Insights

Managing crew changes—one of shipping's most critical and expensive processes—has historically been plagued by inefficiencies. Every year, millions of seafarers are rotated globally, with costs exceeding $8 billion. Yet, disconnected systems and manual workflows often result in higher expenses, operational disruptions, and unnecessary stress for crew managers.

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Tilla Technologies was created to address this challenge, emerging from Flagship Founders’ venture studio model. By combining deep maritime expertise with a systematic company-building approach, Flagship Founders collaborated closely with industry experts to pinpoint critical pain points and develop Tilla as the solution.

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Identifying the Problem

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Tilla’s journey began in 2020 with an ideation workshop led by Flagship Founders in collaboration with shipping company, Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG. The workshop focused on pinpointing inefficiencies in the maritime sector. Crew change management quickly stood out as an area with enormous complexity and untapped potential for optimisation.

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Flagship Founders validated this problem by working closely with Peter Döhle, understanding that crew changes involve much more than flight bookings—they require coordination across port planning, personnel logistics, travel arrangements, and post-operation reporting. The complexity and scale of these tasks made crew change management an ideal focus for a digital solution. Together, Flagship Founders and Peter Dohle set out to develop a solution that directly addressed these challenges.

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Building the Solution

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By early 2021, Tilla’s foundational concept began to take shape under the leadership of its first co-founder, Niklas Weidmann, whose expertise in travel tech laid a strong foundation for the platform. Six months later, Narayan Venkatesh joined as the second co-founder, bringing complementary expertise in business and consultancy to the venture. 

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Flagship Founders provided essential support during this phase, including initial product development and recruitment and administrative setup. This enabled Tilla to concentrate on addressing early challenges with focus and efficiency. Close collaboration with Peter Döhle was instrumental in refining Tilla’s early iterations, using real-time feedback to address operational pain points and align the platform with the needs of maritime companies. 

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The Platform

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Tilla now offers an integrated crew change management platform that automates key processes, such as flight booking and rebooking, real-time cost optimisation, and planning based on predictive analytics. 

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Covering the entire crew change lifecycle—from port planning to cost reporting—Tilla leverages data integration and machine learning to reduce manual effort and deliver actionable insights, optimising port selection and crew rotation schedules.

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The Venture Studio Advantage

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Flagship Founders' venture studio model provided a structured path for Tilla's development, accelerating time-to-market by fostering early product-market fit. With operational support, access to capital, and a niche maritime focus, Flagship Founders connected Tilla to industry experts, partners, and real-world insights. By defining a clear problem-solution framework and fostering key partnerships like Peter Döhle, Flagship Founders venture studio model was pivotal  in Tilla’s journey to market.

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“The venture studio model, particularly with Flagship Founders, played a crucial role in the creation of Tilla. Without their expertise in the maritime industry, I likely wouldn’t have founded Tilla. The model’s strength lies in its network and industry knowledge, enabling founders like me to identify problems that would typically go unnoticed..” - Niklas Weidmann, Tilla Co-Founder

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“Flagship Founders’ model is sharply calibrated for the shipping industry and tackles the challenges traditional VCs face in this space. It attracted founders like me, industry veterans like Peter Döhle Schiffahrts-KG, and access to a global maritime ecosystem - helping shape Tilla’s success.” - Narayan Venkatash, Tilla Co-Founder

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Delivering Impact

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With an international team of 16, Tilla is now on a strong growth trajectory. The platform is used by companies like Peter Döhle, Stödig, and Essberger, delivering measurable cost savings and operational efficiencies. Tilla has become an essential tool for shipping companies managing fleets at scale, enabling them to handle multiple crew changes simultaneously while reducing errors and workload.

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Tilla’s long-term vision extends beyond current functionality, aiming to revolutionise crew change management through deeper data integration and expanded features. As it grows, it continues to embody the power of Flagship Founders’ venture studio approach—delivering innovative solutions that address industry pain points, drive digital transformation, and create lasting value for partners and investors.