The Ocean Startup Project is excited to announce that applications are now open for the fifth cohort of Lab2Market Oceans, a unique opportunity for Master’s and PhD students, postdocs, and recent graduates of Canadian universities conducting ocean-related research to gain entrepreneurial skill sets and explore commercialization opportunities in the sector. 

Lab2Market Oceans / Validate is an eight-week, full-time program that welcomes virtual participation from eligible students and recent graduates nationwide. Participants will receive $15,000 in funding, provided they are eligible for the Mitacs Business Strategy Internship (BSI) program.   

The 2024-2025 cohort will kick off in January 2025 and run for eight weeks with the application period ending Tuesday, September 3, 2024 at 11:59pm PDT.    

Lab2Market Oceans, part of the Ocean Startup Project, is hosted by Memorial University in collaboration with the University of Victoria and supported by the Government of Canada through the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency (ACOA), Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Mitacs, and Springboard Atlantic.  

We are looking for experienced entrepreneurs excited about supporting and accelerating early-stage ocean tech startups as Executive in Residence (EIR) of our Ocean Startup Challenge.

Are you ready to make waves in ocean sustainability and innovation? We’re excited to announce that applications for the Ocean Idea Challenge are now open until the end of day on June 9! This is your chance to explore groundbreaking ideas, undergo a transformative customer discovery journey, and potentially secure funding to bring your vision to life.

The Ocean Startup Project is delighted to announce Dr. Paula Mendonça as its new Executive Director. Dr. Mendonça’s appointment marks a significant stride towards fostering innovative, sustainable solutions and building a robust ocean startup ecosystem in Canada, while advancing the country’s role in the global Blue Economy.

The Ocean Startup Project proudly welcomes the 19 groundbreaking teams selected for the fourth cohort of its Lab2Market Oceans program, which kicks off today.

The seven-week program, hosted by Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador, is poised to cultivate an innovative and entrepreneurial mindset among postdoctoral fellows, graduate students and faculty, propelling teams to reimagine their ocean research concepts and uncover potential commercialization opportunities.

The Global Startup Ecosystem Report Climatetech Edition is now live and the Ocean Startup Project is listed among the Global Top Ecosystem Players in the #BlueEconomy! Launched at @COP28UAEOffical in Dubai, this data-driven report by @Startup Genome and the Global Entrepreneurship Network, together with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, Cleantech Group, La Zone Bleue, and Mississippi Development Authority presents expert insights into startup activity in Cleantech and the Blue Economy and provides key knowledge for entrepreneurs, support organizations, and policymakers.  

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.