2021 Ocean Startup Challenge Shortlist

Congratulations to the companies progressing to the 2021 Ocean Startup Challenge’s final round!

a2o Advanced Materials (Vancouver, BC) is developing the next generation of underwater adhesive and bonding coatings. 

3dditive Materials (St. John’s, NL) is developing a solution that uses state-of-the-art wire arc additive manufacturing technology to fabricate large-scale components for marine industries.

3F Waste Recovery (Main Brook, NL) develops and manufactures high value natural ingredients from the fish, farm and forest waste of Newfoundland and Labrador.

Acoustic Bait Technologies (Antigonish, NS) is developing an alternative bait system for the lobster fishery using recorded acoustic lobster sounds to modify the behavior of lobsters and attract them into lobster traps.

ALMA-TECH (Halifax, NS) is a 3D-printing marketplace for remote industries such as offshore oil-&-gas that are looking to reduce surplus inventory and the costs associated with downtime.

Aimsir Technologies (Montreal, QC) aims to increase ocean-based weather information and significantly improve weather forecast accuracy by retrofitting vessels around the world with Automatic Weather Stations.

Ashored (Bedford, NS) focuses on developing solutions for commercial fixed-trap fisheries like crab and lobster. The company is currently developing a solution to completely automate and digitize the trap registration and tracking system used in the commercial lobster fishery industry. 

Atlantique Nord Innovation (Shippagan, NB) develops functional products that help address the fish waste problem in Atlantic Canada by extracting value from parts of the fish that would typically be dumped into landfills. Their first product in development, ÖVIE, is a refreshing functional carbonated drink infused with marine collagen. 

BujiBui (Vancouver, BC) is a cloud-based solution that delivers lossless and detailed representations of very large 3D data to desktops, mobiles, and wearables in VR/AR/MR. With it, one can interactively access the largest of industrial digital twins, even over satellite.

Canscan Softwares and Technologies (Montreal, QC) uses machine vision, artificial intelligence and existing infrastructure to automate visual inspection processes in ports, container depots and intermodal yards.

Copsys Industries (Halifax, NS) is advancing a disruptive technology platform to enable live remote digital twinning and added corrosion management to extend ocean asset life and reduce integrity assurance cost.

CORSphere (St. John’s, NL) is developing an industrial asset maintenance tracking software empowered through cross-platform data interconnectivity, collaboration between maintainers, and predictive analytics to reduce downtime.

Dartmouth Ocean Technologies (Dartmouth, NS) designs, fabricates and markets microfluidic Lab-On-Chip (LOC) sensors, environmental DNA (eDNA) Samplers and ocean deployment platforms to monitor oceans, lakes and rivers.

Devocéan (Granby, QC) develops underwater acoustic triggers that help recover equipment underwater. Devocean’s first commercial target is the fishing market where its triggers allow better cohabitation with marine mammals. 

DownNorth Technologies (Halifax, NS) is developing water purification solutions for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) that uses microbial electrochemical cell technology to remove fish waste without producing toxic by-products or mal-odour compounds.

Element Extraction Technology (Charlottetown, PE) focuses on the implementation of subcritical water extraction for the purpose of extracting valuable compounds from ocean waste, such as total-phenolics and natural antioxidants that are available in seafood waste and in sea invasive species. 

ExTech MIP (St. John’s, NL) is developing an extraction device to make analyzing contaminants in water faster and more efficient. 

GALAXIA Mission Systems (Halifax, NS) is developing a constellation of AI-based small satellites in Low Earth Orbit that provide close to real-time monitoring of ocean-based assets.

Gazpek (Dartmouth, NS) is developing subsea data centers that maximize advantages of the natural cooling phenomenon of sea water, harness “ghost power” lost in offshore wind cable transmission, and provide improved latency.

GC Lipid Tech (Montreal, QC) alleviates the ecological pressure on marine life caused by unsustainable fish feed.

GeoSpatial Strategy Group (Antigonish, NS) is decreasing offshore wind development site investigation costs while improving site characterization efficiency, accuracy, and resolution through machine learning-enabled software.

Glas Ocean Electric (Halifax, NS) provides leading solutions for emissions reduction through electric propulsion systems on workboats and vessels to grid energy storage.

In Nature Robotics (Hanwell, NB) makes low-cost autonomous airboats for water quality monitoring and surveying applications in coastal or inland environments. 

