VentureWell, in partnership with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), has selected 15 startups for the Fall 2026 Stage 1 cohort of the VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator. Together, the teams are advancing the blue economy with practical innovations—from turning desalination brine into critical minerals, to powering sensors with river and coastal currents, detecting microplastics with ultrasound, charging undersea drones, and democratizing ocean data access.
Building on the accelerator’s successful first year, the Fall 2026 Stage 1 programming continues to advance commercialization readiness and support innovators at the forefront of coastal innovation.
The program offers each company three months of targeted mentorship and virtual sessions; a three-day, in-person workshop; and a $15,000 Technology Development and Commercialization (TDC) award. Participants also gain access to a multi-year support pipeline that offers staged mentorship and more than $140,000 in additional non-dilutive funding opportunities.
Introducing the Fall 2026 Cohort
Afthon Sentinel
Mason, Ohio
Afthon Sentinel uses river and coastal currents to power its sensors and long-range signals, gathering low-cost data on water quality, waves, currents, and the energy potential of moving water.
AquaFrontier Technologies
Brooklyn, New York & Costa Mesa, California
AquaFrontier Technologies is building an open-ocean data platform powered by the Geery Glider, an underwater robot that moves like marine life and carries cameras and acoustic and environmental sensors—making ocean data affordable for those previously priced out.
BIRE Technologies
Pensacola, Florida
BIRE Technologies is developing sensors that draw their power from moving water, allowing continuous, reliable monitoring in remote, hard-to-reach rivers and tidal channels where other equipment can’t easily operate.
BluCore Minerals
San Bernardino, California
BluCore Minerals recovers valuable minerals from desalination brine and generates water quality data, securing critical resources domestically while improving ocean infrastructure sustainability.
Blue Data Technologies
Essex, Montana
The team is developing a working prototype of a portable, low-power, submersible trail camera for monitoring salmon spawning streams, coral reefs, and near-shore marine environments.
Electrocean
Virginia Beach, Virginia
Electrocean runs an electric current through marine reefs to accelerate oyster growth and productivity, while pulling carbon dioxide from the water and locking it into rock-like mineral deposits that protect shorelines and restore coastal ecosystems.
H2X
Bethlehem, Pennsylvania
H2X recovers clean, usable water from the extremely salty wastewater produced by offshore oil and gas operations. Instead of filters that clog, it uses a field-proven approach that combines specialized solvents and low-grade waste heat to separate water from contaminants.
The HUMPBAC Sensor
Fairfax Station, Virginia
The HUMPBAC Sensor is a flow-through, real-time sensor for microplastic pollution, using ultrasound instead of lasers to dramatically cut sampling times and costs.
HydroVelo
Corvallis, Oregon
HydroVelo measures coastal waves and currents remotely—with no in-water equipment—using its new Surface Velocity Scanner technology and paired data analysis.
Kaiyu Oceans
Tallahassee, Florida
Kaiyu Oceans is building boat-mounted sensors that form a decentralized network of weather data points, delivering more accurate and localized marine weather data.
Rilear Industries
Cambridge, Massachusetts
Rilear Industries is building a network of underwater charging stations that allow autonomous underwater vehicles to recharge without surfacing, extending their deployment time and operational range.
Shred Electric
New Gloucester, Maine
Shred Electric powers remote aquaculture operations with off-grid solar-and-battery units paired with its ShredConnect™ system, which streams live data on energy use, refrigeration, and shellfish health.
Sidonia
New Haven, Connecticut
Sidonia is building an artificial intelligence–powered live dispatch and operating system layer for maritime operators and supply-chain coordinators, utilizing workflow tools that help maritime operators reduce fuel burn and increase job efficiency, enabling a more connected and efficient port ecosystem.
WatchSpotter
Vero Beach, Florida
WatchSpotter transforms environmental research with customizable data collection and analytics tools for researchers, scientists, and educators, with a platform offering real-time data analytics—empowering users to make informed decisions and influence policy changes with data-driven evidence.
Woven Laboratories
Los Angeles, California
Woven Laboratories is building decentralized ocean sensors with machine learning that overcome marine bandwidth constraints, delivering continuous, real-time maritime situational awareness at a fraction of the cost.
Stage 1 virtual programming will begin on September 23, with weekly coaching sessions held until December 16. The in-person portion will be conducted at the Homer L. Hitt Alumni and Visitors Center, in conjunction with the Louisiana State University (LSU) New Orleans Research and Technology Park November 9-11, 2026. We look forward to supporting the progress of these teams as they build their solutions, conduct customer discovery, and continue to advance innovation for the blue economy.