The sixth cohort of the Lab2Market Oceans/Validate program is beginning work with 18 new teams that aim to tackle challenges in the blue economy.

The eight-week program, hosted by Memorial University in Newfoundland and Labrador and delivered by the Ocean Startup Project, is designed to cultivate an entrepreneurial mindset among post-doctoral fellows, graduate students, and faculty. Participants receive a $15,000 stipend for the program, which is part of the national Lab2Market network, the Ocean Startup Project said in a statement.

This year’s Lab2Market Oceans/Validate cohort has accepted teams looking at such nautical solutions as quieter ships, cleaner exhaust, self-powered ocean sensors, and smarter electrified ports. The participants will work full-time on customer discovery, interviewing potential users, buyers, partners, and decision-makers to clarify whether their technology can solve real-world problems.

“We’ve run this program enough times to know that customer discovery isn’t a box to check — it’s where teams either find the signal or save themselves months of building in the wrong direction,” said Paula Mendonça, Executive Director at the Ocean Startup Project.

“The goal isn’t just great science — it’s solutions that actually get used. Validate helps teams bridge that gap by learning what buyers, users, and partners truly need, and what it takes to earn trust and adoption in the ocean space.”

This year’s recruitment process attracted 39 applications from eight post-secondary institutions. The 18 teams selected represent five  provinces – Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Newfoundland and Labrador. 

Launched in 2020, the accelerator has been recognized as one of the top five oceantech accelerators/incubators in North America and top 10 globally, according to Startup Genome’s report.

The teams are:

Ocean Monitoring, Sensing and Data Intelligence 

● EcoSense (Memorial University) — Developing self-powered marine monitoring devices using triboelectric nanogenerators and power management to harvest low-frequency energy from waves, wind, and currents.

● BlueWave RF (Memorial University) — Developing an AI-optimized RF energy harvesting and SWIPT platform to enable autonomous, battery-free marine IoT monitoring and communications.

● Deep Manthan (Dalhousie University) — Building a scalable AI platform that enhances selection, quality, and analysis of oceanographic datasets for climate.

Research, Marine Monitoring, and Offshore Operations

● COASTAIR (Memorial University) — Building an AI-powered drone platform using red-green-blue and hyperspectral imaging and computer vision to detect, classify, and quantify coastal pollution through rapid aerial surveys and automated analysis.

● FishNet Map (Memorial University) — Developing a real-time, interactive fishnet mapping pipeline/application for aquaculture planning, monitoring, and decision-making.

Cleaner Shipping, Ports and Marine Energy Systems

● OpTecMaritime - Operational & Optimization Technologies for Maritime Systems (Memorial University) — Developing a waste-heat-driven re-liquefaction and cold-energy recovery system to reduce boil-off gas losses and improve energy efficiency in LNG shipping.

● PORT-EM (Memorial University) — Developing a smart port energy platform that forecasts and optimizes electrified port demand alongside ocean renewable supply using machine learning and embedded control.

● HydroDynamiX (Memorial University) — Developing a high-efficiency DC-DC converter to enable scalable, reliable power delivery for marine renewable energy systems.

Advanced Manufacturing and Resilient Marine Supply Chains

● MARINA – Marine Additive Research for Innovation in Next-gen Applications (Memorial University) — Developing additively manufactured, durable, lightweight, anti-fouling ship components to improve efficiency, reduce fuel use, and minimize environmental impact.

● Maritech Additive Solutions Inc. (University of New Brunswick) — Developing next-generation marine impellers using advanced materials and additive manufacturing to boost efficiency, reduce maintenance, and extend operational life.

● AddManuChain (Dalhousie University) — Developing a digital inventory and on-site additive manufacturing solution that enables offshore operators to produce critical spare parts on demand and reduce downtime and logistics delays.

Emissions, Noise and Air Quality

● Quiecean (McGill University) — Developing a plasma-based device for marine transportation systems to reduce noise and filter chemical pollutants in exhaust gases. Security and resilient ocean infrastructure.

● BlueSec AI (Memorial University) — Developing an AI-driven cybersecurity platform to protect ocean-based critical infrastructure (including subsea cables, offshore energy systems, and smart ports) through real-time anomaly detection, digital twin simulations, and autonomous cyber response.

Carbon Removal and Climate Solutions

● Rift Technology (McMaster University) — Developing a scalable membrane-based system that removes atmospheric CO2 by enhancing ocean alkalinity while producing clean hydrogen.

● AquaCarbon (Memorial University) — Developing ocean-based carbon removal using Direct Ocean Electrocapture (DOE), combining metal-organic frameworks and electrochemical processes to capture CO2 from seawater.

Aquaculture, Biosecurity and Safer Ocean Operations

● O3Blue (Memorial University) — Developing a portable, tunable pulsed-power ozone generator for safer, on-site disinfection in aquaculture and marine applications.

Circular Ocean Economy and Sustainability

● NanoOcean (Memorial University) — Developing nanoparticles from seafood waste to support more sustainable environmental practices.

Well-being and Services in the Ocean Workforce

● Mission to Seafarers Newfoundland and Labrador (Memorial University) — Developing a hybrid welfare model that connects seafarers to support services through digital tools and on-the-ground programming.