Seahawk Investments announces the launch of the Seahawk Maritime Credit Fund , a Luxembourg-domiciled Reserved Alternative Investment Fund  dedicated to providing flexible, asset-backed financing solutions to the global maritime transportation sector. Its first sub fund SMCF I is backed by a renowned family office in the maritime industry.

The launch of the first sub-fund comes at a time of increasing structural imbalance in maritime financing markets. Tightening regulatory capital requirements and the continued retrenchment of traditional shipping banks — particularly in Europe — have significantly reduced credit availability for smaller and medium-sized ship operators. These market dynamics are creating growing demand for specialised alternative financing providers with sector expertise, flexible structuring capabilities and reliable execution.

“Maritime lending continues to experience a structural financing imbalance as traditional banks retreat from parts of the market,” said Philip Clausius, Managing Partner of Transport Capital Group, the majority shareholder of Frankfurt based Seahawk Investments GmbH. “We believe this creates an attractive opportunity for specialised lenders with deep sector expertise, disciplined underwriting and the ability to execute reliably in complex situations.”

The fund focuses on senior secured loans and financial leases backed by commercial maritime assets across the full fleet spectrum, including container vessels, dry bulk carriers, product and chemical tankers, crude tankers, LPG carriers, RoRo/PCTC vessels, offshore service vessels (AHTS, PSV, CTV), and intermodal equipment.

Primary investment targets are smaller and mid-sized shipping companies as well as maritime investors seeking leverage solutions. Transactions are structured under established maritime finance jurisdictions — including English, Norwegian, Danish and Dutch law — with individual loan tenors of up to seven years.

The fund employs an anti-cyclical, through-the-cycle risk approach focused on generic, liquid maritime assets with transparent secondary market valuations. SMCF I is structured under a Luxembourg SCA, SICAV RAIF.

The strategy benefits from Seahawk’s global origination network and direct relationships across key maritime hubs, enabling proprietary deal flow and efficient transaction execution, often within compressed timelines.

The fund is managed by Michael de Visser, who previously headed the shipping and intermodal activities at NIBC Bank in the Netherlands. “We are very pleased to have Michael joining Seahawk Investments GmbH as Head of Credit Investments,” said Hubertus Clausius, Founder and Managing Director of Seahawk Investments GmbH, “His extensive experience in ship finance, longstanding industry relationships and deep understanding of asset-backed lending makes him an exceptional addition to our platform and a strong foundation for building our private credit capabilities.” Seahawk’s investment platform already encompasses two established liquid alternative strategies accessible to a broad investor base. The Seahawk Equity Long Short Fund (est. May 2019, UCITS-compliant) provides liquid long/short equity exposure to

transport and energy markets with low correlation characteristics versus main equity markets. The Seahawk Credit Opportunities Fund (est. 2024) offers liquid access to corporate unsecured and secured bonds in the same sectors.

“Shipowners increasingly require financing partners who understand both the operational realities of the sector and the importance of execution certainty,” said Michael de Visser. “Our focus is on providing flexible, asset-backed solutions combined with disciplined credit selection and active risk management.”

The fund is supported by an institutional-grade service provider framework: Universal Investment Luxembourg S.A. (AIFM & Fund Administrator), DZ PRIVATBANK AG, Niederlassung Luxemburg (Depositary), Arendt & Medernach S.A. (Legal Counsel), and Deloitte (Independent Auditor).