Harbor Lab: Shipping journey with significant international funds

“To be able to help people become better professionals, we need to help people become better people or — if not better people — to grow as people.” 

To kick off Season Five, The Outliers Podcast welcomes Antonis Malaxianakis, founder and CEO of Harbor Lab. Malaxianakis shared insights into his entrepreneurial journey, shaped by his family's business background. Taking over as CEO at just 18 while still in university, he demonstrated early leadership. 

His interest in the shipping industry started young, shaped by growing up near the Port of Athens. Soon in his career, he learned how managing port expenses was like navigating stormy seas—messy and unpredictable. He saw the chaos and turned it into an opportunity, creating Harbor Lab. His solution automated payments and made cost estimates crystal clear. 

Investors and industry leaders quickly saw the potential for this game-changing innovation in port expense management. Remarkably, Harbor Lab achieved $50,000 in revenue within its first month of operation and 220 Greek Ships signed on. 

In this episode, Antonis shares the hurdles he encountered during Harbor Lab’s formative stages, including the shutdowns caused by COVID-19, which fortified his resilience. He reflects on the rapid scaling of his company and how he successfully managed to keep up with it — attributing it to building a network of people and relying on others for support. 

Listen to the episode here and learn more at outliers.gr