Miami-based investment firm Mare Liberum has announced the formation of its second fund to invest in maritime technologies, having gained US government approval that allows the fund to receive up to US$150 million in low-cost, government-guaranteed leverage.
The approval was granted by the US Small Business Administration (SBA) and the Pentagon’s Office of Strategic Capital (OSC), allowing Mare Liberum to operate as a Small Business Investment Company Critical Technologies (SBICCT) programme entity.
The firm says it is currently raising additional equity commitments from institutional investors, with the fund expected to target technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), autonomous platforms, and applications for resilient logistics.
“Commercial maritime is one of the great economic engines of civilization, and it’s being remade in real time,” said Marc Baliotti, General Partner at Mare Liberum.
“The convergence of AI, autonomy and advanced manufacturing is already reshaping maritime operations – and the organisations that recognise this now will help define the next era of global trade.”
The firm has previously invested in companies including Saronic Technologies, a developer of autonomous surface vessels, and maritime AI domain awareness platform Windward.
