This summer, in an unassuming corner of the European venture ecosystem, the Belgian startup Tilla raised €2 million in seed funding. Companies: Tilla, Motion Ventures, Exmar, Voyager Portal, Sedna, Dataloy Systems AS, Veson Nautical, OrbitMI, AuQub Intelligence, NAPA, StormGeo, Thetius, Digital Ship

Whether it is freight markets or financing, much of the shipping industry’s cyclicality is driven by some form of catalyst—events that cause larger than usual deviations from the normal. Companies: DHT, HD Hyundai Samho, Hanwha Ocean, ING Bank, Nordea, K-SURE, Jefferies, MSC, Costamare

Recently, 2020Bulkers announced that they have entered into hedging transactions for two Newcastlemax bulk carriers for the period from August 1st to December 31st using the Future Freight Markets to effectively secure a fixed-rate hire of approximately $33,700 gross per day. Company: 2020Bulkers

Though vessel earnings have softened materially, shipowners remain cash rich, lightly levered and on the hunt for attractive investment opportunities – which are rare. Public equities are one of the few areas where owners see value. Companies: Diana Shipping, Berge Bulk , Genco Shipping & Trading , George Economou , as Scorpio, DHT

It is hard to believe it was only four months ago that the Trump administration’s sweeping “reciprocal tariffs” shocked markets worldwide—leading to the eventual decision by the White House to delay and negotiate until August 1st. Companies:

As we have discussed over the past month, Union Maritime has emerged as one of the largest proponents of commercial wind propulsion for shipping, placing large-scale orders for wind-assisted tankers and building out a lease financing platform to support retrofits. Companies: Union Maritime , Shanghai Waigaoqiao Shipbuilding, BAR Technologies, Norsepower, SeaBreeze, Piraeus Bank , Société Générale , Société Générale

It is common knowledge that the adage “It’s not about timing the market, but about time in the market” does not hold true in the ship-owning business.

While sources have shifted frequently, the story of financing over the past year and a half or more has been one of elevated asset values, strong balance sheets, and shipowners prepaying or refinancing existing debt. Companies: Maritime Strategies, International, Genco Shipping & Trading, Nordea, DNB, SEB, ING, CTBC, First Citizens , Hafnia, OCBC, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, DBS, IYO, Société Générale, UOB, E.SUN Commercial, Taishin International Bank

While newbuild financing may provide a new vector for capital deployment, refinancing transactions like Costamare’s are still proving a reliable source of deal flow. Companies: Hamburg Commercial Bank , LEMSCO, Stena AB , ProMarine AG, ABN AMRO, DNV, Proman

Countries’ national interests are heavily intertwined with shipping, not only from the perspective of protecting industries but also supporting trade. Companies: Korean Export Credit Agency , Algoma Central Corporation, Hyundai Mipo Shipyard , ING, Trafigura, Crédit Agricole , Barclays Bank PLC, Oversea-Chinese Banking Corporation Limited, Hanjin Shipping , Korea Ocean Business Corporation

There are many parties involved in a shipping deal: lenders, lessors, investment bankers, lawyers, brokers, and more. Companies: Fearnley Securities , OCY, DNB Markets, Gibson Shipbrokers, RMK Marine, EA Gibson Capital, Clarksons, Platou, Braemar , NAVES Corporate Finance, SSY, Carnegie, Fearnleys, Poten Capital

Two weeks ago, we covered Tidewater’s recent complete refinancing, in which the company issued $650 million in Senior Unsecured Notes due 2030 to completely refinance all of its outstanding indebtedness through a private placement. Companies: Tidewater, DNB, DNB Markets , Deutsche Bank, J.P. Morgan, Arab Banking Corporation, Santander, Citibank, First Financial Bank, SpareBank 1, Texas Capital, Hornbeck Offshore, Standard & Poor