Twenty-two startups have been selected to participate in Stage 0 of the VentureWell Ocean Enterprise Accelerator. With the support of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), we are pleased to recognize these innovators as they take the first steps in developing and commercializing technologies that will transform and build the future of America’s coasts. Together, VentureWell and NOAA are working to achieve the overarching goal of the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator program—to support the adoption of new ocean data technologies and services for economic and societal benefit to the United States and our growing blue economy.
From next-generation artificial intelligence (AI) technologies to powerful batteries, energy independence solutions, and on-shoring materials manufacturing, this next generation of blue innovation aims to transform America’s coastal economies. This introductory Stage 0 program is designed to empower America’s innovators to reach commercialization, helping inventors and small businesses with both passion and bold ideas for coastal solutions to develop strategies for bringing their visions to life.
“Stage 0 represents a transformative opportunity for innovators to understand the potential in solutions for America’s coasts,” said VentureWell Senior Program Officer Mandy Sutton. “The blue economy is a space of extraordinary growth for American innovation, and we are excited to be finding new ideas for building the future of this exciting sector while supporting early-stage founders and small businesses.”
With three half-days of training in a virtual workshop plus a month of direct mentorship and customer discovery in between, these participants from across the country will gain an understanding of the next steps they need to take to advance their innovations, exploring the commercialization pathways necessary to launch their innovations. The businesses will receive ongoing mentorship from blue economy experts, intensive training, and opportunities to continue building and refining their innovations. Each venture participating in this stage will be eligible to apply for continued support in the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator program funnel, as this program prepares them for the next step, Stage 1.
Meet the Cohort
Algbio Inc.
Newark, Delaware
Algbio treats wastewater and captures carbon dioxide with microalgae to produce biofuels, bioplastics, and bioproducts.
Bialume: Real-Time Biomarker Monitoring
Juneau, Alaska
Bialume Technologies measures electrical properties of living organisms using bioimpedance to track biomarkers in fisheries, agriculture, and healthcare, enabling real-time monitoring of water health.
Bioechem
Boston, Massachusetts
Bioechem uses special microorganisms to convert carbon dioxide to electrolytes using biological batteries, which may be used to power marine microelectronics, sensors, and medical wearable devices.
Climate-Smart Decision Support for Policy and Business Strategy
Princeton, New Jersey
This innovation provides critical, location-specific data insights to help businesses and policymakers design effective adaptation strategies.
Coral Foundation | CoralX.ai
Miami, Florida
Coral Foundation unifies and analyzes data from diverse coral restoration groups, producing an annual impact-driven report using CoralX.ai, an AI tool trained exclusively on coral research solutions.
Cordelia Biosciences
Alachua, Florida
Cordelia Biosciences is driving clean chemical innovation through a portfolio of marine microbial feedstocks and a robust genomics and phenotypic database.
Crewless Marine Multi-Platform Acoustic Sensing
Narragansett, Rhode Island
Crewless Marine has developed an acoustic sensor and software that enables unmanned platforms to detect and localize sources of sound on the surface and underwater.
Deeply Embedded Ring Anchor: An Innovative Anchoring Solution for Floating Offshore Energy
Houston, Texas
The Deeply Embedded Ring Anchor (DERA) offers a secure, cost-effective, and environmentally friendly anchoring solution for a variety of applications, including mooring systems for offshore aquaculture, floating solar platforms, and oil and gas infrastructure where sustainable anchoring is desired.
Expand Power
San Francisco, California
Expand’s flexible, modular transformer integrates inverters, renewables, and energy storage systems in an all-in-one, controllable, compact power delivery system.
Fiora Mara
New York, New York
Fiora Mara leverages seaweed to capture carbon, offering a scalable, nature-based solution to restoring ocean health.
MP2 Solutions: Microplastic Identification System and Services
Baltimore, Maryland
MP2 Solutions has developed an automated microscope system paired with machine learning to detect and identify microplastics from environmental samples more efficiently than other available methods.
Nautigen Marine Biomolecular Exploration
Wilmington, North Carolina
Nautigen is a blue biotech startup focused on using advanced sensors and subsurface vehicles for sustainable bioprospecting in search of novel marine bioactive molecules in extreme environments.
Paramount Planet Product
Orono, Maine
Paramount Plant Product has developed a novel process to create 100% fibrillated cellulose packaging that biodegrades safely in marine environments, providing a sustainable alternative to traditional plastics.
ResiliReefs: Mobile Coral Labs for Scalable Reef Restoration
Santa Barbara, California
ResiliReefs has designed mobile coral restoration labs built in shipping containers to bypass permitting, material sourcing, and cost issues, thus ensuring scalable coral restoration initiatives.
Salient Direct Ocean Capture, LLC
Fort Washington, Maryland
Salient Direct Ocean Capture is developing an electrochemical module for producing carbon dioxide, hydrogen, and oxygen from seawater and electricity.
SeaCrete
Tacoma, Washington
SeaCrete is a seaweed-based concrete alternative that stores carbon and excess nutrients from invasive Sargassum muticum in an insulating concrete mix for construction.
Self-Powered Seaweed Cultivation Monitoring System
Albuquerque, New Mexico
This solution integrates sensors, power harvesting, data transmission, and analytics to provide a holistic solution for a self-powered, remote, real-time monitoring and protection solution for seaweed farmers.
ShellVive
New Haven, Connecticut
ShellVive repurposes discarded oyster shells into high-performance, cost-effective filtration media, providing a sustainable solution for industrial wastewater treatment.
Terra Watts
Saunderstown, Rhode Island
Terra Watts pioneers the future of wireless power transmission and data communication through the subsurface and salt water, allowing for better deployment of internet of things (IoT) devices in the subsurface.
VesselOps—Integrated Fleet Management System
New Bedford, Massachusetts
VesselOps is a data-integrated fleet management system that streamlines compliance, task management, digital authentication, and geospatial data to optimize fleet performance.
VISTA-DETECT: AI-Enabled Water Sensor for PFAS and Microplastic Detection
Boston, Massachusetts
VISTA-DETECT is a versatile immunodiagnostic smartphone-enabled tool for assessment and diagnostics of emerging toxins with effervescent catalysis technology.
YouSV Low Cost Uncrewed Surface Vessels
Farmville, Virginia
YouSV is developing low-cost uncrewed surface vessel (USV) technology for aquatic data collection and STEM education.
We congratulate the first-ever members of the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator Stage 0 program. The program will be hosted virtually May 28-29, with support continuing through the closing session on June 24. Stay tuned for more exciting updates, and stay informed about VentureWell’s expanded offerings and opportunities for innovators and entrepreneurs by joining our mailing list.