Rebranding SeaAhead
With climate change and rising sea levels forcing communities around the world to confront a changing reality, innovative entrepreneurs are turning to the ocean for solutions.
We founded SeaAhead in 2018 to connect bluetech startups to funding and support infrastructure. Our team drew on their experience pioneering venture-based innovation in cleantech, biotech, and agtech, and we’ve since built a thriving community of investors, industry leaders, and stakeholders to equip innovators with the tools they need to succeed.
It’s easy to forget that we’re a startup ourselves. In four years, SeaAhead has grown into an open-innovation ecosystem that produces scalable commercial solutions to modern day challenges. In addition to cutting-edge solutions that address climate change and support natural ecosystems, our startups are creating jobs, building workforce equity, and generating returns for their investors.
“Our goal with the rebrand was to help clarify our larger mission of attracting and supporting great entrepreneurs to apply their skills in solving challenges in ocean health and ocean sustainability. ”
The rebrand process took a year. We agonized over colors and logos. We had brainstorming sessions about our mission, our values, and our vision for the future. We see a world of improved ocean health through a successful implementation of bluetech innovation, while simultaneously revitalizing coastal communities in a multi-generational movement for change.
We spoke with cofounders Mark Huang and Alissa Peterson about what this brand refresh means for SeaAhead.
What does the rebrand mean for SeaAhead?
Alissa: Last year, we decided that SeaAhead had grown so much with so many new projects since 2018, the ad hoc brand wasn’t working for us anymore. We decided that it was time to undergo the formal process to design the SeaAhead brand to really home in on our mission.
Mark: Bluetech as a so-called “sector” - specifically, innovation tied to ocean sustainability – is so new, and SeaAhead was a first mover. Our rebrand reflects the continued evolution and growth in bluetech worldwide.
How does the new logo reflect SeaAhead’s evolving mission?
Alissa: With the new logo, we wanted to continue placing importance on the intersection of the ocean and the shore. We wanted to maintain those characteristics but also interject more dynamism into the logo to demonstrate how vibrant the community is and how much is changing.
Mark: I always liked the three colors in the old logo: the coast, deep sea, and air. The SeaAhead logo and brand is evolving and growing with the sector at large, but the fundamental principles are still there.
What did the rebranding process reveal about SeaAhead’s objectives?
Alissa: It helped us clarify our mission. Through the process, we honed in on the concept that catalyzing, building, and investing were the core activities happening within SeaAhead. That was helpful because the term “open innovation platform” can be opaque, making it difficult for people to understand how to engage and how all our activities contribute to the whole.
Our goal with the rebrand was to help clarify our larger mission of attracting and supporting great entrepreneurs to apply their skills in solving challenges in ocean health and sustainable ocean industries.
How can people engage with SeaAhead moving forward?
Mark: By definition, “open innovation” means anyone who is interested is welcome. We’re more than a website that deploys capital. SeaAhead builds capacity; that’s how we’re different. If you have an idea and you’re really brave, we have a place for you. If you feel like you could help a startup, we’d love to have you. If you’re an accredited investor interested in learning about the intersection of economic growth and sustainability, we have a place for you. We’re a community.