ZeroNorth, a global leader in maritime technology and digital solutions, has announced the appointment of Kåre Kjelstrøm as its new Chief Product & Technology Officer (CPTO), effective 1 July 2025. The strategic move marks a significant milestone for the fast-growing Danish company as it intensifies efforts to transform the shipping industry through generative AI, data-driven innovation, and maritime autonomy.
Kjelstrøm, a distinguished figure in the Nordic tech ecosystem, brings a formidable resume, having held senior leadership roles at Uber, Lunar, and Concordium. At these high-growth, tech-forward companies, he led the development and scaling of advanced digital platforms that have disrupted and reshaped industries—experience that ZeroNorth now aims to leverage for its own next phase of global impact.
A Critical Inflection Point for Maritime Innovation
Kjelstrøm joins ZeroNorth at a pivotal time for the maritime sector, which is under increasing pressure to digitize operations and decarbonize fleets. The shipping industry is navigating unprecedented regulatory, economic, and environmental challenges—and technology has emerged as a key enabler of progress.
“Shipping is one of the world’s most operationally complex and still under-digitised industries,” said Kjelstrøm. “AI has the potential to fundamentally change how decisions are made — not just to boost efficiency, but to simplify workflows, connect fragmented systems, and unlock entirely new opportunities.”
ZeroNorth’s platform already plays a critical role in optimizing voyages, reducing emissions, and connecting stakeholders across the maritime supply chain. Kjelstrøm’s focus will now be on unifying and scaling this end-to-end platform architecture, bringing together ZeroNorth’s diverse technology assets following a series of recent acquisitions.
“ZeroNorth already has some incredible products,” he added. “My focus will be on strengthening and scaling our integrated platform so that we can accelerate innovation at the intersection of AI, autonomy, and sustainability. It’s a unique opportunity to drive both business value and societal progress — and I’m excited to be a part of that journey.”
Strategic Leadership to Drive Next-Generation AI and Platform Growth
The appointment is seen as a forward-looking move by ZeroNorth’s executive leadership, as the company doubles down on building an intelligent, data-first platform that empowers every aspect of shipping operations — from route planning and fuel efficiency to commercial decision-making and emissions tracking.
“Bringing Kåre on board is a decisive, strategic move,” said Søren C. Meyer, CEO of ZeroNorth. “Following our rapid growth and six acquisitions, unifying our platform is vital for accelerating the next wave of maritime innovation. Kåre’s exceptional track record in scaling technology is exactly what we need to pioneer new frontiers, from generative AI to maritime autonomy, and to drive the energy transition through data and technology.”
Kjelstrøm’s role will be central to shaping and delivering ZeroNorth’s future product roadmap, with a focus on platform consolidation, AI integration, and scalable architecture. He will lead the company’s global product and engineering teams, aligning them with customer needs and industry transformation goals.
ZeroNorth’s Mission: Accelerating the Energy Transition in Shipping
Founded in 2020, ZeroNorth has rapidly emerged as one of the most influential players in maritime digital transformation. From a six-person startup to a 600-strong team across 10 countries, the company has scaled its technology platform to serve vessel owners, charterers, cargo operators, and bunker suppliers alike.
In 2024 alone, ZeroNorth optimised 72,000 voyage legs, generating 1.5 million routing scenarios and enabling a reduction of over 1 million metric tonnes of CO₂ emissions for its customers — a testament to the platform’s real-world impact.
The platform leverages billions of data points and applies advanced analytics, AI, and machine learning to ensure seamless decision-making from ship to shore. For the bunker industry, in particular, ZeroNorth’s solutions are helping operators make smarter, faster, and greener decisions in a market that is increasingly tied to emissions performance and fuel efficiency.
A Vision for Smart, Sustainable Shipping
Kåre Kjelstrøm’s appointment underscores ZeroNorth’s ambition to lead the shipping sector into a new digital era defined by generative AI, real-time intelligence, and platform unification. As maritime decarbonization targets grow more urgent, the combination of advanced technology and executive expertise is expected to play a defining role in accelerating progress.
For the global bunkering, vessel management, and commercial shipping communities, this leadership shift at ZeroNorth signals a renewed commitment to data-centric operations, enhanced collaboration across the supply chain, and bold investments in AI to support a greener, smarter future for shipping.
About ZeroNorth
ZeroNorth is a maritime technology company committed to accelerating the energy transition in global shipping. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Copenhagen, ZeroNorth develops AI-powered digital solutions that enable immediate emissions reductions and operational efficiency. By transforming billions of data points into actionable insights, the ZeroNorth platform empowers shipowners, charterers, cargo owners, and bunker suppliers to achieve both commercial and environmental performance. In 2024, ZeroNorth enabled over 1 million tonnes of CO₂ savings through voyage optimization.
Source ZeroNorth