway to Growth
Get ready for the events of September, learn more in our new insights section and get an update on the Growth team! From we're excited to share more the fifth edition of Gateway to Growth!
Hello, Maersk Growth Community!
I’m Olivia, the newest member of the Maersk Growth team. In this issue, I'm excited to share some key insights and developments that have been on our radar over the past month.
Transitioning to a global leader like Maersk has been quite the journey. While I'm adapting to the scale and scope of operations here, I remain deeply connected to the startup ecosystem. I'm thrilled to bring you the latest updates on emerging trends, deals, and industry movements.
Spotlight: Onboard Carbon Capture—A Lifeline or a Leaky Lifeboat?
As the maritime industry steers toward decarbonization, Onboard Carbon Capture (OCC) is emerging as a potential solution for reducing emissions from fossil-fueled vessels. OCC offers the possibility to extend the operational life of existing ships by capturing and storing CO2 emissions, but the technology is not without its challenges.
The concept sounds promising—capturing CO2 directly on ships to prevent it from entering the atmosphere. However, the reality is far more complex. OCC systems are expensive, bulky, and energy-intensive, potentially increasing fuel consumption by up to 45%. Moreover, the initial capital expenditure (CAPEX) for retrofitting vessels with OCC technology is substantial, often requiring significant modifications to existing ships. These factors complicate the decision to invest in OCC, especially when other decarbonization pathways, such as alternative fuels and energy efficiency measures, may offer more immediate and cost-effective benefits.
Despite these hurdles, OCC could play a role in reducing the carbon intensity of shipping, particularly for newbuilds in the mid-term. The technology is expected to reach commercial viability by 2030, and for certain vessel types—like large tankers—the business case might be stronger. However, with high CO2 abatement costs and significant technical challenges, the question remains: Will OCC truly be a game-changer, or should the industry focus its efforts on more scalable and cost-effective solutions?
The Capacity Conundrum
The shipping industry, which emits around 1-1.2 billion metric tons of CO2 annually, needs all hands on deck to decarbonize and it’s clear that there no silver bullet to reach net-zero. While Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) can be a potential solution across various sectors, its maturity is still in its early days, also for shipping applications.
Currently, global CCS capacity stands at a mere 40-50 million metric tons of CO2 per year, or 0.1% of global emissions—a drop in the ocean compared to the emissions from the shipping industry alone. Even with ambitious plans to expand CCS infrastructure, such as new carbon storage licenses in the North Sea and projects like Greensand in Denmark, these efforts are far from sufficient.
The financial burden of OCC further complicates its viability. With costs ranging $200-300 per CO2 ton for maritime, retrofitting ships with OCS technology would strain an industry already operating on razor-thin margins. Moreover, the logistics of transporting captured CO2 to storage hubs could inadvertently increase emissions, especially given regional capacity constraints.
Market Movers & Shakers
The maritime industry's adoption of CCS technology is still in its early stages, but we are witnessing a surge of innovation. Various companies are gearing up for pilot projects and tackling multiple aspects of the CCS value chain, from point source capture to CO2 logistics and alternative utilization.
A couple of innovators leading the way CSS in the maritime space:
Value Maritime: First CO2 capture module and battery installed on Visser Shipping’s Nordica vessel.
Seabound: Developing compact carbon capture systems for cargo ships.
Carbon Ridge: Provides modular onboard carbon capture and storage solutions.
Aqualung Carbon Capture: Focuses on membrane-based CO2 capture systems.
Qaptis: Captures and stores CO2 in liquid form onboard for recycling.
Daphne Technologies: Converts toxic pollutants into non-hazardous elements.
Remora: Adapting truck carbon capture technology for ships.
Carbotreat: Offers comprehensive carbon capture solutions and pilot plants.
Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) holds promise for reducing maritime emissions, but it’s no silver bullet. With CO2 abatement costs as high as $300 per ton and limited global capacity, CCS alone won't get us to net zero. Additionally, the challenge lies in building the necessary infrastructure at ports to handle captured CO2, a task requiring massive investment and collaboration.
As regulations tighten, early adopters of CCS infrastructure might gain an edge, but at what cost? The path to net zero isn't clear-cut—there’s no single solution. Instead, the silver bullet will likely be a mix of strategies, including CCS, alternative fuels, and efficiency improvements. Embracing this ambiguity will be key.
Where the Money Went // Climate and Supply Chain Tech
⛓️ Prewave secures $20M to mitigate risks in global supply chains, with their platform covering "every phase of the risk lifecycle." Read more on TechCrunch.
👮♀️ Lineaje raises $20M to help organizations combat software supply chain threats. Read more on TechCrunch.
👀 Overhaul taps AI to secure physical supply chains, raising $73M in equity and debt. Read more on TechCrunch.
Clearly, founded by HSBC alumni, closes $4.3M to decarbonize the transport sector with AI. Read more on Tech Funding News.
