OceanPro by Maersk, the first of its kind startup accelerator within the shipping and logistics industry, on Thursday announced the graduation of its first cohort of startups in Bengaluru. Through OceanPro, Maersk is looking to propel and nurture innovation among startups in India by providing them real world business scenarios to engage with, and assisting them with seed funding, industry expertise and co-development opportunities. In the process, Maersk aims to leverage this innovation to accelerate its own digital transformation as the leading global integrator of container logistics.
The first cohort consisted of seven startups: Zasti (Artificial Intelligence), Inatrix (Machine Learning), MintM (Computer Vision), KrypC (Block Chain), LinkedDots (IoT), LaVela Pictures (Virtual Reality) and one internal startup, Dhruv (Data Mining). These startups provided solutions incorporating new age technologies including AI, VR, Blockchain and IoT among others. These solutions address a wide range of subjects ranging from customer experience, digital training, and equipment maintenance to tracking intermodal location of a container on a real-time basis. Each of the solutions will help improve services for Maersk customers in India and globally, making India a hub for enabling digital transformation of container logistics.
Maersk’s global CEO, Soren Skou, who recently visited Bengaluru and had a chance to interact with these startups, said: “Maersk is excited to partner with startups to further the innovation ecosystem in India and bring innovative digital products to our customers. Over the last couple of years, we have made strides in regard to digitising how our customers engage with Maersk for obtaining a quote or for making a booking, and we are committed to accelerating that agenda and simplifying the supply chain of our customers.”
OceanPro was setup in late 2018 and is championed by Sriram Narayanasami, Global Commercial Process Head, Maersk. Speaking about his experiences working with startups, Sriram said, “We are creating opportunities for startups in India to participate in innovation for the Logistics and Shipping Industry and do so at a Global Scale. Combining the deep knowledge we possess in serving customers in India and globally, with the passion, technical innovation and speed that our startups bring, we will be able to create a win-win for our customers and the startups.”
Maersk.com is currently among the world’s largest B2B transaction sites with an average hourly revenue of USD 1.3 million. 98% of Maersk’s 60,000 customers make their bookings through this site which is fast evolving into a one-stop-shop for digital solutions.
Based in India’s tech capital, the OceanPro team in Bengaluru will also focus on building partnerships with other Accelerators, Universities, Venture Capital partners and the broader startup ecosystem.