ZeroNorth - Experts & Thought Leaders

CIBC Innovation Banking announces that it has provided a $20 million USD debt financing to ZeroNorth, a technology company focused on the maritime industry. ZeroNorth will use the funding to fuel its growth strategy through mergers and acquisitions (M&A), with the goal of enhancing access to data, acquiring innovative technologies, and expanding market share. Maritime digital transformation ZeroNorth’s customers have optimised 1.5 million voyages through the company’s platform Since its founding in 2020, ZeroNorth has established itself as a pioneer in the energy transition and digital transformation of the maritime sector by helping the industry optimise commercial performance and reduce its emissions. In 2024 alone, ZeroNorth’s customers have optimised 1.5 million voyages through the company’s platform, enabling a reduction of more than 1 million metric tonnes of CO2 emissions.  Data and AI to create insights The company offers six core services, which harness data and AI to create insights that enable voyage, vessel, and bunker optimisation and commercial decision-making. The services are used by more than 230 customers across the industry, including owners, operators, charterers, as well as bunker traders, brokers and suppliers. Challenges of the energy transition The company recorded its first month of positive earnings before interest, taxes, and EBITDA In December 2024, the company recorded its first month of positive earnings before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortisation (EBITDA) on the back of significant growth, having reached just under $40 million USD in annual recurring revenue (ARR) for the year. Søren Meyer, CEO of ZeroNorth, said: “The maritime industry is navigating unprecedented complexity, largely driven by the challenges of the energy transition and evolving regulations. To meet these demands effectively, the industry needs unified technology solutions that simplify operations and enhance decision-making." Demands of the shipping industry  Meyer added: "Our M&A strategy has enabled exactly that. With this facility from CIBC Innovation Banking, we aim to continue our role as an industry consolidator, bringing together fragmented solutions to create greater value for customers and accelerate the energy transition for the industry.”  Tom Dods, Director at CIBC Innovation Banking, said: “To meet the demands the shipping industry is facing, consolidation is essential for addressing the fragmentation in the value chain." Complexities of the shipping industry  Dods added: "ZeroNorth has a successful platform that enables industry stakeholders to consolidate within a fragmented market and the company has grown from a six-person startup to a global team of 600 across ten locations in under five years." "We are delighted to further support this growth as it tackles the complexities the shipping industry is facing.”

RightShip, a pioneering global environmental, social, and governance (ESG) focused digital maritime platform, has partnered with ZeroNorth, a pioneer in data-driven maritime optimisation. Users of either platform will be able to visualise and utilise RightShip's GHG 2.0 Rating, along with RightShips’s Safety Score, and ZeroNorth's advanced CII Emissions Analytics solution. The collaboration will ensure users are provided with a comprehensive view of their performance to enable enhanced decision-making aimed at driving zero-harm outcomes as efficiently and effectively as possible. Fleet and vessel CII performance RightShip’s GHG 2.0 Rating rates the emissions output of commercial vessels on a scale from A ZeroNorth’s CII Emissions Analytics solution is designed to help shipping companies optimise their operations in line with CII requirements whilst maintaining a focus on commercial performance. It provides customers with full insight into both fleet and vessel CII performance and will proactively alert an operator or manager when a vessel is at risk of becoming non-compliant in the future. RightShip’s GHG 2.0 Rating rates the emissions output of commercial vessels on a scale from A, most efficient, to E, least efficient. Used as an industry standard, it is the first rating to incorporate EEXI values alongside EVDI and EEDI by calculating and comparing a vessel’s designed efficiency against peer vessels of similar size and type using a speed-corrected methodology. Effective management and reduction of emissions IMO rules require that ship owners cut their carbon emissions such that international shipping International Maritime Organisation (IMO) regulations require that ship owners cut their carbon emissions such that international shipping reaches net zero by, or around, 2050 and the introduction of the EU’s Emissions Trading Scheme for maritime operators means that effective management and reduction of emissions is one of the key challenges facing the sector in 2024. Steen Lund, CEO at RightShip, stated “By integrating ZeroNorth's CII insights with RightShip's GHG rating, we are ensuring that the RightShip platform provides our users with the most comprehensive risk and environmental management solution available for the maritime industry. Collaboration will be essential in ensuring we can achieve a decarbonised future for the sector, and this partnership is going to support our customers in improving their environmental performance, ensuring that the key tools in driving maritime decarbonisation aren’t being used in isolation.” Evolving environmental regulations Nicolai Bendixen, Managing Director of Charter at ZeroNorth, added: “Together, we are empowering charters, owners, and all stakeholders in the maritime value chain with immediate, actionable insights into the emission profiles of vessels." "This integration ensures not just compliance with evolving environmental regulations but also equips our customers to quickly make informed decisions that align with their sustainability goals. At ZeroNorth, we are proud to stand at the forefront of this transformative journey, alongside RightShip, as we navigate towards a greener, more sustainable maritime future.”

