The Ocean Startup Challenge, which offers idea- and early-stage bluetech startups up to $40,000 each, as well as specialized training, mentorship, networking and events, has revealed the 60-company shortlist for its third iteration.
Organized by the Ocean Startup Project -- which has offices across Canada but operates out of Newfoundland and Labrador's Genesis startup hub in the Atlantic region -- the Ocean Startup Challenge is a program that provides funding and mentorship to early-stage oceantech startups. Each year, it awards development capital to dozens of emerging companies with the goal of building out the pipeline of Canadian bluetech companies. This year, it will award a total of $750,000.
"It is invigorating and exciting to review such cutting-edge ideas from new, early stage ocean technology startups," said Executive Director Don Grant in a statement. "The potential for these ventures to make a significant impact on the health of the oceans is enormous.
"With the proliferation of new ocean ideas being generated across Canada annually, we are realizing on our goal to be leaders in the Blue Economy internationally.”
The Ocean Startup Challenge began in 2020 and helps turn entrepreneurial ideas or technology into viable businesses. Organizers said that since 2020, more than $1.4 million in funding has been provided to 43 teams through the first two cohorts of the Startup Challenge.
Here’s a look at the shortlisted companies:
Vancouver
Wholesale fish leather textiles for B2B and vertically integrated custom-made fish leather goods, all upcycled from food processing waste
St. John’s
AI web platform to streamline, standardise and de-skill microplastics analysis and reporting
Akwekon Enterprises
Halifax
A fast, stable and a long range smart electric fishing vessel
Port Alberni, BC
Zero-emissions, aluminium exploration sailing yachts
AquaIMX
Charlottetown
A novel biologic solution for enhancing fish immunity
Arkeea
California
AI integrated predictive technology as an alternative for in-situ sampling for harmful algal blooms
Azolla Technologies
Toronto
Oil derived from Azolla fern — an alternative to palm oil
Surrey, BC
A remote real-time environmental and structural farm monitoring system
Halifax
A biodegradable electric autonomous target vessel for navies
Clean Green Oil
Toronto
Technology for minimizing oil spill damage
Coastal Carbon
Calgary
An IoT-enabled remote sensing data platform for quantifying offsets from blue carbon projects
St. John's
A modular runway system for remote and northern communities made from recyclable materials
CuredCarbon
Cambridge, ON
Corrosion-resistant graphene coating for marine infrastructure
Cuttlefish Robotics
Listowel, ON
An efficient and silent underwater ROV
Surrey, BC
Wind assist technology for ships via retrofitting sails
Saint-Roch-de-Richelieu, QC
Software designed for fisher security
Vancouver, BC
Underwater laser technology for depth sounding, as a means of protecting whale and dolphin populations
eVinci Technologies
Burnaby
An automatic integrated technology for shiploader spout
Gamotech
Montreal
Electric mobile powered solutions for marine infrastructure maintenance
Antigonish, NS
AI integrated geohazard analysis platform to lower developments costs for marine energy projects
Dalhousie, NB
30-inch glowing ring for improving human safety
Greenline Marine
Victoria, BC
A data-driven, sustainable passenger-only ferry system for British Columbia
Halifax
Prebiotics from coconut residue for aquaculture and humans — a potential alternative to antibiotics
HoldFastNL Seaweed Farm
St. Mary’s, NL
A seaweed aquaculture pilot project for research and development
Québec, QC
Two technologies developed to eliminate plastic pollution in beaches and in grey water rejects from ships
Toronto
Adjustable weir solution for optimising hydroelectric power generation in hydro dams
Hypérion ML
Témiscouata-sur-le-Lac, QC
Autonomous bioreactor using microalgae for urban carbon sink purposes
Dartmouth, NS
Biomonitoring using mussel behaviour to detect hazardous waterborne issues that can harm marine life
Integrated Nanotech
Halifax
A novel EI spectroscopy based sensor with efficient ocean sensing capabilities
Intel Vision Technologies
Vancouver
An intelligent ROV for underwater welding operations
OPAS Mobile (Mavin Industrial Limited)
St. John’s
An intelligent operations management platform that improves safety, compliance and efficiency in the offshore industry
MF2S Industries
Grande Rivière, QC
Double threshold weakling to reduce whales entanglement
St. John’s
Real time hazardous gas monitoring technology for marine operations
Nereus Therapeutics
Toronto
A novel formulation of oxytetracycline (an antibiotic) for dose reduction and environmental sustainability
Ocean Harvest
New Brunswick
A data drive technology for identifying optimal fishing grounds
Ocean Sights Technologies
Halifax
AI integrated technology for efficient harvestation of snow crabs and lobsters
Marine Way
Milton, ON
A digit platform for the supply chain management of marine debris
Vancouver
OnDeck makes fisheries monitoring scalable with artificial intelligence: drastically reducing compliance costs for fishers while enabling better insight for fisheries management and conservation
Overflow Ocean
Montreal
An algae based food supplement for livestock
PhyCo
Vancouver and Charlottetown
A natural bio-based plastic derived from seaweed
Hampstead, NB
Innovative and sustainable building materials using plastic from oceans
Planette
Victoria, BC
An intelligent, data-driven maritime climate risk assessment platform
St. John’s
Advanced microbicidal technologies for aquaculture biosecurity
St John’s and Reston, MB
A novel monitoring technology for detecting power quality and integrity of subsea cables
Precision Pathways
St. John’s
Machine learning-driven intelligent decision support tool for ship operations in ice
Recircle Waste Management Solutions
Antigonish, NS
Recycling ocean plastic, ghost gear and residential plastic waste where it’s consumed, without a truck, transfer station or landfill
Halifax and Liverpool, NS
High-quality foldable solar panel for sailboats
SAFE HARBOUR Research & Technologies
Halifax
Technology for monitoring the safety of boats
Victoria, BC
A waste collection and utilization process
Salus Automated Technologies
Halifax
Drone monitoring system for tracking ocean infrastructure
New Glasgow, NS
An imaging platform for non-destructive analysis of ocean infrastructure
Seathru Technologies
Holyrood, NL
A digital twin remote monitoring system for marine vessels
Victoria, BC
Fiber reinforcement from ocean plastic waste for building infrastructure
Sma'knis Maritime Safety and Security
Halifax
Self-powered autonomous electric boat
Vancouver
Underwater turbine to harness clean energy from oceans
The Ocean Opportunity Lab (TOOL)
Oslo, Norway
The first global interactive map & community platform for connecting innovators and resources in ocean industries
Ultimate Lobster Bait
Souris, PE
A biochemical attractant for use as bait for American Lobster
Vancouver
A novel technology to eliminate microplastics in water
Montreal
Compostable materials made from seaweed
Wakkii LifeSciences
Ottawa
Natural wound care product developed from sea food waste