IntegraSEE Research (Dartmouth, NS) has developed a real-time vision-based biomonitoring system using mussel behaviour that acts as a canary in the coal mine for aquaculture producers and helps guard against an array of waterborne issues that directly impact production.

IntelliReefs CAN (Halifax, NS) restores and enhances degraded ocean ecosystems by designing nanotechnology artificial reefs and infrastructure solutions that increase economic security, biodiversity, coastal protection, and ongoing resilience. The company is collaborating with Dalhousie University researchers to adapt their technology for kelp growth and attraction of commercially and biologically important fish and lobster species.

Kavacha (Canoe Cove, PE) is developing a sustainable antifoul protection that makes clean protein possible by eliminating pesticides and plastics in aquaculture and marine applications through advanced materials science innovations. 

Kelph (Waterloo, ON) is developing a system to help fish farmers remove fish waste by supplying them with a superior filtration system that encompases solid waste removal and a biological filter unit that utilizes kelp.

Konree Innovation (St. John’s, NL) is developing an in-cage solution for sea lice management and control in salmon aquaculture.

Luna Sea Solutions (Lunenburg, NS) is creating LunaTide: a Data-as-a-Service tidal current forecasting system to help ocean industries make better decisions. 

Mabel Systems (Sydney, NS) uses real-time location technology to help seafood and aquaculture processors automate and access accurate data in their operations for better and faster decision-making. 

MacDonald Hallett Oceans Protection Engineering Group (Dartmouth, NS) is developing an Autonomous Emergency Towing System for ships that are in distress, or have been evacuated and left abandoned. This pre-rigged, remotely operated, quick release, autonomously deployed system will bring a ship under control and safely in tow thereby, saving life at sea, preventing loss of ships and cargo, and avoiding environmental disasters with huge liabilities.

Marecomms (Halifax, NS) designs and develops wireless communication and remote sensing solutions for maritime environments. 

Marimetrics Technologies (Dartmouth, NS) designs, develops and markets technologies for monitoring fish health and welfare in the aquaculture industry. 

Maersk Supply Service Canada (St. John’s, NL) is developing an offshore charging solution that aims to eliminate emissions from idling vessels, and charge vessels with clean electricity offshore.

Naav Labs (Dartmouth, NS) is developing a simple to use technology that integrates computer vision, machine learning and augmented reality to help shipbuilders validate “Built as Designed”, drastically reducing costly errors and allowing real-time decision making.

Nereus Pharma (Toronto, ON) develops innovative pharmaceutical products for the aquaculture industry, with a focus on improving aquaculture health sustainability. Their first product is a new antibiotic formulation that could potentially reduce antibiotic environmental contamination by as much as 90%. 

Newfoundland Seaweed Company (St. John’s, NL) develops products that support brain health through antioxidant marine lipids from mussels and seaweed aquaculture.

Nova Institute (Oakville, ON) is developing a flexible, highly scalable motion absorbing generator that harvests energy from motion and is 100 times more efficient than traditional turbines. 

Nova Robotics (Porters Lake, NS) has developed a cost effective Tag Line Spring Release to enable existing lobster and crab fishing gear to comply with new Canada-wide DFO weak rope regulations, which would otherwise force crab fishers and some lobster fishers to cease operations.

Ocean Set (St. John’s, NL) is developing an online platform that offers software tools and online services that allow ocean organizations to find, broker, cleanse, prepare, and exchange their data.

Octo-M Technologies (Edmonton, AB) is developing in-situ water monitoring technologies to sample, detect, and characterize microplastics. 

Open Ocean Engineering (Hong Kong, CN) – company description coming soon.

Open Ocean Robotics (Victoria, BC) produces autonomous boats powered by solar energy to deliver real-time ocean insights. The company is developing SeaSense, an autonomous maritime protection system using aerial and surface uncrewed vehicles that will offer a valuable solution for Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated (IUU) fishing enforcement, as well as other maritime monitoring applications.

OSCPS Motion Sensing (Montreal, QC) is developing a more affordable high performance, light-weight fully integrated motion sensing optical chip for autonomous vehicles that is up to 50 times smaller and uses 8 times less power. 

Oxebow Enterprises (Yarmouth, NS) is developing an on-board crustacean sorting and grading machine to allow people working on fishing boats to increase efficiency so crews can focus on other important tasks while the catch is automatically processed.

