About us
This is us
This is Portchain
Portchain was founded by three McKinsey project managers who saw the inefficiencies in how container carriers and terminals planned and aligned operations using spreadsheets, emails, and phone calls. They envisioned a digitized information-sharing system that could transform the industry, enabling Just-In-Time operations, and significantly boosting productivity while reducing emissions. By combining intuitive UX design with advanced analytics and cutting-edge web technologies, Portchain enhances operational performance for shipping companies. Our mission is to make shipping more predictable, efficient and green.
Our values
High flexibility and high ownership
We provide high trust and flexibility, expecting high ownership and high performance.
We focus on the end goal and work as a team
We prioritize outcomes over outputs, avoid siloed thinking, and collaborate on our top joint priorities.
Disagree and commit, fast
We openly share our opinions but make decisions quickly, avoiding overanalyzing easily reversible choices.
Personal well-being is a goal in itself
We prioritize personal well-being by fostering a culture of inclusion, trust, care, and fun and providing a safe space for support.
Meet our international team
At Portchain, we are more than a diverse group of employees with backgrounds ranging from data science, software engineering, shipping, and management consulting; we are a community driven by a shared vision of transforming the maritime industry through innovation, trust, and continuous development.
Niels is co-founder and Chief Executive Officer at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey advising primarily container terminals and lines on strategy and digitization. He also led McKinsey’s first internal startup, where he led the development of an application for the shipping industry. Niels studied Economics at the University of Gothenburg and Oxford, and has an M.B.A. from M.I.T.
Anders is co-founder and Chief Innovation Officer at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey leading the development of several B2B applications. Anders was Product Manager for a SaaS application that used machine learning to predict vessel arrivals for container terminals. He led several end-to-end process digitization efforts across leading logistics and financial institutions.
Thor is co-founder and Chief Commercial Officer at Portchain. Previously, he worked at McKinsey leading digital transformations for shipping and logistics clients. He led the development of an industry leading data sharing effort in a Global Port, and led several digital strategy efforts for companies across the logistics value chain. Thor has a MSc in Mechanical Engineering (Hons) from the Technical University of Denmark.
Craig is the Vice President of Sales at Portchain. Previously he worked at Navis leading the Sales Strategy for Navis’ first SaaS platform and internal start-up named XVELA cloud collaboration. With 12 years experience from Navis, Craig’s roles included advising and selling to terminal, carrier and vessel executives, putting Craig in a strong position to further the goals of Portchain. Craig studied Computing for Business Applications at the University Manchester.
Rasmus is the Vice President of Product at Portchain. His previous workplaces include Tradeshift and Falcon.io. With over 15 years of experience from start-ups and scale-ups, Rasmus comes with a strong product background and expertise in SaaS-based platform products. Rasmus’ vision for Portchain, its customers and users will ensure Portchain continues to create value-adding services and industry efficiencies.
Martin is the Vice President of Engineering at Portchain. With a career spanning over two decades optimizing the intersection of strategy, people, and technology across diverse domains and organizational sizes. Prior to joining Portchain, Martin served as Director of Engineering at Templafy, where he led a large, multi-site engineering organization through a significant transformation in technology and process improvement. His tenure at CBB as Chief Software Architect saw him rearchitecting the core system to be data- and event-driven. Martin’s extensive background in software engineering is complemented by his roles in leadership, deeply influencing engineering practices and organizational culture. He holds a Master of Science in Mechanical Engineering from Lund University.
Rie is Portchain’s Chief of Staff. Rie started her career in DFDS but in recent years has spent 7 years with McKinsey and 2,5 years with Nrep. Rie has a broad bench of experience and expertise ranging from operational excellence, performance management and sustainability to general project and office management.
Jasper is Senior Sales Director at Portchain. He has extensive experience from Strategy Consulting and Technology & Innovation Management within technology intensive industries. He has 8 years of experience driving technology adaptation in the maritime sector: from Maersk, responsible for Future Technologies & Innovation, and Navis driving key client discussions on future requirements. Jasper has a MSc (with Merit) and a Ph.D. in Physics from Utrecht University (the Netherlands).
Gorjan is a Senior Product Manager at Portchain, bringing over ten years of experience from AdTech and FinTech companies like Google and Pleo. His experience ranges from product management, user journey optimisation, performance marketing and business intelligence in SaaS-based software, having studied Business Studies at Roskilde University.
Julie is a Senior Product Manager at Portchain. Julie has extensive product manager experience from both B2B and B2C in start-ups as well as large corporates. Julie has a Ph.D. in molecular biology from the University of Copenhagen.
