When Anders Hovmøller received the Roskilde Business Award 2023 in January, it was as the founder and CEO of the company Undine. But that name is now a thing of the past. The company has since rebranded as Searine, a name considered to have greater impact and resonance than Undine. Searine aims to make sailing more sustainable with its cobalt-free batteries and electric propulsion systems for sailboats.
“Searine is more intuitive and evokes associations with the sea and sailing. The name is a fusion of Sea and Marine. At the same time, serene describes a state of peace and calm,” says Anders Hovmøller in a press release.
The name change is driven by the company’s desire to accelerate the transformation of the heavily polluting sailing industry into a more environmentally friendly and sustainable sector.
“As someone who grew up by the sea and has loved the sea since childhood, I feel a deep responsibility to contribute to a faster transition to greener sailing. That’s why I’ve committed myself to revolutionizing the sailing experience by focusing on digital tools that make it more eco-friendly and safe. With the new name, I hope we can significantly accelerate that process,” explains Anders Hovmøller, who is originally from Roskilde and an avid sailor himself.
A typical sailing trip in a diesel-powered sailboat emits an average of 1,400 grams of CO₂ per nautical mile – a figure that nearly doubles with just one additional knot of speed. In comparison, if Searine’s electric solution is charged in a harbor using green energy, emissions are reduced to just 106 grams of CO₂ per nautical mile.
Environmentally friendly sailing solutions can help make the coastlines of Zealand even more attractive – keeping the sea clean, protecting marine life, and enhancing the appeal of coastal areas for tourism.
“Almost none of the sailboats in Denmark are electric. That’s something I intend to change — not just here, but internationally,” says Anders Hovmøller.
