It is with mixed emotion that we announce that Don Grant stepped down as the Executive Director of the Ocean Startup Project effective today. He felt it was important to stay until OceanFest launched successfully yesterday in Montréal. Don has accepted a new position and is leaving our amazing team to work with a private sector company.

MONTRÉAL (July 13, 2023) ― National and regional organizations that support and drive Canada’s blue economy gathered today in Montréal for OceanFest 2023. Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, the Ocean Startup Project and Novarium rallied to hold this first-time, in-person event that focused on entrepreneurship and early stage oceantech companies. OceanFest took place as part of the annual Startupfest, which over the past 13 years has earned billing as one of the world’s must-attend startup conferences.

Four early stage teams have won a total of $22,500 in the first-ever Ocean Communities Climate Challenge, presented by the Ocean Startup Project ― a national organization making Canada the best place in the world to start and grow an ocean company.

During Ocean Week Canada and on the heels of World Oceans Day, the Ocean Startup Project with the support of its partners launched a call for applications for its fourth cohort of Lab2Market Oceans.

In alignment with other Lab2Market Validate programs, Lab2Market Oceans is a 16-week program (8 weeks fulltime) that welcomes virtual participation by graduate students, postdoctoral fellows and recent graduates from any Canadian university, nationwide.

CANADA, (March 28, 2023) – The Ocean Communities Climate Challenge is a new competition to find promising ideas that may only be a ripple in an innovator or entrepreneur’s mind. The Ocean Startup Project and its partners want to transform strong ideas into massively scalable companies that will improve the health of our oceans and help solve some of the most pressing climate challenges.

Thirty ocean technology startups will make significant contributions to the health of our oceans and the Blue Economy as part of the 2022 Ocean Startup Challenge, presented by the Ocean Startup Project.

Six-hundred-forty-thousand dollars will be distributed to winners to support the development of their sustainable ocean solutions. They will also undergo ocean-focused training and workshops, receive feedback and guidance from industry experts like our  Executives-In-Residence, participate in networking opportunities, and so much more.  

The Ocean Startup Project, a national organization making Canada one of the best places in the world to start and grow an ocean venture, has selected 60 idea and early stage ocean technology startups for the shortlist of the Ocean Startup Challenge, with up to $750,000 being distributed to the winners. Additional program benefits include valuable business support such as mentorship, networking opportunities, events, expert-led workshops, and so much more. 

CANADA, (September 12, 2022) – The Ocean Startup Project is thrilled to welcome 20 teams to the third cohort of its Lab2Market Oceans program. The seven-week program fosters an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset in postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and faculty, inspiring teams to explore their ocean research ideas in a new way and identify commercialization opportunities.