Neptune Maritime Leasing, announced its active involvement with the maritime leasing business.

Neptune is a growth-oriented maritime leasing platform with the mission to providing shipowners with access to a flexible financing tool in today’s capital restricted market and investors with secure access to an under-invested asset class with attractive real yield. Our strategy is to buy high quality assets at attractive prices and build a portfolio of long-term contracts through sale and leaseback transactions in diverse maritime sectors.

The Latsco Family Office  (“LFO”) is the Anchor Investor in Neptune. LFO is the Single Family Office of Marianna J. Latsis’ family, with offices in Athens, Geneva, and London. LFO manages strategic investments in Shipping, Energy, Real estate and Fintech, has Investment expertise across asset classes and multiple strategic partnerships.  The Latsis family is one of the world’s most renowned investors in shipping since the 1940’s via the Latsco Shipping Group.

Harris Antoniou Founder and Managing Director of Neptune. He has held various executive and management positions in leading institutions in the financial sector over the last 25 years with emphasis on real assets lending and investments in the fields of Energy Commodities and Transportation. Most recently as a partner and board member of Advent Technologies Inc., a leading producer of fuel cells and core materials, he was instrumental in the capital raising effort of the company and its Nasdaq listing. He served as Chief Executive Officer and Chairman of the Management Board of Amsterdam Trade Bank, and as the Chief Executive Officer of AMCI – a private group that focusses on mining projects and operations, trading, transportation, and private equity investments. Between 2009 and 2013 he was the Managing Director of Energy, Commodities and Transportation, and a member of the Management Group of ABN AMRO, where he led the international expansion of the business, always focusing on debt and equity investments in real assets, as well as in investment banking.

Harris Antoniou commented: “We are excited about the launch of our leasing services to the maritime community. Shipping is the backbone of the world economy, responsible for carrying 90% of global trade. Economic growth forces and the call to decarbonize mean that the industry’s structure and competitive landscape is about to change, increasing its needs for capital. We have the vision and resources to help aspiring European shipowners realize their growth ambitions and fleet renewal targets through our leasing company.

Given our involvement with ship financing during the last three decades, we have unique insight into industry dynamics and owner requirements. Our leasing platform aims to link credit markets and shipping with innovative and flexible financing solutions offering strategic support, quick turnaround and reasonable terms.

At the same time, we offer a real asset class alternative with distinct advantages for investors who may want to take advantage of the open nature of our platform.

I am excited to lead a structure that will bring innovation and support to the sector and thrilled to be back in shipping. It is a homecoming.”

Garbiella Kindert, Non-Executive Director & Board Chair added: “Maritime Leasing is an uncorrelated asset class with no correlation to equities, bonds and other mainstream investment products and sectors.  Given the large fragmented market and the growing demand for credit, maritime leasing offers an opportune entry point for investors. Leasing as an asset class offers typically stable long term cashflows, as well as first loss, asset cover and inflation protection. The support Neptune enjoys from a leading strategic investor with interests in shipping enables the company to pursue its mission and growth objectives.”