Maersk Launches Startup Accelerator
AP Moller - Maersk has launched India-focused OceanPro, a 120-day accelerator program to give shipping and logistics startups an opportunity to partner with Maersk to bring innovative technology solutions to ease the global supply chain for customers and further accelerate global digital transformation.
“We recognize the immense potential of India’s technology and digital talent and are looking to capitalize on these capabilities to help the logistics industry worldwide, to reinvent itself,” said Søren Skou, CEO, A.P. Moller - Maersk, during his visit to Maersk’s Global Service Centers in Bangalore this week.
“With Maersk leading the technological transformation of the shipping and logistics Industry which has traditionally been driven by manual processes, OceanPro is yet another effort by us to promote the creation of innovative solutions that meet evolving business needs,” Skou added.
Maersk said it has identified eight start-ups (including seven external and one internal), namely, Unido Labs, La Vela Pictures, Zasti, Inatrix, MintM, LinkedDots, KrypC and Dhruv to collaborate with to develop solutions for better customer engagement and operations management, leveraging Blockchain, Internet of Things, Advance Text Analytics and Artificial Intelligence. Each of these collaborations is aimed at jointly creating solutions that help mine hidden insights in the end-to-end logistics business and infuse agility into Maersk’s supply chain.
“We are excited to tap the thriving startup ecosystem in India and are keen to contribute back to it. The OceanPro program as well as our investment in the Bangalore based Maersk Technology Center, that opened in 2017, are testament to Maersk’s commitment to leveraging technology and innovation to accelerate its overall transformation in becoming the global integrator of container logistics,” said Navneet Kapoor, Chief Transformation Officer, A.P. Moller-Maersk.
Maersk notedthat its site Maersk.com is currently among the world’s largest B2B transaction sites with an average hourly revenue of $1.3 million. The vast majority (98 percent) of Maersk’s 60,000 customers make their bookings through this site which is fast evolving into a one-stop-shop for digital solutions.
“We still have a long way to go before we reach our goal, but Maersk has the will and the scale needed to drive this transformation within the company, as well as in the industry,” Skou said.
Based in India’s tech capital, the OceanPro team in Bangalore will also focus on building partnerships with other accelerators, universities, venture capital partners and the broader startup ecosystem. Additionally, Maersk has established a collaboration with the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), sponsoring two fellows for masters in technology with the aim to promote research and exchange of ideas in developing industry leading digital solutions.