Planetary Hydrogen (Dartmouth, NS) produces hydrogen while taking CO2 out of the air, transforming it into an antacid and locking it away in ocean chemistry for 100’s of thousands of years.

Pombcoup Technologies (Tusket, NS) is improving trawl fishing methods to help restore and maintain important fish habitats while reducing operating costs for fish harvesters.

Precipice Sensors (Montreal, QC) aims to improve the coverage and accessibility of coastal water level sensors by developing compact technology that is easy to install and maintain.

qualiTEAS (St. John’s, NL) is a corrosion inspection service company developing an AI-integrated image analysis software for near-real-time detection of corrosion and cracks on subsea assets.

Quantum Devices Corp. (Halifax, NS) develops leading edge enhanced sensor and camera sun spectrum range technology for 2D, optical chemistry, and depth sensing using a single camera chip for mobile, transportation, and medical imagery.

Rising Tide BioAcoustics (Dartmouth, NS) provides acoustic systems for fish deterrence, guidance and attraction, marine mammal deterrence, and control/eradication of invasive species.

SARSync (Conception Bay South, NL) – is creating a maritime search and rescue (MSAR) platform that connects incident commanders to real-time search data, assets and third-parties to better conduct searches.

SeaChange Biochemistry (Cape Sable Island, NS) has designed a unique biorefinery process to simultaneously produce multiple high value chemicals from a single seaweed species.

SeaHawk Robotics (Vancouver, BC) provides increased access to ocean data by using drones capable of landing on water and deploying sensors below the surface.

SednaLink Marine Systems (Iqaluit, NU) aims to increase access to key decision making information in the Arctic by integrating sensor technology into telecommunication cables to monitor marine environmental conditions. 

Sedna Technologies (Dartmouth, NS) has developed a mobile IoT sensor platform that allows aquaculture operations to effectively reduce waste and increase efficiency by providing real time data on the environmental and physical conditions live fish are exposed to during high stress events throughout their production. 

Skaldyr (Sydney, NS) is a functional ingredient company focused on developing marine-sourced nutraceuticals by upcycling underutilized marine by-products. 

Simple Research and Development (North Vancouver, BC) aims to empower the world’s remote and underdeveloped communities through their buoy pontoon bridge wave energy harvester that harvests kinetic wave energy and converts it into power. 

Sma’knis Maritime Safety and Security (Eel River Bar, NB) is designing a hybrid electric propulsion system for Rigid Hulled Inflatable Boats (RHIBs) to enable more sustainable ocean research and marine transportation. 

Smartfin (New York, NY) has developed an innovative sensor platform deployed with surfboards and paddleboards that uses IoT technology to connect citizen scientists with ocean scientists and decision makers to gather difficult-to-capture data in critical coastal environments for vital scientific understanding and protection against climate change.

Spatialnetic Solutions (Fredericton, NB) builds custom geospatial software, hardware and survey platforms that aims to improve access and control of technology in a connected way, so that marine workers can make sustainable decisions that benefit themselves and their communities.

StrobelTEK (St. John’s, NL) is developing a unique fully autonomous drone solution with a docking system that allows continual operations without any human interaction. 

SuBait (Dartmouth, NS) is taking a scientific approach to develop a superior sustainable lobster bait substitute based on seafood co-products replacing environmentally challenging commercial bait fish species. 

Traxe Technologies (Vancouver, BC) is developing a blockchain-as-a-service (BaaS) solution for seafood supply chain management software companies, enabling them to deliver seafood traceability to their stakeholders; namely retailers, end consumers, and the government.

Turquoise Revolution (Saint John, NB) is on a mission to make the blue economy greener by developing an innovative solution to dry seaweed crop biomass more efficiently. 

Virgil Group (Washington, DC) is preparing to launch its novel software solution designed to end the trade of illegal seafood and bolster buyer confidence by delivering instant, accurate validation of traceability data. 

White Coral Offshore Services (Vancouver, BC) is developing a solution to reduce energy consumption of ships by recovering and repurposing energy from onboard HVAC exhaust air systems. 

Whyatt Technologies (Pasadena, NL) is creating a digital application that will allow fish harvesters to go paperless by integrating with industry licensing and regulatory systems to ensure all required documents are easily accessible onboard fishing vessels.