Motion Ventures launches USD $100m maritime tech fund

Motion Ventures has announced that it has launched its largest maritime-focused technology fund to date, totalling USD $100 million, aimed at accelerating technological and sustainable innovations within the maritime industry.

Dubbed Motion Ventures Fund II, the fund is strategically positioned to support the digitalisation and decarbonisation of the maritime supply chain, an industry undergoing significant transformation. Over the next 18 to 24 months, the fund plans to disperse between USD $250,000 and USD $10,000,000 across at least 25 companies.

These investments will primarily target advancements in sustainability, vessel operations, and port modernisation.

Shaun Hon, Founder and General Partner of Motion Ventures, detailed the firm's vision: "We launched Motion Ventures with the belief that maritime is entering a new era—one where technology, capital, and industry collaboration converge to redefine the sector's trajectory. In recent years, we've seen digitalisation and decarbonisation shift from ideas to industry imperatives."

"Fund II goes beyond writing bigger checks; it's about uniting the right founders, corporate leaders, and strategic allies to accelerate an industry-wide shift, ensuring that solutions can be tested, adopted, and scaled faster than ever before."

A key feature of Fund II is its capacity to back startups developing asset-intensive hardware solutions, acknowledging that maritime innovation extends beyond mere software enhancements. This approach is informed by the increasing corporate demand for substantial progress in sustainability and port and vessel operations.

To date, more than half of Fund II's target capital has been raised, with significant investments already made in companies such as OceanScore and Fernride.

These investments confirm Motion Ventures' active role in supporting maritime enterprises. Over the course of both funds, Motion Ventures has made over 30 investments and expanded its consortium to include 17 major stakeholders across the maritime and supply chain industries.

Reflecting on Motion Ventures' growth, Nakul Malhotra, Vice President of Emerging Opportunities Portfolio at the Wilhelmsen Group, stated, "Being part of Motion Ventures' journey from a concept into one of the most active maritime investors has been remarkable. We value industry collaboration and are impressed to see the dedication and focus they bring to the early-stage venture capital space for an industry that is hungry for innovative solutions with robust value propositions. With Fund II, they're scaling that impact even further, and we're proud to remain a cornerstone partner on this journey."

Albrecht Grell, Managing Director of OceanScore, added: "Maritime is the backbone of commerce, but it's time to move faster and bolder, especially when building digital solutions in the compliance space. Shaun and the Motion Ventures team get that. Having them on our cap table has fast-tracked our expansion into new markets and helped to unlock access to a strategic network within the shipping community.'

"With their support and deep sector expertise, we're on track to building our global leadership in maritime compliance solutions."

The consortium-driven strategy employed by Motion Ventures is pivotal to its operational model, enabling them to leverage an alliance of over 80 maritime executives. These collaborations provide startups with mentorship, enterprise entry points, and pilot opportunities essential to scaling their solutions.

According to Advisor Jan Holm, "The maritime industry is no stranger to complexity, but the challenges we face now—from lowering emissions to digitizing operations—require a new level of collaboration."

"By pairing ambitious founders with strategic backers, Fund II represents a crucial step forward: bringing together fresh solutions, both digital and hardware-based, and fast-tracking their path to scale. It's a boost this industry has been waiting for."

The maritime digitisation market is anticipated to reach USD $423.4 billion by 2031.

Motion Ventures Fund II aims to catalyse updates to ocean commerce infrastructures by backing advancements that promise cleaner, more efficient operations, thus positioning the firm at the forefront of maritime technology and sustainability initiatives.