Valk claims sustainable solution for maritime finance

By Robin Amlot

Infinity Maritime will be the first platform to provide alternative finance through digitisation, enabling fractional ownership of cargo ships, such as dry bulk carriers, tankers and container ships. The asset-backed Meta Units will be tradeable on a fully regulated exchange, offering a secondary market for investors. The platform will focus on creating a sustainable fleet via the purchase and upgrade of modern vessels, in line with the Poseidon Principles for sustainability.

London-based Infinity is partnering VALK to offer the solution on the enterprise grade blockchain platform, Corda. The platform was developed by R3, which leads a blockchain ecosystem of more than 350 participants, including more than 40 global investment banks. From investor onboarding, to data room analysis, legal documentation signing, investment, post trade and secondary market, Infinity’s processes will be digital, automated and concentrated on one platform.

Andrew Graham, Chairman, Infinity Maritime said: “Now is the right time to try and launch the first digitised finance proposition for the maritime industry. The concept is now much better understood, and access to finance in the maritime sector has become much harder to secure.  In recent years, the sector has seen a dramatic reduction in the number of banks offering ship finance, prompting a real need for a new financing approach. We believe a sustainable focus is now an imperative for the sector to thrive and Infinity can help deliver this with Meta Unit financed fleets.”

VALK is a London and Zurich based FinTech that has developed an end-to-end digital solution for private markets that can be used by investment banks, asset managers and fund managers that want to digitise their processes and assets from end to end to reduce costs, time spent on processes, improve user experience and transactions and operate secondary market trades.

Through the fractionalisation and digitisation of illiquid assets, Infinity allows broader access to large asset investment opportunities and more exit opportunities for investors. Purchasers/acquirers of Meta Units include family offices, hedge funds, HNW/UHNW and other yield investors.