Berlin's Tilla Raises €2M for AI Maritime Platform
Niklas Weidmann and Narayan Venkatesh, co-founders and managing directors of Tilla - © Tilla
Berlin-based maritime technology startup Tilla has successfully closed a €2 million funding round to accelerate expansion of its AI-powered crew change management platform, according to information from Seatrade Maritime News.
The funding round was led by Singapore-based maritime venture capital fund Motion Ventures, with strategic investment from Belgian shipping company Exmar, owned by the Saverys family. This latest injection brings Tilla's total funding to €4 million since its founding in 2021.
Founded by Niklas Weidmann and Narayan Venkatesh, Tilla addresses a significant industry challenge: the largely manual crew change process that costs the maritime sector an estimated $12 billion annually. The startup's platform leverages artificial intelligence to streamline logistics and optimize operations across the global shipping industry.
"Our ambition is to become the global market leader and ultimately optimize every step of every crew change, everywhere in the world," said Niklas Weidmann, Co-Founder and Managing Director of Tilla.
The company claims impressive results for clients, with ship managers achieving cost reductions of up to 24% and time savings of 40% when using their platform. To date, Tilla has facilitated more than 35,000 crew trips for clients including Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, Essberger, Wilson, and Exmar.
The fresh funding will fuel Tilla's expansion into Mediterranean and Asia-Pacific markets while enabling rapid team scaling. Ariane Saverys, Deputy Chief Operating Officer at Exmar, praised the platform's impact after integration into their operations, calling the investment a reflection of confidence in Tilla's future value to maritime logistics worldwide.
With a diverse team spanning six time zones and ten nationalities, Tilla exemplifies Berlin's growing reputation as a hub for innovative tech solutions addressing global industry challenges.