Ocean Startup Challenge seeks problem-solvers to help grow blue economy

WOC and Canada’s Ocean Supercluster “Ocean Startup Project” Team Up to Engage Ocean Solution Providers

Canada’s Ocean Supercluster “Ocean Startup Project” and the World Ocean Council (WOC) are collaborating to broaden the search for problem-solvers to take part in the Ocean Startup Challenge – applications close on 14 August.

The Ocean Startup Challenge is one of the newest leaders in the growing ecosystem of ocean-related incubators, accelerators and challenge competitions that the WOC is working to connect through the “Global Blue Economy Innovation Initiatives Network”. The network fosters and facilitates the sharing of best practices, improved communication and opportunities for coordination, synergies and developing economies of scale among the initiatives.

The Ocean Startup Challenge is a competition designed to find and support individuals and companies developing products or technologies that could solve challenges spanning aquaculture, fisheries, ocean transportation, bioscience, energy, healthy oceans and ecosystem services, energy, enabling technologies and data analytics.

The Ocean Startup Challenge will award up to 10 prizes of $25,000 CDN to each winning startup and scaleup to prototype their solutions. Winners will also receive key resources, support and connections that innovators need to succeed, including mentorship and guidance from partnering organizations in the Atlantic Canadian ecosystem. Winners will also be eligible to participate in a follow-on Ocean Startup Project activity, in which the Project will award $1.5 million CAD with any one company receiving up to another $200,000 CDN. For more information, see oceanstartupchallenge.ca. “Ocean industries across the world share many of the same challenges. As we seek to grow our ocean economies sustainably, there is a need for problem-solvers to bring their innovative ideas and solutions to the table,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “The Ocean Startup Challenge is an exciting opportunity to advance those ideas and solutions that could be the next big innovation in ocean. We are thrilled to see the World Ocean Council working together with the Ocean Startup Project to maximize the opportunity.”

“Ocean industries across the world share many of the same challenges. As we seek to grow our ocean economies sustainably, there is a need for problem-solvers to bring their innovative ideas and solutions to the table,” said Kendra MacDonald, CEO of Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. “The Ocean Startup Challenge is an exciting opportunity to advance those ideas and solutions that could be the next big innovation in ocean. We are thrilled to see the World Ocean Council working together with the Ocean Startup Project to maximize the opportunity.”

About the Ocean Startup Project
The Ocean Startup Challenge is led by the Ocean Startup Project, the first Innovation Ecosystem Project announced by Canada’s Ocean Supercluster. The Ocean Startup Project is a pan-Atlantic collaboration to create and grow high-quality ocean technology companies and attract more ventures to the region’s ecosystem. Collaborators include: Creative Destruction Lab (CDL) – Atlantic, Genesis, Innovacorp, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation, PEI BioAlliance, and Springboard Atlantic. In-kind supporters of the Ocean Startup Challenge include BDO Canada, Enginuity, IGNITE, McInnes Cooper, Propel, Saint Mary’s University Entrepreneurship Centre, and MaRS Discovery District in collaboration with Atlantic delivery partners, Venn Innovation, Startup Zone PEI and Volta.

Contact: Donald Grant, Executive Director, Ocean Startup Project
challenge@oceanstartupproject.ca

Blue Economy by the Numbers

Number of Ocean-related Innovation Incubators, Accelerators and Challenge Competitions: 88 (and counting!)

Source: WOC “Global Blue Economy Innovation Initiatives Network” Database

Recent and Upcoming WOC Outreach and Engagement

23 July, Webinar
African Oceans Dialogue (Speaker)

2-3 September, Online Summit
Global Arctic Shipping Summit (Speaker)

23-24 September, Online Summit
Shipping & the Blue Economy Virtual Forum (Partner)

World Ocean Council (WOC) – The Global Blue Economy Business Organization

The WOC is the international, cross-sectoral alliance for private sector leadership, collaboration and action on ocean sustainability, stewardship and science. Companies from a range of industries worldwide are distinguishing themselves as leaders in “Corporate Ocean Responsibility”, including: shipping, oil and gas, tourism, fisheries, aquaculture, mining, renewable energy, ocean technology and investment.

WOC Members are listed here, a part of the WOC Network of 35,000+ ocean industry stakeholders around the world. The WOC is a registered not-for-profit organization in the US and France.

Contact
email: info@oceancouncil.org  |  Web: www.oceancouncil.org

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