●  Wind propulsion systems (and suction sails in particular) are emerging as the leading pathway for immediate, scalable and cost-saving decarbonisation across global fleet.

●   Independently verified results show bound4blue’s suction sails on vessels have resulted in voyages tracking fuel and emission savings of up to 40%.

●  Maersk Tankers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Klaveness Combination Carriers and BW Epic Kosan are among the shipowners who have chosen bound4blue’s eSAIL® suction sails solution.

BARCELONA / SINGAPORE,   – bound4blue, a global leader in wind propulsion systems, has closed a US$44 million funding round backed by leading maritime corporates, ship owning families, climate-focused investors and government capital.  

The round was led by OCTAVE Capital, an investment platform affiliated with major shipowner: IMC, and Katapult Ocean. The round brings together new investors including Motion Ventures, Odfjell family office and ReOcean Fund - led by the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation and Monaco Asset Management - alongside existing investors Shift4Good, GTT Strategic Ventures, KAI Capital and CDTI (Innvierte SICC), who strengthened their commitment to the company. 

A new phase for bound4blue

“This round signals a new phase for bound4blue. Earlier stages focused on proving the technology and validating its impact; now this new capital reinforces the long-term backing we already have from investors who understand shipping and share our industrial vision and the role this technology will play across the fleet,” said José Miguel Bermúdez, CEO & Co-Founder of bound4blue. “This funding enables us to expand capacity, accelerate our growth roadmap and advance new developments that will elevate both the technology and our services to the next level. It confirms that bound4blue is built on solid foundations and positioned for sustained global deployment,” he added. 

Increased market demand

The investment underscores a growing industry consensus: suction sails are emerging as the leading pathway for immediate, scalable decarbonisation across the global fleet with commercial gains.  

The new funding will accelerate bound4blue’s shift into full industrialisation of suction sails and support efforts to deepen R&D as the company looks to grow beyond existing commercial offerings. The company is also responding to increased market demand by expanding manufacturing capacity to supply hundreds of suction sails annually.  

Operational data

Operational data continues to confirm the scale of impact bound4blue’s systems have had across several fleets. The company has already installed its technology on seven vessels, with a further twelve ships in the orderbook - representing more than fifty sails in total. These projects span leading owners such as Maersk Tankers, Eastern Pacific Shipping, Odfjell, Klaveness Combination Carriers and BW Epic Kosan, reinforcing bound4blue’s position as a preferred partner for forward-thinking players across the sector.

By 2027, the company is expected to deliver annual CO₂ savings of more than 400,000 tons, with over 570,000 tons avoided in total between 2024 and 2027 - the equivalent of removing around 87,000 passenger cars from the road each year, planting more than 18 million trees, or avoiding over 250,000 transatlantic flights. This will be done through parallel production lines in Spain and China, enabling higher production throughput, stronger supply-chain resilience and faster delivery schedules. 

Long-dated fuel transitions  

May Liew, Chief Executive Officer at OCTAVE Capital said: “We invested in bound4blue because wind propulsion systems have moved from promising innovation to proven, scalable climate infrastructure. For the maritime sector, where long-dated fuel transitions remain critical but still years from wide-scale adoption, this technology provides the real and immediate carbon emissions reductions needed right now.  With bound4blue industrialising production across both Europe and Asia, the team is well positioned it to lead the category worldwide. As an impact-driven investor with an interest in decarbonising hard-to-abate sectors, we believe bound4blue will play a critical role in accelerating shipping’s transition while delivering measurable carbon savings from day one.” 

A cleaner, more resilient ocean economy

Jonas Skattum Svegaarden, CEO at Katapult Ocean, added:  “After years of looking for the right opportunity in this space, we were driven to invest in bound4blue as wind propulsion has clearly shifted from experimental concept to bankable decarbonisation tool, and bound4blue in particular has proven it can deliver meaningful, verifiable fuel and emissions reductions at a category-defining pace. As the team scales into Asia and deepens partnerships with leading shipowners, we’re confident that their combination of technical performance, commercial traction, and global supply chain ambition will make bound4blue a cornerstone solution in the transition to a cleaner, more resilient ocean economy.”

By generating additional thrust from wind power, bound4blue’s suction sails ‘eSAILs®’ reduce engine loads and fuel consumption, cutting vessel operating costs (with double digit savings) and CO₂ emissions. This greatly improves regulatory performance under frameworks like CII, EEXI/EEDI, FuelEU Maritime and EU ETS.

Independently verified results demonstrate consistent, tangible impact in service. On Ville de Bordeaux, third-party assessments reported daily fuel savings of 1.7 tonnes, with peaks reaching 5.4 tonnes.  Separately, on Odfjell’s Bow Olympus, the system delivered average fuel-saving of 15-20%, with voyage-leg peaks of up to 40% reductions during its first transatlantic voyage. Verified under full operational conditions, bound4blue’s suction sails are delivering real savings today on vessels trading globally.

Related : bound4blue secures DNV validation for wind propulsion

The maritime industry is entering what many describe as the “retrofit decade”, with tens of thousands of vessels requiring efficiency upgrades before 2030. Unlike alternative fuels, which face long timelines for global availability, engine compatibility and bunkering infrastructure, suction sails can be installed today, on today’s ships, operated by today’s crews. The technology is also increasingly being incorporated into newbuild designs, where it offers an additional long-term lever to reduce fuel consumption and carbon exposure from day one. This positions bound4blue to support both the large retrofit wave already underway and the growing number of newbuild projects integrating wind propulsion from the outset.

About bound4blue: 

bound4blue develops automated wind-assisted propulsion systems as a turnkey solution for all shipowners and shipping companies seeking to reduce fuel costs and polluting emissions. bound4blue’s eSAIL^® system is a validated solution for saving fuel and emissions, completely autonomous, with low maintenance and easy installation onboard, being the most cost-efficient wind propulsion technology today. It is suitable for Tankers, Bulkers, Ro-Ros, Cruise vessels, Ferries, Gas Carriers, and General Cargo vessels, regardless of their size or age. The company, founded in 2014 with a vocation clearly focused on the renewable energy sector in the maritime field, has its headquarters in Cantabria (Spain) and offices in Barcelona and Singapore. 

About OCTAVE Capital 

OCTAVE Capital is a Singapore-based impact investment firm committed to delivering meaningful social and environmental outcomes through mission-aligned capital. Backed by TPC (Tsao Pao Chee), a purpose-led family enterprise, OCTAVE Capital builds on a legacy of maritime innovation and sustainable ocean development. The firm invests in regenerative solutions that strengthen a well-being economy and deploys catalytic capital to unlock systemic change across Asia and globally. 

 About Katapult Ocean:

About Katapult Ocean: Katapult Ocean is a Norway-based impact investment fund dedicated to scaling startups that restore and protect the health of the ocean while building resilient, sustainable ocean economies. Far and away, Katapult Ocean is one of the most active bluetech VCs in the world. Katapult Ocean invests in early and growth stage companies delivering transformative solutions in areas such as sustainable shipping, ocean energy, circular materials, blue food, and coastal resilience. By combining catalytic capital with hands-on accelerator support and a deep global network across industry, science, and policy, 

Source : Press - Release received by Maritime Tickers

 Katapult Ocean ,OCTAVE Capital ,bound4blue ,eSAIL^® system Jonas Skattum Svegaarden ,May Liew ,  investors eyeing wind power , Odfjell family office