DNV’s independent cloud platform, Veracity expands its integrated partner network and grows its reach to 35,000 vessels, helping shipping companies and charterers meet their emissions data verification and reporting needs. With major regulatory shifts on the horizon and 2024 inching closer for the sector’s inclusion into the EU Emissions Trading System (ETS), decarbonisation and carbon control have become central focus points for shipowners and operators of late. Automated, and real-time access Veracity’s expanding network of integrated partners is proving pivotal for more and more customers. It enables easy, automated, and real-time access to verified emissions data for seamless and secure reporting across the value chain. This is specifically tuned for supporting new emissions clauses in the contracts requiring timely and trusted emissions data. Need for trusted data source There’s no question the impact of the EU ETS will be felt across the entire value chain" Mikkel Skou, Executive Director at Veracity said, “There’s no question the impact of the EU ETS will be felt across the entire value chain. Carbon tax is factored into freight rates and commercial agreements, but while the cost will be shared across the maritime value chain the initial pressure and responsibility lies heavy on ship owners and managers." Mikkel Skou adds, "This has necessitated the need for constant access, control, and confidence in emissions and operational vessel data. Simply put, a trusted source of data that can help the industry players collaborate on emissions reduction measures.” StormGeo partnership One of the first partners to integrate with the Veracity platform, weather intelligence, and advanced analytics provider to the shipping industry, StormGeo, shares the benefits that the network unlocks for joint customers and the industry at large. Petter Andersen, Senior Vice President, of Shipping Digital at StormGeo said, “The integration between StormGeo and Veracity is proof that collaboration is a means to an end to create true value for the end user." Ensuring data quality Petter Andersen adds, "United in our mission to ensure the quality of data, together we help the end-user structure their data flow, ensure data quality, and automatically share data with DNV for verification so they do not need to do it themselves." He continues, "The end-user saves considerable time on the process and improves the quality of their data with this data pipeline.”  Network of integrated partners In Q2 alone, Veracity onboarded seven new partners to the programme One year on, Veracity has grown a powerful network of integrated partners including Coach Solutions, Wärtsilä, Navtor, Vessel Performance Solutions, ZeroNorth, Dynamarine, and 90POE to name a few. In Q2 alone, Veracity onboarded seven new partners to the programme, including pioneering maritime technology provider Yara Marine. Streamline operational data Mikael Laurin, Head of Vessel Optimisation, Yara Marine Technologies said, “Integration with Veracity by DNV will help our customers streamline their operational data processes and simplify compliance and continuous data verification." Mikael Laurin adds, "We are proud to work with DNV and make Veracity available for all our customers using our reporting tool in Fleet Analytics™. This ensures that they have future-proof and cost-effective solutions." Simplifying workload As the first joint customer to use the integrated system between Veracity and Yara Marine, Tanker operator Stenersen was quick to recognise the integration as a key ingredient to reaching net-zero maritime emissions. Christopher Stenersen, Environmental Advisor at Rederiet Stenersen AS, commented, “Through our longstanding relationship with Yara Marine Technologies, we know that they are committed to supporting customers' sustainability and decarbonisation journeys. We already use Yara Marine’s Fleet Analytics™ for our voyage and MRV reporting, and the new integration with Veracity will further simplify our workload and streamline our data analysis process.” The Network Effect Connecting and decarbonising the industry through trusted data As the regulatory arena intensifies, data integrations, such as these, will be more instrumental As the regulatory arena intensifies, data integrations, such as these, will be more instrumental than ever to customers, particularly towards CII reporting and EU ETS compliance that will become mandatory as of 1 January 2024. Mikkel Skou, Executive Director at Veracity said, “Our partner programme is integral to helping shipowners and managers to effectively operationalise the process of emissions reporting." Real-time, daily verified data Mikkel Skou adds, "I hope to see more data providers and partners join us in helping customers gain seamless access to real-time, daily verified data in a secure environment. With this single source of truth, we are not only heeding the call for trust, traceability, and transparency but injecting confidence in the commercial and sustainable decision-making of all stakeholders.” Veracity Integrated Partner (VIP) programme The Veracity Integrated Partner (VIP) programme was launched in 2022 to help shipowners add ease and efficiency to their emissions reporting process. As part of the programme, established data providers connect with the Veracity platform through a secure, digital pipeline. This allows a continuous feed of consented and real-time data from the customer’s vessels into Veracity’s Operational Vessel Data (OVD) standard and DNV’s extensive suite of verification services. Programme benefits Full benefits to the customer include: Automated and streamlined data flows. Reduction in manual data input and crew effort. Instant access to DNV’s integrated verification services, hereunder verified Carbon Intensity Indicator (CII) and ETS data and reports. Easy and efficient data transfers; e.g., ready-to-submit Monitoring Reporting and Verification (MRV) and Data Collection System (DCS) verification. Enabling data quality improvement, through increased data ingest frequency, validation algorithms, and feedback loops. A single source for trusted data to share with stakeholders.