Dutch financiers are poised to launch a $400m shipping debt fund to lend to European shipowners.
The idea is to cash in on demand for loans from medium-sized, privately owned companies facing a credit crunch in the wake of the withdrawal of European banks from shipping.
The project is the brainchild of Robbert Jan Souge and Wijnand Botman, the founders of Dutch alternative lender Direct Ship Finance (DSF).
