Recently, ZEBOX’s APAC headquarters was launched, which is an expansion of the global accelerator network developed by shipping giant CMA CGM to bring greater technological innovation to the supply chain sector. ZEBOX Asia, headquartered in Singapore, will explore markets including Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

Enterprise Singapore, a body within the Ministry of Trade and Industry to stimulate SME growth, together with the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore, PSA unboXed, and Synergy Marine Group, are all supporting organizations for the APAC center.

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The Market Size of ZEBOX

So far, the 100 businesses that have worked with ZEBOX’s hubs in France, the United States, the United Kingdom, West Africa, and the Caribbeans have generated $235 million in capital. ZEBOX was founded in 2018 by CMA CGM Group chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé. BNP Paribas, CEVA Logistics, Infosys, BNSG Railway, Port of Virginia, and Centrime are just a few of the 20 corporate partners ZEBOX’s incubated firms work with.

According to ZEBOX CEO Gwen Salley, the company’s incubator program allows businesses to engage with major organizations and put their ideas to the test. Working with startups that can tackle their unique business difficulties and conduct risk-free proofs of concept is beneficial for corporate partners.

Why Singapore?

Singapore was chosen as the newest hub in the incubator network because it has pro-business laws, an efficient regulatory environment, transparent legal and financial systems, and a robust digital infrastructure, all of which are home to more than 4,000 regional offices and startups, as stated by Salley. Also, “the city state’s central position at the intersection of major maritime and air routes links a significant portion of Asia to other regions of the world,” he added, highlighting its importance as a global logistics center.

Sublime Energie is a deep tech startup focusing on biogas liquefaction technology and providing biogas collection services; Searoutes uses routing engines and predictive data to show shippers how much CO2 emissions they have produced at key points in the procurement chain. They both competed in the ZEBOX France tournament.

With over $78 million in investment, BasicBlock automates billing and creates financial solutions for the freight sector. ZEBOX America’s Expedock, which automates freight papers, payment reconciliation, and other paperwork, has raised over $20 million. At the same time, Zebox Caribbeans saw the participation of SMO Solar Process, a company that has created solar-powered technology to convert carbon-based waste into hydrogen, biochar, and carbon powder.

What Is ZEBOX?

For entrepreneurs, ZEBOX focuses on four key areas. One is operational efficiency, which refers to tools that assist in reducing the number of times products need to be physically moved. Alternative fuels, net zero energy, asset recovery, green infrastructure, emissions monitoring and reporting, and sustainable warehousing and distribution are some of the decarbonization-related topics ZEBOX is investigating. Since CMA CGM Group’s ultimate objective is to achieve net zero emissions by 2050, this is a very important issue. Since 2008, the firm claims it has cut carbon emissions by half for each container transported.

The third area of interest is workflow automation, which seeks new businesses that automate and simplify administrative processes. Finally, in the future of work, the focus will be on young companies that provide novel approaches to training, workplace safety, employee engagement, talent acquisition, hybrid work environments, environmental, social, and governance concerns, and customer experience.

“Startups play a critical role in transforming the maritime sector by generating value through their innovative solutions,” said Teo Eng Dih, CEO of the Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore. The Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore (MPA) expects that through collaborating with others, more marine tech entrepreneurs will establish themselves in Singapore to develop, test, and market innovative goods and services to benefit the global maritime community.

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Feature Image Source: Photo by ZEBOX