Marine Microverse Institute in Kittery Point, Maine is developing a fish-DNA, species-authentication test using whole-genome diagnostic tools for fish retailers.

We’re catching up with Katherine Woolford, Program Manager of the BlueSwell Incubator as we recruit for BlueSwell’s Cohort III. Katherine told us about what tech is exciting her this year, what motivates her work, and much more.

Living underwater is not a new idea – explorers in the 1960s – such as Edwin Link and Jacque Cousteau – demonstrated that it is safe for humans to live under water for extended periods.

With a high density of bluetech assets, the Northeast is a global epicenter for bluetech innovation, which combines with SeaAhead’s relationships with investor groups, accelerators, incubators, research institutions, and industry to provide superb deal flow and informed investment diligence.

The oceans absorb an estimated twenty-five percent of carbon dioxide emissions through rich, biodiverse ecosystems. Phytoplankton, coral, kelp, algae, marine bivalves, and ocean sediments turn our seas into a natural carbon sink. In fact, marine ecosystems sequester ten times more carbon than terrestrial ecosystems.

BlueSwell has chosen a second cohort of startups supporting ocean health, tackling areas including plastics remediation, water sensor technology and sea urchin aquaculture.

SeaTrac designs and develops uncrewed surface vehicles for persistent in-shore and open-ocean missions. Energy is derived from solar panels; propulsion comes from a highly efficient electric motor. Power from the vessel’s substantial battery storage allows for consistent cruise speeds over days with varying weather conditions.

Partnership between SeaAhead and New England Aquarium focuses on early-stage entrepreneurship 

DTN Ventures is an early-stage investor associated with Great Mountain Partners, a private equity firm in New Haven, Connecticut, which was formed to provide institutional investors with guidance for their strategic investment portfolios.

A scientist, adventurer, boat designer, and entrepreneur, Julie Angus cofounded Open Ocean Robotics to help protect our oceans and offer solutions to some of our greatest maritime challenges.

CoLoadX was founded in 2015 in Queens, NY by logistics and software professionals Fauad Shariff and Petere Miner. Using digital logistics software, CoLoadX has created a container shipping marketplace to more efficiently procure and more effectively track the movement of e-commerce products.

The University of Southern Mississippi (USM) and SeaAhead announced an initiative to place Mississippi on the global stage for blue economy-related work.

Red Penguin Marine is an international group of companies working together to provide subsea cable engineering and marine consulting services; through strategic planning and operational support to investors, owners, developers, insurers, industry and regulatory bodies, and others with an interest in subsea cable systems.

On May 25th with over 200 participants, we talked about an intersection of Offshore Wind, Alternative Fuels, and Maritime Decarbonization. We heard from thought-leading corporations and watched flash talks from seven startups innovating in the space. If you missed the event, you can watch here.

The winners of Fast Company’s 2021 World Changing Ideas Awards were announced today, honoring the businesses, policies, projects, and concepts that are actively engaged and deeply committed to pursuing innovation when it comes to solving health and climate crises, social injustice, or economic inequality.

SeaAhead is thrilled to announce its new partnership with Ørsted, the global leader in offshore wind development, as we continue to support innovation for the ocean in this new Blue Decade. The collaboration will span our ocean innovation platform – from mentoring for startup members, to scouting for new technologies that can help advance their development projects, to engaging with the Blue Angels as they seek opportunities to invest in the companies that will have the largest impact on the sector. 

SeaAhead caught up with Boston-based FreightFlows CEO Matt Morgan to discuss the ripple effects of the recent incident in the Suez Canal and how tech and data analytics can mitigate impact from disasters, while streamlining normal operations.

SeaAhead, according to Peterson, has gathered 53 startup members all specifically in the bluetech space.

SeaAhead’s Blue Angel investor group was formed to deploy capital in the rapidly growing ocean economy, where innovation is expected to drive growth at twice the rate of average global GDP, while also increasing sustainability in ocean-related industries and tackling challenges to ocean health.

The Paris- based Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development estimates the blue economy will double to $3 trillion by 2030.