Washington Maritime Blue has announced its third Maritime Blue Innovation Accelerator cohort, an intensive mentor-based, four-month program focused on helping maritime industry start-ups learn how to scale and grow an equitable and sustainable blue economy. Maritime Blue is an independent, nonprofit organization building the leadership, infrastructure and global connections to scale the blue economy.

This Third Wave of 10 start-ups will participate in global networking events, mentorship opportunities and programming to evolve business development initiatives, messaging and communications, legal considerations, investments, financing, and other opportunities for growth. Start-ups receive access to Washington Maritime Blue industry and ocean leaders, alongside a global network of mentors and advisors.

Start-ups graduating from the first two cohorts of the Maritime Blue Innovation Accelerator program have gone on to achieve incredible success, including Discovery Health, now employing 200+ people across the region, Silverback Marine, recently awarded a grant with Pure Watercraft to build an all-electric pump-out vessel for the Port of Lopez, and two companies that advanced to acquisition. The combined total of capital investment into start-ups coming through the program is now over $200 million.

The Third Wave cohort comprises:

Adhere Gear (Portland, OR) – Trackable cargo gear
Algeon Materials (San Diego, CA) – Plastic alternative materials and packaging from macroalgae
Blue Dot Kitchen (Bainbridge Island, WA) – Sustainably sourced sea-based snack food
Carbon Orca (Seattle, WA) – Electric hydrofoil boards
Duplex M (Anacortes, WA) – Accurate operational profiles for installing batteries on your vessel
Marine Safety Solutions (Poway, CA) – Fire mitigation material for vessels
Photon Marine (Portland, OR) – Electric outboard engines for fleet vessels
Sea Potential (Seattle, WA) – Cultivates a full cycle of black indigenous people of color representation in maritime
Steamchain (Beaverton, OR) – Smart contract platform for business-to-business payment processing
WeavAir (Singapore) – Proactive end-to-end software and hardware solution for air distribution systems

You can learn more about the Maritime Blue Innovation Accelerator at: https://maritimeblue.org/blue-accelerator.