why did European trading companies want Hudson to find a water route Asia?

European trading companies wanted Henry Hudson to find a water route to Asia because they were seeking a shorter and more efficient way to reach the lucrative markets of the East. The traditional trade routes to Asia were long, dangerous, and monopolized by the Ottoman Empire, which charged heavy tolls for passage through the Mediterranean Sea and the Middle East. A direct water route to Asia would have allowed European merchants to bypass these obstacles and gain direct access to the wealth of the East.