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ZEBOX Launches 5th Hub in Singapore to Drive Sustainable Innovation in the Asia Pacific

Sustainable Innovation startup logo
  • ZEBOX Asia Pacific will address business and sustainability challenges with entrepreneurs, industry leaders and experts across a range of sectors, including supply chains, logistics, transport and energy.
  • Innovating a new era with support from Enterprise Singapore and MPA, ZEBOX in Singapore will drive co-innovations locally and across markets in the Asia Pacific
  • ZEBOX’s community of partners add up to 20 with three new industry leaders.

Singapore // April 25, 2023 // ZEBOX, a global accelerator gathering a network of entrepreneurs, industry leaders and ecosystem experts, today announced the launch of its Asia Pacific hub in Singapore. All set to tap the vibrant and fast-growing Asian markets from Singapore, ZEBOX Asia Pacific will address business and sustainability challenges across a range of sectors, including supply chains, logistics, transport and energy.

ZEBOX was founded in 2018 by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of the CMA CGM Group as a community of the most promising startups and large companies dedicated to accelerating decarbonisation and operational optimisation in the supply chain industry. Today, the ZEBOX portfolio spans more than 130 early-stage businesses and has helped raise over $235 million in venture funding for the next generation of solutions.

With innovation hubs in Europe, North America, the Caribbean and West Africa, this new hub in the Asia Pacific region will uphold ZEBOX’s mission: connect startups and corporates to help them innovate together.

Innovating a new era with support from Singapore Government

Home to over 4,000 startups and regional headquarters of global enterprises, Singapore is synonymous with her pro-business policies cutting-edge digital infrastructure, and a robust pipeline of skilled talents.

With the support of Enterprise Singapore and the Maritime Port Authority of Singapore (MPA), ZEBOX Asia Pacific will identify startups in Asia, notably in Singapore, and match them to corporate partners so that together, they can embark on co-innovation projects locally and across markets in the Asia Pacific, spanning Australia in Oceania; to Indonesia and Vietnam in Southeast Asia; to Japan and Korea in North Asia.

ZEBOX’s community of partners add up to 20 with three new industry leaders  

Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore, one of the world’s leading ship classification societies; PSA unboXed, PSA International’s innovation and corporate venture capital arm; and Synergy Marine Group, a leading ship manager have become corporate partners of ZEBOX Asia Pacific.

They join ZEBOX’s founding partner, CMA CGM and its circle of 16 other major partner groups to co-develop with startups game-changing solutions across four key areas: operational efficiency, assets optimisation and decarbonisation, workflow automation, and future of work.

“ZEBOX’s goal is to connect the most promising startups with industry leaders looking at innovation as a mean of progress and path toward a more sustainable economy. With Asia Pacific being one of the most, if not, the most, active region in the world, it simply made sense for ZEBOX to launch in Singapore.” said Gwen Salley, ZEBOX Chief Executive Officer. “With this regional presence, we’ll have the ability to unite ambitious corporate partners, and connect them with our global ecosystem, thanks to Singapore’s pro-business government, local talents, and vibrant tech support system.”

“The CMA CGM Group embraces innovation for excellence and sustainable transformation. We are thrilled that ZEBOX has expanded to Asia Pacific; and taken off the ground with three new esteemed partners in Singapore. We are grateful for the resounding support from MPA and Enterprise Singapore. From today, ZEBOX Asia Pacific will start initiating corporate-startup collaborations to future-proof tomorrow’s supply chain with resilience, agility and sustainability,” said Laurent Olmeta, Chief Executive Officer of CMA CGM Asia Pacific.

Mr Teo Eng Dih, Chief Executive, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore, said: “We welcome ZEBOX onboard Singapore’s vibrant maritime innovation ecosystem. Startups play a critical role in the transformation of the maritime sector by generating value through their innovative solutions. Through working with partners, MPA hopes to anchor more Marinetech startups in Singapore to develop, test and commercialise new products and services from Singapore to benefit the global maritime community.”

Matthieu de Tugny, President of Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore, said: “Since 1828, Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore has pioneered the safety and performance of new technologies, and our mission has always been to support innovators. Today, I am proud to join the ZEBOX community and support green tech in developing clean solutions for today and tomorrow. We believe talent will be at the heart of shipping’s transition. Joining ZEBOX is about empowering visionaries and supporting them to address the industry’s pain points. Our commitment to ZEBOX paves new paths to shape a better maritime world.”

Ong Kim Pong, Regional CEO Southeast Asia, PSA International, said: “PSA unboXed is delighted to team up with ZEBOX to co-innovate and co-create innovative and sustainable solutions for the maritime industry. Building on our collaborative success in different domains and with this significant expansion of our relationship, PSA unboXed and ZEBOX will further align our business ingenuity with a strong commitment to energy transition, creating long-term value for our respective stakeholders.”

Captain Rajesh Unni, Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Synergy Marine, said:

“The fastest way we can transform maritime supply chains into dynamic and resilient sustainable structures that meet the world’s pressing need for decarbonised trade, is by identifying, collaborating and creating world class solutions to these challenges,”

“ZEBOX brings together partners that understand where we are now and where we need to get to. With this cohort, we aim to supercharge freight and logistics technology innovations with transformative potential to accelerate industry adoption and drive impact where it’s most needed.”

