Denmark Climate Gateway
U.S.–Denmark Maritime Climate Gateway Co-hosted by Greennex Global, Invest in Denmark and Danish Maritime
About the Co-Hosts
Invest in Denmark is the national agency for promotion of foreign investments in Denmark. They support international companies with confidential and tailored assistance when establishing a business in Denmark or expanding an existing presence — focusing on Danish business strengths and innovation ecosystems that support long-term growth and collaboration. Services are provided free of charge and include market and industry insights, benchmarking analyses, framework condition advice, stakeholder introductions, customised fact-finding tours, and company set-up guidance.
Danish Maritime is the industry association of Danish providers of maritime equipment, maritime design, maritime services, and ships — founded in 1919 as the Association of Danish Shipbuilders. Today, Danish Maritime encompasses more than 180 Danish companies contributing to the global maritime industry, with a mission to foster the enduring success and competitiveness of the Danish maritime sector through advocacy, innovation, and a level playing field.
Greennex Global is a climate tech program platform connecting high-growth startups with corporate partners, investors, and policymakers across global markets. Through its Climate Gateway events, investor roadshows, and startup-corporate matchmaking programs, Greennex runs programming across New York, London, Denmark, Japan, Singapore, and beyond — accelerating the commercial pathways for climate and deep tech innovation on a global scale.
Agenda
1. Opening Remarks & Strategic Context (5 min)
1st Speaker:
Bjarke W. Bøtcher | Director of International Affairs, Danish Maritime Since 2021, Bjarke Wiehe Bøtcher has served as Director of International Affairs at Danish Maritime, focusing on trade policy, maritime geopolitics, regulatory affairs, and export facilitation. He is responsible for fostering external relations and partnerships with governmental bodies and foreign industry associations, including Danish Maritime's participation in SEA Europe — the Shipyards' and Maritime Equipment Association of Europe. He holds a master's degree in East European Studies and Social Science, with a rich background in diplomacy and international relations within the maritime sector.
2nd Speaker:
Anne Møller Ege, Deputy Director, Invest in Denmark
Anne Møller Ege is Deputy Director of Invest in Denmark, the government agency responsible for attracting, retaining, and developing foreign investment across Denmark in the sectors of Cleantech, Tech, and Life Science & Food. Anne brings over a decade of experience from the Danish Foreign Service, which she joined in 2013. Most recently, she served as Deputy Head of Mission at the Danish Embassy in The Hague.
2. Fireside Chat: U.S.–Denmark Maritime Climate Investment Landscape (25 min)
James Paisley, Venture Builder, Studio3050
Based in Copenhagen, James Paisley serves as a Venture Builder at Studio 3050, a maritime-focused venture growth studio dedicated to building and scaling sustainable ventures aligned with the IMO's 2030 and 2050 decarbonization targets. He brings hands-on experience from prior roles at Kelp Blue, Wilhelmsen, V.Group and DVB Bank, reflecting a career grounded in maritime operations and blue economy innovation. At Studio 3050, he works across the startup-corporate interface — helping maritime ventures navigate commercialization, scaling, and market entry.
3. Startup Showcase (30 min)
5 selected U.S. maritime climate tech startups
5-minute pitch per company
Emphasis on deployment readiness, maritime relevance, and Denmark market fit
Companies selected based on demonstrated commercial traction and global expansion readiness
Voltic Shipping:
Voltic Shipping is commercializing next-generation electric cargo vessels purpose-built for coastal and short-sea freight, combining MIT Ocean Engineering-derived naval architecture with proprietary propulsion and energy management systems to deliver operating costs 50–75% below conventional diesel ships while achieving four times the profitability. Co-founded by MIT De Florez Prize-winning naval architect João and MIT senior researcher Yuming, the company has secured over $100M in signed sales contracts with the largest U.S. shipping company and the world's largest freight carrier by volume, alongside $180M+ in signed LOIs from freight forwarders and cargo owners — validating strong commercial pull ahead of its first commercial deployment. Backed by Y Combinator and the U.S. Department of Energy, with the world's largest maritime venture capital fund as a strategic backer, Voltic is positioned to capture a significant share of the multi-trillion-dollar coastal freight market as IMO emissions mandates and escalating fuel costs drive irreversible structural demand for zero-emission vessels across global short-sea shipping routes.
