Tech start-ups from Singapore, Denmark, UK and USA will take part in Eastern Pacific Shipping (EPS) maritime start-up accelerator project that is being run jointly with US seed accelerator giant Techstars.
Eastern Pacific Accelerator powered by Techstars unveiled its list of candidates for its first class this morning.
Among the nine start-u ps are C-Log, which recently moved its global headquarters to Singapore, US-based Volteo, which has spun-off Volteo Maritime as a Singaporean company, and Nautilus Labs which is also establishing a permanent office in Singapore while keeping its headquarters in New York City.
Other start-ups that will take part are Cyberowl, Enermo, F-Drones, QuantShip, Saara, and SeaMiles.
Few details have been provided so far about what products these companies are developing.
They were selected from hundreds of worldwide applicants , and were chosen with consideration and input from EPS’ operations, marine technical, commercial, IT, fleet personnel, and management teams.
The successful candidates will take part in intensive three-month programme, during which time they will receive hands-on mentorship from industry experts, access to EPS’ operational data, and the opportunity to deploy their technology on EPS’ diverse fleet of over 150 vessels.
The programme will also provide to Techstars’ network of mentors, investors and partners.
Matt Heider, CEO of Nautilus Labs, one of the participating start-ups, explained the benefits his company would gain by taking part.
“We're proud to participate with other multi-stage Bluetech startups in Singapore—in what will be the most important mission of our lifetimes. To make ocean commerce more sustainable, we'll need everyone engaged—from entrenched stakeholders, to local and national governments, to start-ups working with forward-thinking shipping companies like EPS—so that life may thrive in and out of the water."
Gil Ofer, who heads open innovation at EPS said, "We see a need for technology to propel the maritime industry forward, especially with a rapidly digitalising society and an increase in global trade. That means the shipping industry needs to innovate to solve problems such as fuel consumption, operational efficiency, fleet performance, and improving life-at-sea for seafarers – and we are doing just that with the Eastern Pacific Accelerator powered by Techstars.
“For these pioneering startups, EPS can provide access to a deep network of industry players, real-world data, and operational insights from our experienced maritime experts that will accelerate the development of their products.”
In February 2020, the accelerator will culminate in a demo day where the founders will pitch to an audience of top investors, multinationals, government partners and other ecosystem players.
