How to start a venture studio for maritime innovation – Bridgemaker & Maritime Ventures

The maritime industry is undergoing a profound transformation. Digitalisation, sustainability, and the increasing importance of SMEs as a driver of innovation require new approaches. This is exactly where Maritime Ventures - Company Builder comes in – the first multi-client venture studio for the maritime sector in Italy.

Together with our strong partners CDP Venture Capital SGR and Cariplo Factory, we have established a unique venture studio that enables the parallel development and scaling of multiple innovative startups. This model brings together various industry partners, investors, and founders to specifically address the most pressing challenges in the maritime sector and create sustainable solutions. Through our close collaboration with FINCANTIERI, PSA Italy, Intesa Sanpaolo, and other key players like NEVA SGR, FINANZIARIA REGIONALE FRIULI VENEZIA GIULIA - FRIULIA S.P.A. Friulia, and Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, we accelerate the digital transformation of maritime SMEs and bring future-oriented business models to market.

Bridgemaker: Enabler for maritime startups

As a venture builder, Bridgemaker brings experience from numerous successful company formations into the Maritime Ventures Studio. Our goal: to empower founding teams to develop new digital solutions for maritime SMEs using a structured, methodological approach and to bring them profitably to market. We utilise proven methods such as design sprints and rapid prototyping to test and implement market-ready ideas within a few weeks.

Use of Artificial Intelligence to Accelerate the Innovation Process

A central component of our strategy is the targeted use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to optimise and accelerate the development process. AI-driven market analyses help us to identify relevant trends early and derive the best business models. With the help of AI-driven prototyping technology, we can quickly develop initial product versions and test them efficiently. Additionally, we utilise advanced language models and data analysis to make informed decisions and make the venture building process more agile. In the ideation phase and the design sprints, we have also implemented our own Business Model AI Tautiom to efficiently develop innovative business models and validate them through synthetic personas. This has enabled us to make quicker informed decisions and prioritise promising ideas early on.

Initial successes: Entrepreneurial talents and strong partners

The first steps have already been taken: In recent weeks, we have identified promising entrepreneurs in residence (EiR) in Genoa and Trieste who are ready to serve as founders for our new ventures. Our focus is on finding entrepreneurially minded talents with deep industry knowledge and an innovative spirit who are ready to shape the future of the maritime sector. Through targeted events, personal conversations, and strategic selection processes, we are connecting these founders with the right venture ideas. This has resulted in three promising startup concepts:

• BluComply – Simplifying regulatory processes for maritime SMEs

• Fundo.One – Improving access to financing solutions for small and medium-sized enterprises

• TxMaster – Optimising truck logistics in terminal operations

  
  

These ventures address central challenges faced by maritime SMEs: regulatory hurdles, inefficient processes, and limited access to capital. Through close collaboration with industry experts and investors, we are laying the foundation for sustainable growth.

Investor event: Driving innovation together

Another milestone was our exclusive investor event, where we presented Maritime Ventures and our first startups. The response was enormous: Italy's leading investors expressed their interest in actively shaping the digital transformation of the maritime sector. This support confirms our strategy to not only initiate innovations but to bring them to market together with relevant stakeholders.

What comes next?

With the first validated concepts and motivated founding teams, we are now entering the implementation phase. Our focus is on the rapid development of market-ready minimum viable products (MVPs) and the scaling of business models. At the same time, we continue our search for talented entrepreneurs to ensure that each of our ventures is led by a strong management team. Through further EiR events and targeted networking, we expand our ecosystem of ambitious entrepreneurs who are ready to shape the future of the maritime industry with us.

🚀 The future of the maritime industry begins now – and you can be part of it! Whether as an investor, founder, or partner – be part of this transformative process and shape groundbreaking innovations with us.  🌊⚓