Michele is the Senior Product Designer at Portchain, bringing experience from previous roles at AppQuality and Incode Snc. Michele holds a Degree in Graphic Design at LABA - Libera Accademia Belle Arti. With a robust skill set that includes Graphic Design, Web Design, Brand Design, Typography, Illustrator and more, Michele contributes valuable insights to the company.
Sebastian is a Data Scientist at Portchain. Sebastian has worked with quantitative analytics and machine learning in the financial industry for 4 years. He has developed risk quantification frameworks for energy trading and computer vision for insurance claim handling. He has a Ph.D. in nanoscience from Aarhus University of Denmark.
João is an Optimization Specialist at Portchain. João has worked with mathematical programming, heuristics and matheuristics to optimize transport planning for the last 4 years. His main focus has been within scheduling, timetabling, and passenger assignment within public transport planning. He holds an MSc in Transport and Logistics and has a Ph.D. in operations research, both from the Technical University of Denmark.
Andreea is Product Manager at Portchain, and brings over four years of experience in digital product management within B2B contexts, including banking/FinTech and workforce planning. With a human-centered approach, she has been shaping and delivering solutions that drive workflow digitalization and automation. Andreea holds a MSc in Business Administration – International Business Management from the University of Southern Denmark.
Julie is a UX/Researcher at Portchain. Julie has 3+ years of experience working with user experience and user research on a wide variety of projects across different industries, from the public sector to Fintech companies and more. Her experience has provided her with a user-centric mindset and an expertise in translating complex user needs into actionable findings to drive business impact. Julie holds a MSc in Digital Design and Communication from the IT University of Copenhagen.
Angus is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Portchain, supporting the full lifecycle of Portchain Connect customers.Angus has over 10 years of experience working with SaaS platforms in healthcare and the PSA space. Focused on collaboration, Angus seeks to build partnerships to deliver maximum value across tools and processes.Angus has an LLB in Law with European Law from the University of Nottingham and the University of Copenhagen.
Jonas is Portchain’s Senior Project Manager with the Customer team. Jonas started his career with Sealand Maersk in capacity management and vessel operations before leading network design and scheduling for feeders in Europe. Creating annual million dollar savings in the European region by optimizing capacity and integrating new best in class vessels. With further experience as a Newbuilding Project Manager at Maersk and a foray into tech as a Customer Experience Project Manager at Agoda.com Jonas brings 10+ years of hands on shipping knowledge and IT experience.
Anna is a Senior Customer Success Manager at Portchain, and oversees a portfolio of Connect customers, drawing from over 7 years of experience in SaaS. With a background in both Customer Success Management and Operations, Anna’s focus is on delighting customers, demonstrating value, and optimizing CS processes. Anna’s academic journey includes a Bachelor’s in Foreign Languages from the University of Trieste and a Master’s in International Business Communication from CBS.
Christina is Customer Support Specialist in Portchain. She has experience in global support, working closely with international partners and customers to enhance processes and handle support requests efficiently. She is dedicated to delivering exceptional customer service, making every interaction meaningful, and creating a positive and supportive environment. She is a proud nerd with a love for technology!
Laia is Marketing Manager in Portchain and brings good branding and marketing experience to the company. Besides the shipping industry, she has worked 5+ years in the recycling and construction markets, and has launched several successful regional and global marketing campaigns. She holds an MSc in Communication & Brand Management at Copenhagen Business School and a BSc in International Business & Marketing at ESCI-Upf, in Barcelona.
João is a Software Engineer at Portchain. He has 14 years of experience developing software professionally in different industries, technologies, and languages. Focused on full-stack development he doesn’t have a preference between frontend and backend.
Luigi is a Senior Software Engineer at Portchain. He is an experienced technology enthusiast with a Master´s Degree in Electronic Engineering. With a long career working with the big enterprises, he has acquired many different skills spanning from System Administration to IT Project Management. From 2019 he started to work with startups as Full Stack Developer and DevOps.
André is a Senior Software Engineer at Portchain. In the past, he has hold positions at Microsoft’s Language Development Center, at Hypercharge and Xpower NV within the automotive sector, and at the fintech space with Fidel API. Additionally, André has also held academic research and teaching positions, on technical topics around embedded systems and mobile computing, plus on business topics such as organizational learning and knowledge management. André holds a PhD in Information Systems and Computer Engineering from the Technical University of Lisbon, in Portugal.
Tanneguy is a Financial Analyst at Portchain. He is currently studying a BSc in Business Administration & Digital Management at the Copenhagen Business School.
Francesco is Marketing Content Creator at Portchain. Passionate about digital marketing, he creates engaging content and implements effective marketing strategies. He gained experience in social media marketing while working with Spanish and Italian NGOs for 3+ years. Currently, Francesco is pursuing a BA in Digital Communication at Roskilde University.