Photon Marine:
Photon Marine is electrifying the commercial marine sector with high-powered electric outboard motors and intelligent fleet management software designed to reduce total cost of ownership by nearly 50% while eliminating fossil fuel dependence. Founded in 2021 by CEO Marcelino Alvarez, a lifelong boater and entrepreneur who grew up fishing and scuba diving in South Florida, alongside CTO Nick Schoeps, a veteran of electric motorsports who led Team Motoczysz to three consecutive Isle of Man TT-Zero victories, and VP Business Development Charles Steinback, the Portland-based startup has developed the P300 — a 300HP electric outboard motor with up to 150kWh battery capacity targeting 1,000-hour maintenance windows compared to 100–300 hours for traditional gas engines. Photon's proprietary fleet management software enables intelligent energy profiling across multiple vessels, optimizing charging schedules and operational efficiency for applications including port operations, tourism, aquaculture, marine research, and transportation. The company secured a $7 million Washington State Port Electrification Grant for the Port of Friday Harbor to deploy up to five electric vessels, and is partnering with leading boat builders to deliver commercial-scale electric propulsion systems reaching 40 knots top speed with approximately 30 nautical mile range and 45-minute DC fast charging.
Orpheus Ocean:
Orpheus Ocean is unlocking scalable access to Earth's least explored ecosystem — the deep ocean — through affordable autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs) capable of reaching 11,000 meters. Spun out of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) in 2024 and based in New Bedford, Massachusetts, the company was co-founded by CEO Dr. Jake Russell, a former ARPA-E Fellow with a PhD from Columbia, and CTO Casey Machado, one of the original Orpheus engineers at WHOI. Their flagship AUV can land on the seafloor, collect physical samples, and loiter for days without a dedicated research vessel — at under $200,000 per unit, roughly one-tenth the cost of comparable systems. Operating on a robotics-as-a-service model, Orpheus targets offshore wind surveys, subsea cable assessments, critical mineral mapping, and climate monitoring, with completed dives near the Mariana Trench alongside NOAA and USGS and a partnership with the Seabed 2030 global ocean floor mapping initiative. Backed by Propeller Ventures, Orpheus Ocean sits squarely at the intersection of blue economy infrastructure and climate science.
Fleetzero:
Fleetzero is building battery-electric cargo ships to decarbonize ocean freight without a green premium. Founded in Houston in 2021, the company develops the Leviathan propulsion system — combining ultra energy-dense modular marine batteries with battery-swapping infrastructure for hybrid and all-electric operation. Fleetzero raised a $43M Series A in January 2026 led by Obvious Ventures, with participation from Maersk Growth, Breakthrough Energy Ventures, Y Combinator, and Benson Capital. The company has opened a new Houston manufacturing and R&D facility with 300 MWh annual production capacity. Fleetzero's approach focuses on nearshore back-and-forth routes — the "drayage of the sea" — and its MVE7 electric ship is designed for trans-Pacific cargo delivery, targeting 5× higher net margins than fossil fuel ships while eliminating 1 billion tons of annual carbon emissions from shipping.
CoFlow Jet Lift:
CoFlow Jet Lift (CFJL) is a University of Miami spinout commercializing a breakthrough high lift rigid wind sail technology invented originated from their aerospace research. Founded by Dr. Gecheng Zha — ASME Fellow, NASA NIAC Fellow, Stanford-ranked Top 2% scientist with prior experience at GE Aircraft Engines and Pratt & Whitney — the company embeds fans into cylinders to achieve ultra-high lift for wind sails without rotating the cylinders, with lift coefficient CL up to 15. With 24 issued patents and a JOA with NASA, CFJ's rigid wind sails target 20-90% fuel reduction for cargo ships. Denmark relevance: Denmark's status as global leader in maritime shipping transportation and home to Maersk — the world's largest shipping line — makes it a prime market for CFJL’s rigid wind sail technology, directly align with Maersk's decarbonization agenda.
Sperra:
Sperra is commercializing 3D concrete-printed gravity anchors for floating solar and offshore wind, targeting a $5B annual anchoring market where 4% of projects have suffered catastrophic failures totaling $300M+ in losses. Its Anchors On Demand™ platform produces digitally optimized, site-specific anchors locally — reducing cost, carbon, and complexity versus conventional solutions. The company recently deployed its first full-scale anchor at EDP's floating solar site in Portugal with Fred Olsen 1848, is pursuing DNV certification, and holds a $25M pipeline across the U.S. and Europe. Sperra is raising a $1M seed round to reach 100 MW deployed and $25M in revenue by 2030, with expansion planned across offshore wind, aquaculture, and coastal infrastructure in a $20B market by 2040.
4. Q&A — All Attendees (10 min)
5. Closing & Next Steps (5 min) | Greennex Global
Speaker: Stella Song, Founder of Greennex Global
Key takeaways from the session and introduction of structured follow-up opportunities for deeper engagement between startups and Danish partners, including 1:1 sessions with interested investors and corporates.