Zebox co-innovation agreement with Industry partner

About ZEBOX

ZEBOX is a global accelerator gathering a network of entrepreneurs, industry leaders, and ecosystem experts paving new paths toward sustainability starting with the supply chain.

Founded in 2018 by Rodolphe Saadé, Chairman and CEO of CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air, and logistics solutions. ZEBOX is now supported by 20 international companies such as , BNSF Railway,  Bureau Veritas, CEVA Logistics, INFOSYS, Synergy Marine Groupe, PSA and Port of Virginia. Operating in 5 regions of the world, ZEBOX provides its community with a unique set of programs, resources, and opportunities.

About CMA CGM

Led by Rodolphe Saadé, the CMA CGM Group, a global player in sea, land, air and logistics solutions, serves more than 420 ports around the world across 5 continents, with a fleet of 593 vessels. The Group transported 21.7 million TEU containers (twenty-foot equivalent units) in 2022. With its subsidiary CEVA Logistics, a global logistics player which transported 522,000 tonnes of air cargo and more than 22 million shipments of inland freight, and its air cargo division CMA CGM AIR CARGO, the CMA CGM Group is constantly innovating to provide customers a comprehensive and increasingly efficient offering, thanks to new shipping, inland, air freight and logistics solutions. Firmly committed to the energy transition in shipping and a pioneer in its use of alternative fuels, the CMA CGM Group has set a Net Zero-Carbon target for 2050. Each year, via the CMA CGM Foundation, the Group supports thousands of children as part of its efforts to promote education for all and equal opportunities. The CMA CGM Foundation also intervenes in humanitarian crises requiring an emergency response by calling on the Group’s shipping and logistics expertise to deliver humanitarian supplies around the world. Present in 160 countries through its network of more than 400 offices and 750 warehouses, the Group employs 155,000 people worldwide, including nearly 4,000 in Marseille where its head office is located.

About Bureau Veritas

Bureau Veritas is a world leader in laboratory testing, inspection and certification services. Created in 1828, the Group has 75,000 employees located in more than 1,600 offices and laboratories around the globe. Bureau Veritas helps its clients improve their performance by offering services and innovative solutions, in order to ensure that their assets, products, infrastructure and processes meet standards and regulations in terms of quality, health and safety, environmental protection and social responsibility.

Bureau Veritas is listed on Euronext Paris and belongs to the Next 20 index.

Compartment A, ISIN code FR 0006174348, stock symbol: BVI.

For more information, visit https://bureauveritas.com

About PSA unboXed

PSA unboXed is the innovation and corporate venture capital arm of PSA International, a leading global port operator and supply chain partner to cargo stakeholders worldwide. PSA unboXed offers access to an extensive network of PSA expertise, resources and opportunities. Collaborating with partners and startups, PSA unboXed co-creates technology and sustainability solutions for the logistics industry and supply chain, working towards our vision for the container port of the future. Visit us at unboxed.globalpsa.com, or follow us on LinkedIn and Facebook (@PSAunboXed)

About Synergy Marine Group

Synergy Marine Group is a leading ship manager providing end-to-end maritime solutions. Synergy’s hallmarks are its through-life approach to asset management and ability to develop custom-designed thought partnership strategies with leading owners. Spanning a network of 22 offices in 12 countries and employing more than 21,000 seafarers, Singapore-headquartered Synergy manages a fleet of more than 540 vessels, including the most complex LNG, LPG, and vast 20,000+ TEU container ships, as well as oil and chemical tankers and bulk carriers of all sizes.

Synergy Logo

Getting to Zero

Synergy Marine Group is a member of The Getting to Zero Coalition, dedicated to launching zero-emission deep-sea vessels by 2030 and achieving full decarbonisation by 2050. The Global Maritime Forum, in collaboration with the World Economic Forum and Friends of Ocean Action, founded and manages the Coalition.

MACN

Synergy Marine Group is part of the Maritime Anti-Corruption Network (MACN), a global initiative striving for a corruption-free maritime industry, promoting fair trade for the greater societal good.

INTERCARGO

Synergy Marine Group is a part of INTERCARGO, an association championing safe, efficient, and eco-friendly shipping. INTERCARGO collaborates with the International Maritime Organization and other global entities to shape maritime legislation.

IMEC

Synergy Marine Group is part of IMEC, a top maritime employers’ group championing fair and sustainable labor practices. Representing global employers, IMEC negotiates seafarers’ wages and conditions, and invests in workforce development.

IMPA

Synergy Marine Group is involved in IMPA Save’s initiative to reduce single-use water bottles at sea. The IMPA SAVE council comprises top global shipowners and suppliers, representing over 8000 vessels with significant combined purchasing influence.

All Aboard

Synergy Marine Group is a key participant in The All Aboard Alliance’s Diversity@Sea initiative. As one of eleven prominent maritime companies, we aim to foster inclusivity at sea and directly address challenges faced by women seafarers.

CSSF

Synergy Marine Group is part of the Container Ship Safety Forum (CSSF), a global B2B network dedicated to enhancing safety and management standards in the container shipping sector.

Danish Shipping

Synergy Marine Group is affiliated with Danske Rederier, the primary industry and employers’ association for Danish shipping—Denmark’s top export sector. Danske Rederier actively engages with authorities and policymakers both domestically and globally.