Born in Copenhagen,
working globally
Based in Copenhagen, Portchain employs a diverse, global team that is working tirelessly to digitalize backbone processes in one of the worlds’ most important industries.
Check out current openingsMeet our investors
They are senior executives and business leaders with diverse backgrounds across shipping, venture and technology.
Gil has been an active venture investor focused on enterprise technology companies born in Europe and Israel since 2005. As a venture investor and angel, he has backed companies in Israel and across Europe. The majority of these companies have successfully relocated to the US, and many have been backed by leading global venture firms. Prior to founding Angular Ventures, Gil was a Partner at DFJ Esprit in London, and a Principal at Index Ventures in London, where he helped manage Index’s pan-European seed portfolio. Previously, he was a VC in Israel at Gemini Israel Ventures and Genesis Partners, based in Tel Aviv. Gil grew up in Boston, calls Tel Aviv home, and works across Europe and Israel.
“We first met Portchain over a year ago and spent the past 14 months getting to know the team, their vision, the company, and the industry in which they operate. Our conviction level here is so high that we felt comfortable putting $5M to work here, one of our largest investments ever, and our second investment in Denmark.“
Klaus Eldrup-Jørgensen is CEO of the sports data company TrackMan that he co-founded with his brother Morten Eldrup-Jørgensen. The two brother’s started Trackman back in 2003. Since then, the company has shown tremendous growth and its technology is being applied in major sports leagues all over the world, primarily within Golf and Baseball. The technology is based on Doppler radar, that was originally used in military applications to track projectiles and missiles. Prior to founding TrackMan, Mr. Eldrup-Jørgensen held executive positions within Novo Nordisk, Dako, and Nordic Bioscience.
“We decided to invest in Portchain because of its very strong and professional team, and a strong belieg in the business area“
Michael Hassing is an experienced transportation and logistics executive. Mr. Hassing served as the CEO of Ports America 8 years. Prior to that Mr. Hassing served as CEO of Scandlines and as CEO of Samskip, where he was responsible for developing the container shipping and international forwarding business. Further, Mr. Hassing has served as senior executive in Maersk Group and has held several board and director roles for companies such as Yang Ming Marine Transport Corporation and Stena AB. Today he works with a selective group of Private Equity firms within infrastructure projects.
“Portchain whas developed an impressive technical solution using AI and ML to optimize terminal berth planning and container liner scheduling. I am excited about the opportunity this tool provides“
Tommy Thomsen has held various top-level managerial positions in A. P. Moller Maersk, Clipper Group and Nordic Tankers before he joined the Danish Investment Fund for Developing Countries (IFU) as CEO in 2013. In 2019, Mr. Thomsen took over as CEO of Lauritzen Fonden. Mr. Thomsen serves as Chairman of the Board for the Danish Maritime Fund, Chairman of J. Lauritzen, Chairman of C.W. Obel A/S, Chairman of NanoNord A/S and is a member of the Board for PSA International and Chemical Transportation Group, and a member of the Advisory Board of the Panama Canal Authority.
Klaus has a broad international management background with more than 20 years of experience in IT and software. He is currently Chairman of the Confederation of Danish Industry and Vice Chair of GN Group. He is also Chairman of the economic intelligence company Macrobond Financial; in the visual storytelling tools company Vizrt Group; in the software company EG; and in the CRM platform company SuperOffice. In addition, he has previously held the positions of CEO of SimCorp for 9 years, Corporate VP at Microsoft, and Senior VP at Oracle.
Jesper Kjaedegaard has 40+ years of experience in container shipping, port planning, and international logistics. Mr. Kjaedegaard served as Senior Vice President and member of Maersk Line’s Executive Board, serving as Head of Maersk Line. Today, Mr. Kjaedegaard is an advisor to several companies and investment funds with an interest in the maritime space. He holds a number of Board positions and is also the past President of the British Chamber of Shipping and Chairman of Maritime UK
“The ability to optimize terminal and carrier assets and resources through AI is something the industry has been demanding for years“
Tom Behrens-Sørensen is a professional board member, senior advisor, and venture capital investor. Mr. Behrens-Sørensen has 30 years of experience from the A.P. Moller – Maersk Group where he acted as Group Executive Vice President and Chairman of Maersk China. Having been associated with China since 1981, he is a sought-after China advisor with extensive relationships with both Government and the Private Sector. During the past decade, Mr. Behrens-Sørensen has served as Non-Executive Director on the board of numerous maritime companies including China Merchants Group, NOL, RSGT, and RAK Ports as also participated as investor and advisory board member in select maritime start-up companies.
“Portchain is uniquely placed with a compelling value proposition to address structural challenges facing the container liner and terminal industries“