Image Credit: zimventures.zim.com

The global maritime and logistics sector faces mounting pressures: aging infrastructures, manual documentation, inefficient supply chains, environmental sustainability demands, and complex financing hurdles. ZIM Ventures, the corporate VC arm of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, was born to tackle these challenges by fostering disruptive technology across shipping, logistics, supply chain, trade finance, sustainability, and maritime cybersecurity. By tapping into startup driven innovation early, ZIM Ventures aims not only to cultivate new growth engines complementary to core operations but also to embed emerging solutions directly into its service offerings. 

ZIM Ventures was established as the innovation and investment arm of ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, and its leadership reflects the company’s strategic vision of merging maritime expertise with cutting-edge technology. The initiative is overseen by ZIM’s executive team, including Eli Glickman (President & CEO), Xavier Destriau (EVP & CFO), Noam Nativ (EVP General Counsel & Company Secretary), Oded Shachar (CTO & Head of ZIM Ventures), and Eyal Ben-Amram (EVP & CIO), who collectively form the Investment Committee. On the operational side, Oded Shachar leads the venture arm alongside a dedicated team of professionals such as Gidi Kimchi and Ruby Chen (Investment Directors) among many others. This combination of executive oversight and specialized expertise ensures that ZIM Ventures is guided not only by strong financial governance but also by a forward-looking vision to identify, fund, and scale transformative maritime and logistics technologies.

Their diverse portfolio spans a range of sectors, including blockchain, AI, clean energy, robotics, and digital logistics solutions, with each startup targeting to play crucial role in shaping the future of maritime and global trade, Including :

• Sodyo: Founded by Alon Atsmon, Sodyo develops advanced marker-scanning technology that bridges offline media with online digital content by scanning various physical markers at different distances, enhancing interactive marketing and communication.
• SHIP4WD: Launched internally by ZIM Integrated Shipping Services under CEO Carmit Glik, SHIP4WD is a digital freight forwarding platform that simplifies global shipping for small and medium-sized businesses by providing integrated booking, quoting, and shipment tracking tools.
• WaveBL: Founded by Amir Shaked and Boaz Leshem, WaveBL offers a blockchain-based platform that digitizes Bills of Lading, enabling secure, instant, and transparent transfer of shipping documents across supply chain participants, reducing paperwork and fraud.
• ZIMARK: led By Karin Levy, specializes in image recognition technology designed to surpass traditional QR codes and barcodes, offering innovative logistics solutions to optimize supply chain operations.
• 40Seas: Founded by Eyal Moldovan, Ran Shalev, Yuval Baruch, and Shmuel Sarfati, 40Seas provides AI-powered financial services to offer cross-border trade financing and working capital to small and medium enterprises, facilitating global trade growth.
• DSG (Data Science Group): Founded by Dr. Daniel Guetta, DSG develops AI and machine learning tools that validate the reliability and regulatory compliance of enterprise models, helping organizations manage risk and ensure trustworthy data-driven decisions.
• Hoopo: Founded by Ittay Hayut, Shai Zlotnik, and Eran Ran, Hoopo delivers a low-power, GPS-based tracking system for unpowered logistics assets like dry containers, improving fleet visibility and operational efficiency for shipping and logistics companies.
• Spinframe: Founded by Oren Degani, Tzvika Weis, and Omri Raviv, Spinframe uses AI and digital twin technology to automate vehicle inspections, detecting anomalies and damages to streamline insurance claims and fleet management.
• CarbonBlue: Founded by Dan Deviri, CarbonBlue focuses on carbon dioxide removal by capturing CO₂ from water systems using innovative infrastructure, contributing to industrial-scale emissions reduction and climate change mitigation.
• Pickommerce AI Robotics (PickoBot): Founded by Kfir Nissim, Pickommerce develops AI-powered robotic systems designed for autonomous pick-and-pack operations in warehouses, increasing efficiency and flexibility in logistics and e-commerce fulfillment.
• Newton Tech: Founded by Yuval Brodsky, Newton Tech specializes in digital biomarkers based on movement data to provide early detection, monitoring, and rehabilitation solutions for various health conditions.
• ZutaCore: Founded by Udi Paret, ZutaCore has developed HyperCool, a waterless, direct-to-chip cooling technology aimed at enhancing the energy efficiency of high-performance computing and AI workloads in data centers.

ZIM Ventures benefits from strong executive leadership deeply embedded within ZIM Integrated Shipping Services, ensuring strategic alignment between innovation initiatives and core maritime operations. Their diverse portfolio spans multiple cutting-edge technologies ranging from blockchain and AI to robotics and clean energy demonstrating a broad and balanced approach to tackling key industry challenges like supply chain inefficiencies, sustainability, and digitization. 

By investing early in startups that complement its core business, ZIM Ventures not only fosters growth but also creates opportunities to integrate disruptive solutions directly into its service offerings. The hands-on involvement of seasoned professionals across investment, portfolio development, marketing, and legal functions further strengthens their capacity to support and scale promising ventures effectively making them an ideal partner for start-ups looking to make their mark in the Maritime ecosystem. 

References

ZIM Ventures. (2024). About ZIM Ventures. Retrieved from https://zimventures.zim.com/about

ZIM Ventures. (2024). Our Team. Retrieved from https://zimventures.zim.com/our-team

ZIM Ventures. (2023). What’s New – Portfolio Updates. Retrieved from https://zimventures.zim.com/whats-new

ZIM Ventures. (2022). ZIMARK scanning technology announcement. Retrieved from https://zimventures.zim.com/zim-announces-the-establishment-of-zimark-a-new-company-providing-innovative-scanning-technology-for-the-logistics-and-supply-chain-industries

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services. (2024). Innovative Shipping – Dedicated to You. Retrieved from https://www.zim.com/about-zim/innovative-shipping-dedicated-to-you

ZIM Integrated Shipping Services. (2024). Investor Overview. Retrieved from https://investors.zim.com/overview/default.aspx

Startup Nation Central. (2024). ZIM Ventures Portfolio Companies. Retrieved from https://finder.startupnationcentral.org/investor_page/zim-ventures-1