BlueSwell program welcomes fourth cohort of startups
Photo Credit: Allegro Photography LLC
Five new bluetech startups target areas including decarbonization, ocean data collection, and cellular agriculture.
by Pam Bechtold Snyder
SeaAhead, Inc. and the New England Aquarium have selected a fourth cohort of startup companies for BlueSwell, a bluetech incubator program with a focus on bridging the gaps between innovators, ocean experts, and the venture community. To improve ocean health, sustainable ocean industry, and global resilience, BlueSwell supports the creation and growth of solutions-based startup companies.
“Taking action for the ocean is a crucial element of the work we do at the New England Aquarium, and the BlueSwell program is the epitome of ensuring access to all who are joining in the effort,” said Emiley Lockhart, Associate Vice President for Ocean Sustainability, Technology, and Innovation in the Aquarium’s Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life. “We are thrilled to be a part of bringing the next cohort into the community and advising them as they help expand the local blue economy.”
Following the selection process for Cohort IV, BlueSwell will be funding five companies in areas including promoting ocean-climate innovation and mitigating ocean pollution. The startup companies are:
atdepth MRV– is helping provide cost-effective measurement, reporting, and verification for marine carbon dioxide removal projects in the ocean.
Bluemvmt – is building a platform for underwater environmental monitoring with a focus on marine protected areas.
DetoXyFi Inc.– has a patent-pending, low-cost, biodegradable, rapid deployable water filter made from waste wood to provide clean drinking water for disaster relief.
Marinas Bio– uses cellular agriculture to cultivate seafood delicacies to improve quality and consistency, and to reduce production time.
Vycarb Inc.– is empowering the blue economy with tools to monitor and mitigate the impacts of climate change in the oceans.
The program provides teams with $50,000 of funding; access to leaders from industry, investment, academia, government, and NGOs; a cohort of peer companies to learn from; and mentorship, including workshops designed to improve their leadership skills and business acumen. Six startups graduated from BlueSwell’s third cohort earlier this year, with business concepts ranging from underwater weather forecasting to wind propulsion systems for ships.
“These five startups are a great addition to the BlueSwell community, bringing fresh ideas and incredible talent,” said SeaAhead Co-Founder and Executive Director Alissa Peterson. “This program was designed to support high-growth companies that will make an impact for the ocean and blue economy, and we look forward to continuing this work with the cohort.”
Over the next six months, the startups will receive individualized guidance from SeaAhead, the Aquarium’s ocean science, policy, and advising arm (the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life), an extended network of advisors, and coworking for the length of the program at the Cambridge Innovation Center in Kendall Square. Cohort IV begins on September 19 with mentor matching, industry site visits, and a focus on creating a product with market fit.
The BlueSwell program is made possible by sponsoring foundations, public sector entities, companies, and individuals that prioritize the ocean as a source of solutions, including the U.S. Department of Energy’s Water Power Technologies Office, the U.S. Economic Development Agency, Orsted, the Massachusetts Clean Energy Center, the Massachusetts Tech Collaborative, Oceankind, Builders Vision, Cambridge Innovation Center, Giant Shoulders, Foley Hoag, Wolf & Company, Freeport Metrics, and Goodwin Proctor.