SeaAhead’s Program Manager, Taylor Witkin, caught up with Todd McGuire, Managing Director of 11th Hour Racing, to discuss the organization’s role in Rhode Island’s sustainable future, and support for the RI BlueGreen Innovation Challenge.

SeaAhead, Inc. and the New England Aquarium have selected the first cohort of six startups for the BlueSwell Incubator Program, New England’s first dedicated, early-stage bluetech incubator. The program is designed to support the creation and growth of startups with solutions that have the potential for significant impact on ocean health, sustainable ocean industries and global resilience.  

SeaAhead, Inc. and the New England Aquarium have selected the first cohort of six startups for the BlueSwell Incubator Program, New England's first dedicated, early-stage bluetech incubator.

SeaAhead, National Grid and CIC Providence have opened applications for the BlueGreen Innovation Challenge.

SeaAhead’s Project Manager, Taylor Witkin, caught up with Terry Sobolewski, President of National Grid Rhode Island, to discuss the utility’s role in Rhode Island’s clean energy future, focus on innovation, and support for the RI BlueGreen Innovation Challenge, in partnership with SeaAhead and CIC Providence. Terry Sobolewski joined National Grid in August 2011. In his current role as President of National Grid RI, he leads the company’s efforts to deliver safe, reliable, clean and affordable energy for 750,000 electric and gas customers across the Ocean State.

“This month we’ll be launching a partnership with SeaAhead and the Cambridge Innovation Center to recruit competitors for the first Rhode Island BlueGreen Innovation Challenge.”

Seaweed cultivation is growing worldwide and is an exciting area of sustainable business. However, the cost and complexity of processing infrastructure is often an overlooked but important factor in the viability of business opportunities. Drying, in particular, is critical for any seaweed that will not be sold fresh locally. Drying drastically reduces shipping costs (both monetary and environmental), preserves the seaweed, and makes secondary processing easier.

Despite growing global enthusiasm for seaweed cultivation, both as a business opportunity and an environmental benefit, the real track record of the industry is decidedly mixed.  In this article, I explore a few recent cases where the intended benefits of seaweed didn’t materialize, and some where it actually generated unexpected damage. 

“Last month, SeaAhead hosted the Global Bluetech Summit.”

“SeaAhead’s Global Bluetech Summit in New York City brought together high-level stakeholders from around the world to discuss and support innovation at sea.”

“Boston’s first innovation hub dedicated to BlueTech startups, SeaAhead, was founded last year by Mark Huang, a veteran of cleantech venture capital funds.”

The New England Aquarium and SeaAhead are initiating their partnership by launching a new Venture Fellows-in-Residence program.

SeaAhead and the Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) announced today their partnership to open the first dedicated Bluetech Innovation Hub in Boston.

Mark Huang on ‘Why Bluetech, Why Now?’

In addition to a business advisory role, SeaAhead is hoping to secure financing that will allow it to provide financial assistance to promising startups.

“If we’re thinking about new technology, there’s offshore wind power and coastal resiliency, networks that would allow a detailed model of where flooding [would occur],” explained SeaAhead Executive Director and co-founder Alissa Peterson.