October 22, 2024, Rotterdam

Dear partners, friends, and innovators,

Welcome to our latest newsletter highlighting investment announcements, successful innovation tests, startup exhibitions, founder interviews and more! You can read it in our:

• Company Updates
• Partner news
• Articles and Interviews

Dive into the details and stay connected! Thank you for being part of our community!

Company updates

Platform Zero and First Dutch partner for a strategic investment in Shipping Technology

Shipping Technology, a Rotterdam-based upcoming player in the international maritime industry specialised in developing supportive tools for the shipping industry, has secured a significant investment from First Dutch in collaboration with the founders of Platform Zero. The hardware and software of Shipping Technology assists shipowners and crew to improve the safety, sustainability and efficiency of their operations and management decisions. 

Enabling industry introductions and showcases for innovation 

These last months we’ve facilitated exciting innovation showcases! With booths at Recharge Earth for energy technologies, featuring Wattlab, Dutch Wave Power, FLASC, and Distro Energy. FLASC even won the Innovation Award at the start-up pitching competition!

For the World Port Days with over 300,000 visitors, we collaborated with the Port of Rotterdam for an innovation area featuring a number of world record-holding companies: Watermeln, Hydromotion, Forze Hydrogen Racing and Droneport Rotterdam thank you for showcasing your technologies.

More opportunities are coming!

The Maritime Education, Shipping and Innovation Summit in Oeiras, Portugal – November 13-16!

We’ve been working together with our partners Escola Superior Náutica Infante D. Henrique and AAMC (the Portuguese Shipowners’ Association) on creating an inspiring and educative 4-day conference program for the maritime sector! 🚢

The program will feature high-level experts discussing topics such as ‘Alternative fuels and Retrofitting’, ‘Digitalisation and Efficiency in Shipping’, ‘Energy transition in Ports and Offshore sectors’, ‘Future Needs for Maritime Training’, Startup pitches and Site visits!

Join our upcoming events!

Join us on the 21st of November to discuss financial needs for Climate Tech! A panel with financial experts from different parts of the industry will discuss different financing structures, including loans, venture capital, regional development funding, corporate venture capital and co-financing.

On the 12th of December we will discuss Carbon Capture, Storage and Utilisation technologies. The presentations will feature industry experts and innovations, developing the carbon value chain, from capture to alternative fuels. 

Events at the Climate Campus Rotterdam!

We’ve had the pleasure of hosting a wide range of events again and welcoming many partners at our space. From large events to focused workshops, we’ve organised gatherings designed to encourage meaningful interactions and productive dialogue. It has been a true joy to host and connect with so many individuals and organisations, and we look forward to the continued growth of these relationships.

Interested in joining our events or hosting your event at our campus? Send a message to iris@platformzero.co! Below: the visit of the New York Offshore Wind Innovation mission and Resilient Delta’s kick-off event for young researchers at our campus! 

Partner news

Hardt Hyperloop’s successful test ride and the opening of the European Hyperloop Center

Hardt Hyperloop technology is set to disrupt the mobility sector with high-speed, sustainable travel, reaching up to 800 km/h in a near vacuum environment. This modern open access testing center will accelerate the development of hyperloop, ensuring Europe stays competitive in this revolutionary space.

Platform Zero was honoured to witness the groundbreaking test drive. The 420 meter test track also includes the iconic magnetic lane switch, a one-of-a-kind innovation that operates magnetically instead of mechanically. On to the next testing milestones!

Congratulations to the Battolyser Systems’ team for raising a €30 million Series A investment!

Battolyser Systems, developer of an electrolyser with battery functionality, has raised €30 million in Series A funding from Global Cleantech Capital, Innovation Industries, and Invest-NL. The Battolyser technology can switch on and off following intermittent renewable energy. With its flexibility, it unlocks new business models, reducing the cost of green hydrogen and alleviating grid congestion. ⚡

We’re looking forward to collaborating with Battolyser Systems and our partners to deploy the 1MW installation as a kick-off to testing and demonstrating energy technologies in the M4H area. 🏭

Wattlab secures a Guinness World Record

During the World Port Days, Wattlab secured a Guinness World Record for the most solar panels on an inland vessel confirms the Guinness World Records official jury. Inland vessel MS Helios, operated by HGK Shipping, is now officially recognised as the inland vessel with the most solar panels in the world. Congratulations to solar innovation company Wattlab, and construction company Blommaert!

Carbon Storage company Paebbl has raised €23M

Paebbl’s revolutionary technology, allows the building sector to become carbon negative by turning cement into a permanent sink for the world’s most potent greenhouse gas — CO2. 

Capnamic led the round, with participation from Amazon’s Climate Pledge Fund and German cement industry giants Holcim and Goldbeck. Paebbl will use the fresh funds to expand its offices in Helsinki, Stockholm, and Rotterdam, where its pilot plant is located. Congratulations to the team!

Articles & Interviews

To provide insights into the sector’s strongest developments and spotlight promising technologies, Platform Zero shares news items, interviews with founders and writes articles. This time, we’ve written a series of articles about the development of alternative fuels and share insights on the  the sector. 

Dutch Wave Power, 10 question interview with co-founder Sten Swanenberg

When surfing the waves – it came to Sten; He wanted to leverage THAT power to produce renewable energy. In this Ten Questions interview, you read more about wave energy technology development, Dutch Wave Power’s mission and the entrepreneurial journey of co-founder Sten Swanenberg.

Navigating the Future – Ammonia as a maritime fuel – A step forward or a Risky Bet? [4/5]

This fourth article in the “Navigating the Future” series explores the potential of ammonia as a maritime fuel, assessing its advantages, such as zero carbon emissions and existing infrastructure, alongside challenges like toxicity, production costs, and lower energy efficiency. It highlights that while ammonia could play a significant role in reducing …

Navigating the Future – Green methanol: a transitional or permanent solution? [3/5]

This is the third article of the “Navigating the Future” series, exploring green methanol as an alternative fuels. It explores market developments, different green methanol production methodes, the advantages, and challenges – featuring a promising path forward.

Navigating the Future – LNG: a Risky Game of Stepping Stones [2/5]

Following the series of “Navigating the Future”, the second article explores LNG, as it delves into the benefits and drawbacks of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) as a cleaner alternative to Heavy Fuel Oil (HFO). The article also discusses renewable variants like Bio-LNG and e-LNG. While LNG reduces particulate emissions, it faces challenges …

Navigating the Future – Transitioning to Sustainable Fuels in Maritime Shipping  [1/5] 

This article serves as an introduction to a series of articles called ‘Navigating the Future’. It highlights the developments in the maritime sector to reduce pollution and protect marine biodiversity, as the industry is exploring alternative fuels such as hydrogen, methanol, LNG, and ammonia. The article provides an overview of market tendencies to alternative fuels. 

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This was it for now – Hope you enjoyed reading our newsletter!

Kind regards,

The Platform Zero Team