Petros Panagiotidis is pumping $19.47m into the tanker company he split off from Castor Maritime so that it can pursue a fleet-renewal programme.

Toro Corp debuted on the Nasdaq in New York last month with a fleet of seven vessels built between 2004 and 2006.

It has now said Pani Corp — the chairman and chief executive’s company — will buy 8.5m