Ocean Innovation Leaders Convene to Advance U.S. Coastal and Blue Economy Solutions
VentureWell, a global nonprofit dedicated to fostering innovation for lasting social impact, convened fifteen bluetech startups from across the country and other ocean innovation leaders in Rhode Island to kick off the first stage of the VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator.
Supported by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), VentureWell is championing these innovators as they develop and commercialize technologies that will bolster economic development and resiliency on America’s coasts. Together, VentureWell and NOAA are working to achieve the overarching goal of the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator program—to support the adoption of new ocean data technologies and services for economic and societal benefit to the United States and its growing blue economy.
The three-day gathering, held at Cambridge Innovation Center Providence and theUniversity of Rhode Island (URI) Bay Campus, marked the official launch of the program’s first phase. During the event, participants learned about customer discovery, technology development pathways, market applications, and funding opportunities needed to launch and scale their businesses.
The convening highlighted Rhode Island's robust industry ecosystem and support network for bluetech startups. Participants engaged in intensive conversational and reflective work on their businesses, connected with expert mentors and instructors, and toured leading facilities that showcased the region as a national hub for ocean innovation.
The participants are now engaging in three months of virtual workshops, one-on-one mentorship, and personalized support to develop their Product Readiness Roadmaps.
Over the next four years, the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator will support up to 220 ventures through a structured, four-stage program hosted in regions across the United States. The innovators will gain an understanding of technology pathways, market applications, and funding options necessary to launch their innovations.
The teams will receive dedicated guidance from blue economy experts, intensive training, and opportunities to continue building and refining their innovations in preparation for a funnel that can provide up to four years of staged mentorship and over $140,000 in non-dilutive awards. Each startup participating in this stage will receive $15,000 inTechnology Development and Commercialization (TDC) awards to advance their innovations.
The inaugural cohort of Stage 1 of the VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator is:
- Aloft Systems
- Blue Mvmt, Inc.: AI-Powered, IoT Integration
- Blue Sea Farms
- CargoCheck
- Coastal Measures
- Diversican Corporation
- Drift Marine Systems
- FishLAT (Fisheries Location Assessment Technology)
- Hydronet: Connected Underwater Intelligence
- Lacuum: Innovating Water Cleanup
- Mira Intel
- Ocean Intelligence on Demand with Astraeus Ocean Systems
- OctaPulse: AI Precision Aquaculture
- Sea-Gal Technologies Inc.: Low-Cost Underwater Acoustic Imaging Systems forBiofouling Detection
- Soarce