A DUTCH FUND established to push start-ups in front of willing businesses is looking to expand outside of Rotterdam where it was launched a year and a half ago.
Port XL is a stand alone accelerator dedicated on incubating young start-ups that have potential solutions meeting the client base found amongst the Port of Rotterdam’s customers.
Running Port XL is the job of Mare Straetmans, its managing director. It is his job to find and fund shipping and maritime industries’ disruptive success stories.
Accelerators have become quite common in the start-up scene, helping budding technology and digital solutions find their voice, direction and importantly first customers. They are found around the world, but none have been dedicated to helping start-ups with solutions dedicated to the port, maritime and logistics sectors.
Port XL has just brought in the second batch of start-ups that they will help. This second batch of 11 potential disruptors was chosen in February and work began with them last week.
The latest batch of 11 start-ups have been chosen out of hundreds says Straetmans, talking to fathom-news. These are not all companies based in Rotterdam, they are global but have solutions that may well be based in the needs of the port of Rotterdam’s clients. Straetmans comes from the Port of Rotterdam Authority but left to run PortXL.
He insists it is run at an arm’s length from the Port Authority, and that the advisory board demonstrates input from entrepreneurs and business as well as the port authority.
The money it has to invest comes from a large grant fund that is backed not only by the port but also by entrepreneurs and a bank to ensure its independence.
The deal for the start-ups is that PortXL will make an investment in the company in return for eventual equity whilst the start-up gets focused help in growth.
The reason this investment idea is doing so well in Rotterdam is because the companies with businesses operations in the port are already willing to talk to start-ups and embrace change, says Mr Straetmans. Pointing particularly to his former employer, the Port of Rotterdam. The Port authority has made significant strides in pushing innovation and championing start-ups he said.
Here’s the PortXL teaser promo film
The start-ups
Amongst the start-ups Port XL is supporting are new waterborne drone makers. One is Ranmarine, an automated water cleaner, picking up floating litter in the port, the other, Aquasmart, offers a floating inspection drone and then there is Deep 6, an autonomous buoy.
There is also a company that has developed an automated mechanical twistlock, which has huge safety potential on container ship operations. The solution reduces the risks associated with shore or vessel crews having to try and undo jammed twistlocks. Another solution, Pingle, is an online platform whereby companies can check the credentials of offshore unit workers.
AlterAct is a Dutch start-up that has designed a virtual reality solution enhancing fire and safety training. VesselBot, Portcall.com, Lotebox, 4shipping are all potentially disruptive solutions of chartering, freight forwarding or port agency activities.
The future
Given the international nature of the port and maritime industries, and the growing interest in start-ups and new ideas in many industrial sectors, Straetmans says there is interest in expanding the Port XL concept around the world.
The issues he says are finding locations where businesses are open to start-ups ideas that may be disruptive, but may also be able to provide solutions where they are most needed. He has a few locations in mind already.
He also acknowledges that PortXL is perhaps a misnomer, because as a start-up accelerator it is not looking for start-up solutions focusing on port or harbour related issues, but the issues that are found amongst a port customer base. This means solutions for shipping, maritime, logistics, oil and gas companies, refineries and energy companies. These are industries that have some inherent historical ways of doing business and will likely see a growing number of business-to-business disrupters emerge.
fathom-new.com
editor@fathom-news.com