🚛 Qargo raises $14M to digitize and decarbonize the trucking industry. Read more on TechCrunch.
🔋 Redwood Materials secures $1B to expand the US battery supply chain. Read more on TechCrunch.
⚡ Flower raises €25M in a Series A led by Northzone to advance energy grid technology. Read more on Sifted.
🔄 Danish Again raises $43M from Google Ventures and others to turn CO2 into green chemicals. Read more on Tech Funding News.
Top Content We Consumed
See you at PortFest 2024?
We’re thrilled to announce that we’re bringing our entire Maersk Growth portfolio together in Copenhagen for PortFest - a three-day event celebrating innovation.
From the historic Maersk HQ at Esplanaden to the dynamic energy of TechBBQ, we’re curating an experience that connects our portfolio companies with invaluable insights, key industry players, and the vibrant heart of the Scandinavian tech scene.
This event is all about fueling growth, fostering connections, and sparking the kind of collaboration that leads to groundbreaking innovations. At Maersk Growth, we believe in empowering our portfolio with the tools and networks they need to scale, and PortFest is a prime example of that commitment.
Here’s our agenda
September 10th – Portfolio companies and key Maersk stakeholders will connect at Maersk Growth HQ
September 11th – Meet us at TechBBQ where we will bring our portfolio or join us at Cocktail Cosmos. This year’s side event hosted alongside HHLA Next and Regeneration.VC
September 12th – Wrapping up at TechBBQ before bringing the portfolio back to the Maersk Growth HQ for a final farewell
Where are we going next?
The Drop
September is a busy month as always, and we’re here for it! After PortFest, we will cross the bridge and join The Drop in Malmö from September 16th –17th. Other than meeting the leading climate tech and energy transition innovators, investors and other agenda-setting figures, we are looking forward to two things at The Drop...👀
1. Tools for Founders: Ida & Alex will co-host a ripple on giving founders the necessary tools to navigate working with corporate partners, including procurement processes, negotiating LOIs, protecting IP and much more.
2. Rise & Run with Us: Together with +200 The Drop attendees, we'll kickstart our morning after The Drop with an energizing 5K run facilitated by Mikkeller Running Club, Astanor, Mission One Capital and Maersk Growth. Sign up here!
New York Climate Week
From September 22nd –29th we will be in New York to attend the climate week!
‘We look forward to connecting with innovators and investors with a keen interest in Climate and technologies driving the decarbonization of logistics and maritime. There is so much innovation taking shape across New Industries, and Energy and Transport, and at Maersk Growth we are taking a proactive approach to spotting and supporting promising innovations in these areas. If you are a founder or investor looking to discuss these topics, please feel free to reach out!’ - Aarzoo Sharma, Senior Investment
Other than looking forward to moderating a dynamic workshop on AI and Transportation at Climate Tech x AI: The Unconference by Climactic, here’s a few the things we can’t wait to attend!
SightLive by Sightline
New Climate Futures 2024 by Newlab
The ReAssembly by Regeneration.vc
Climate Tech x AI: The Unconference by Climactic
Team Updates
Last but not the least, we have two very exciting team updates, as we announce the promotions of Aarzoo Sharma to Senior Investment Associate, and Max Wiest to Investment Associate
Aarzoo Sharma – Promoted to Senior Investment Associate
Since joining Maersk Growth 2.5 years ago, the journey has been nothing short of exhilarating. Working alongside visionary founders tackling tough challenges in supply chain tech and driving the energy transition has been an incredible experience. In this role, I’ve not only grown professionally but also personally, and I’m eager to continue this path of learning and collaboration with our talented team. Looking ahead, I’m thrilled to dive even deeper into the technological innovations that will help us drive Maersk’s Net Zero 2040 mission forward, through strategic investments and partnerships with cutting-edge innovators.
Max Wiest – Promoted to Investment Associate
After two incredible and insightful years with Maersk Growth, as a student assistant, I am thrilled to officially join the team full-time.
It has been an exciting journey, from just completing my Master’s at Copenhagen Business School, along with the CEMS MiM, to gaining some prior hands-on experience in a logistics startup with a fantastic team and in a great year in consulting with outstanding and supportive colleagues.
In this new chapter, I’m very eager to continue connecting with visionary startup founders, supporting them as they bring innovative solutions to life. I am excited to finally work full-time together towards digitising, democratising and decarbonising the shipping and logistics industry, with the power of a Maersk in the back as a very ambitious industry incumbent with many driven colleagues.
Stay connected!
Subscribe to our bi-monthly newsletter and follow our page on LinkedIn for frequent updates on all things supply chain and climate tech.
Are you a startup working to solve the challenge of how to decarbonise logistics, or a supply chain tech startup looking to get in touch regarding a potential PoC collaboration with Maersk? Contact us via growth@maersk.com!