Supply Chain Startups ZZEBOX Opens its Asia Hub in Singapore

ZEBOX, an international accelerator network developed by shipping behemoth CMA CGM to bring greater technological innovation to the supply chain industry, announced the opening of its APAC offices today. ZEBOX Asia, based in Singapore, will investigate markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Taiwan, Japan, and Korea.

The APAC hub is supported by Enterprise Singapore, a board under the Ministry of Trade and Industry that promotes SME development, and the Singapore Maritime and Port Authority, as well as industry partners Bureau Veritas Marine and Offshore, PSA unboXed, and Synergy Marine Group.

ZEBOX, which was founded in 2018 by CMA CGM Group chairman and CEO Rodolphe Saadé, already has hubs in France, the United States, the United Kingdom, West Africa, and the Caribbeans, and has worked with 100 startups that have raised a total of $235 million in funding. BNP Paribas, CEVA Logistics, Infosys, BNSG Railway, Port of Virginia, and Centrimex are among the 20 corporate partners with whom entrepreneurs engage while in ZEBOX's incubator.

EBOX CEO Gwen Salley told TechCrunch that, in addition to mentoring, specialists, business prospects, and money, the incubation programme allows businesses to test their solutions and collaborate with huge corporations. Working with startups that can handle their specific business difficulties and engage in de-risked proof of concepts is advantageous for corporate partners.

Singapore was chosen as the incubator network's newest hub because it boasts more than 4,000 regional headquarters and startups, as well as pro-business policies, an efficient regulatory environment, clear legal and financial systems, and strong digital infrastructure, according to Salley. "Additionally, the city state's strategic location at the crossroads of major shipping lines and air routes connects large parts of Asia to the rest of the world, making it a global logistics hub," he continued.

Searoutes, which uses routing engines and predictive data to show shippers how much CO2 emissions they're producing at key points in the procurement chain, and Sublime Energie, a deeptech startup that focuses on biogas liquefaction technology and provides biogas collection services, are two examples of startups incubated by ZEBOX. Both of these participated in ZEBOX France.

BasicBlock, a ZEBOX America participant with over $78 million in financing, automates invoices and offers financial tools for the freight business. Expedock, another ZEBOX America company, has raised over $20 million in funding and automates freight papers, payment reconciliation, and other laborious paperwork. Meanwhile, SMO Solar Process, a Zebox Caribbeans participant, developed solar-based technology that converts carbon-based waste into other resources such as hydrogen, charcoal, and carbon powder.

ZEBOX seeks businesses in four categories. One example is operational efficiency, or technology that reduces the physical transfer of commodities in daily operations. Another area of focus for ZEBOX is decarbonization, which includes alternative fuels, net zero energy, asset recovery, green infrastructure, emissions tracking and reporting, and sustainable warehousing and distribution. This is a very important topic for CMA CGM Group, which aims to achieve net zero emissions by 2050. Since 2008, the company claims to have reduced carbon emissions per container moved by 50%.

The third area of focus, workflow automation, looks for startups that streamlines and eliminates back office tasks so companies can get more work done in less time. Finally, the future of work will zone in on startups that can innovate in training, workplace safety, employee engagement, talent acquisition, hybrid work environments, ESG and customer experience.

In a statement, Maritime and Port Authority of Singapore chief executive Teo Eng Dih said, “Startups play a critical role in the transformation of the maritime sector by generating value through their innovative solutions. Through working with partners, MPA hopes to anchor more marinetech startups in Singapore to develop, test and commercialize new products and services from Singapore to benefit the global maritime community.”