Zéphyr & Borée was founded in 2017 on a simple conviction: wind can once again become a pillar of maritime transport. Today, we develop and operate wind-assisted vessels to turn that ambition into an industry standard.
Maritime transport currently accounts for nearly 3% of global CO₂ emissions, with more than 50,000 cargo ships operating across the world’s oceans. Decarbonising the sector depends on two levers: using cleaner fuels and, above all, consuming less energy. No resource contributes to this more effectively than wind.
We operate in an environment where the path forward is not always clearly marked and where challenges must be identified and quantified as much as they must be resolved. By sharing our operational data, contributing to industry methodologies and participating in the debates that move the sector forward, we take on part of the groundwork the sector still needs.
Our culture is built on autonomy, intellectual rigour, openness and curiosity. Transparency is a working requirement. It shapes how we deal with our teams, our partners and our clients.
2014
The idea takes shape in Nantes with five co-founders: three former merchant seafarers, a business developer and a naval architect.
2015
Meeting Marc Van Peteghem, naval architect and inventor of OceanWings technology. The catalyst.
2018
Launch of the Canopée project with ArianeGroup. The first industrial-scale wind-assisted cargo vessel purpose-designed for the European space industry.
2021
Co-founding of Windcoop, a cooperative dedicated to wind-powered maritime transport.
2022
Delivery of Canopée by Neptune Shipyards in the Netherlands.
2023
First commercial rotation between Europe and French Guiana. The original conviction becomes an operational reality.
2024
Named Vessel of the Year at the Marine Propulsion Maritime Decarbonisation Awards in Amsterdam.
2025
Construction begins on Windcoop’s vessel, the world’s first wind-assisted container ship.
2026
Presentation to the International Maritime Organization in London: four years of operational experience with Canopée.
Based in Lorient, the Zéphyr & Borée team is made up of around 50 people: naval architects, weather-routing specialists, merchant navy officers, ship-management experts and maritime-finance specialists. Every area of expertise required across the lifecycle of a wind-assisted vessel, all under one roof.
Decarbonising maritime transport is why the company exists, and it shapes every decision we make. We measure it in tonnes of fuel saved and tonnes of CO₂ actually avoided, voyage by voyage. Our statements, our decisions and our operations are held to those figures.
The transition towards wind propulsion will only have an impact if it can be deployed at scale. We approach it with ambition, curiosity and pragmatism. We move forward where the answers haven’t been written yet. We ask the hard questions and test our ideas against reality to build new, lasting standards.
The status quo is no longer an option. We push forward standards, perceptions and the way maritime transport is designed. Our vessels lead the way, and we share what they teach us. Our ambition extends beyond our own activities, to turn the exception into the norm.
Facing the climate crisis is a collective challenge. In a rapidly changing environment, we act as strategic allies to our clients. We share the risks they face and turn complexity into clear decisions, with a high degree of technical and financial transparency. We speak plainly and help them anticipate what lies ahead so they can make better decisions today.
Co-founder & President
A trained merchant navy officer, Nils sailed as a deck officer and engineering officer before co-founding Zéphyr & Borée in 2017, building on a thesis on the economic and technical feasibility of wind propulsion. He now represents the company’s vision to partners, institutions, the maritime industry and the media.
Co-founder & Chief executive officer
An EDHEC graduate, Amaury worked in international business development before returning to France to co-found Zéphyr & Borée. He structures partnerships, leads business development and presents projects to financiers. He excels at transforming conceptual ideas into bankable business plans.
Co-founder & Chief technology officer
Trained at ENSM, Victor sailed as a deck officer and then as a marine engineer before co-founding Zéphyr & Borée. He is the primary point of contact for shipyards and technical suppliers: the kind of person who has a contact in every port. When a problem arises, Victor usually already knows whom to call.
Since its founding, Zéphyr & Borée has been backed by partners and shareholders who share a common conviction: decarbonising maritime shipping requires long-term decisions, patient capital and a deep understanding of the industry’s challenges.
Above the waterline, the sails. Below it, the hull. In between, Simon Delvoye. An engineer employed by Zéphyr & Borée and a partner in the company, he is our expert in aerodynamics and hydrodynamics: he makes sure our ships are well designed, from the keel to the top of the rig. Having worked at MARIN, SIREHNA (Naval Group) and the LHEEA at École Centrale de Nantes, he works with naval architects, research centres, suppliers and shipyards so that the hull and the sails work together.
A seafarer by training, both a captain and chief engineer, Bernard Peignon later became a senior executive in maritime transport. He spent much of his shore-based career with groups including Bolloré Logistics, UECC and CMA CGM, where he served as a line director. As he approached retirement, he helped establish Zéphyr & Borée in 2015 and became a co-founder. He brings the company his network and extensive operational expertise, which proved essential in structuring the launch of the shipping company.
A pioneer of wind energy in France, Jean-Michel Germa founded La Compagnie du Vent in 1989 and developed it over nearly 30 years, building it from the ground up into a major industry player before selling the company to Engie in 2017. A self-made entrepreneur, he backed an energy source that few people took seriously at the time. Through his investment fund SOPER, he now invests in decarbonisation. His commitment to Zéphyr & Borée follows a path he knows well: being there at the beginning of an emerging industry, before everyone else is convinced.
An international shipowner for 30 years, a member of the Académie de marine, founder of the French Maritime Cluster and Honorary President of the French Maritime Institute, Francis Vallat is one of the most respected figures in the French maritime sector. Known for the campaign he began in 1990 against “substandard ships” and for helping establish the first genuinely deterrent maritime-safety measures, he has never stopped defending a demanding vision of maritime excellence. He understands the scale of the challenge Zéphyr & Borée has set itself and has chosen to lend his name to it.
With a doctorate in plant biology, Françoise Brenckmann worked in research before moving into the non-profit sector. Through the journeys she shared with her husband, Jean-Marie Hullot, they developed a commitment to preserving “the fragile beauty of the world”. Together, they created Fondation IRIS, which supports the protection of natural sites and endangered species, as well as research and scientific expeditions. Her investment in Zéphyr & Borée reflects her conviction that maritime transport can and must change.
An experienced executive in global transport, Guillaume Lathelize spent much of his career with the CMA CGM Group, where he led several major subsidiaries around the world. Today, he is an entrepreneur at the head of Abyssa, a company specialising in mapping and exploring the deep seabed, and also invests in the ecological transition. As an investor and mentor to Zéphyr & Borée, he brings a detailed understanding of the requirements of major logistics operators and the realities of commercial shipping routes.
At Z&B, you’ll find a close-knit team, real autonomy and challenges that go well beyond your job description. Honesty, intellectual rigour and genuine curiosity for a field that’s reinventing itself.
The road isn’t fully mapped out. If that excites you, welcome aboard.
