SAN FRANCISCO (PRWEB)
October 06, 2020

Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), a global non-profit organization that advances the impact of ocean leaders and ocean solution startups, today announced its 3rd ocean tech cohort.

In the Sustainable Development Goals developed by the United Nations, SDG14 outlines the need to conserve and sustainably use ocean, sea and marine resources. However, since the publication of the 17 Development Goals in 2015, SDG14 remains one of the least addressed SDG solutions with a lack of recognition, corporate sponsorships and solutions.

“SOA was founded in response to the United Nations’ SDG 14, and we view it as our responsibility to identify and uplift the voices that are shaping the ocean’s future,”

says Daniela Fernandez, Founder and CEO of SOA. “We launched one of the first ocean’s solutions accelerators to address ocean threats and to ensure meeting the goal of protecting Life Under Water.”

As the pace of climate change accelerates, and ocean pollution and acidification reach perilous levels, the need to develop sustainable solutions for the ocean has become life threateningly critical.

With nearly 300 applications to the 3rd cohort, the latest wave of applications demonstrates that ocean solutions are an ever-growing urgent priority among global innovators, founders, and entrepreneurs. SOA remains committed to supporting these solutionists by accelerating companies dedicated to preserving and restoring the health of our ocean.

“Having overseen our past accelerators, I was particularly encouraged by this year’s applicant pool to see the varying types of solutions, as well as an increase in the number of entrepreneurs that are actively building technologies to address the critical challenges that face the ocean. This year, in spite of the COVID-19 pandemic, we saw our largest and most diverse applicant pool to date,” says Craig Dudenhoeffer, Chief Innovation Officer at SOA and Co-Founder of the Ocean Solutions Accelerator.

The companies accepted into the cohort represent SOA’s global presence and address a wide range of ocean threats using technological advancements in areas of habitat destruction, seafood supply chain, water treatment systems and plastic pollution. Over 50% of the cohort’s startups are led by female CEO’s.

The nine accepted startups will begin SOA’s Virtual Program on October 5th and will run for a full four weeks, culminating in a virtual demo day on November 5th, where the founders of each company will showcase their solutions before the media and investors.

• Aquaai: Norway. Aquaai US/Norway: Aquaai is a data and marine robotics company with a vision to help keep humanity alive through sustainable and environmentally friendly practices by combining risk management and biomimicry. Aquaai has developed a specialized, flexible, fishlike Autonomous Underwater Vehicle loaded with cameras and sensors that “swims” close to the source unobtrusively for superior data acquisition then transmit the visual and environmental data in near real-time to an online dashboard for customer access.
• AKUA: Brooklyn, New York. The Beach, Our Planet. AKUA creates plant-based foods that can feed us sustainably while reversing climate change, and restoring health to our world’s oceans. Products like their award winning Kelp Jerky and forthcoming Kelp Burger are made from ocean-farmed kelp, which is one of the most healing and healthy forms of food on the planet.
• ARC Marine: Brixham, UK. ARC Marine is a eco engineering company pioneering nature inclusive design & accelerating reef creation. ARC Marine have developed Reef Cubes, the patented building blocks for the ocean which provide sustainable habitat & nursery and spawning grounds whilst performing a useful subsea and/or coastal asset protection role. Reef Cubes are made from 95% recycled materials, do not contain any plastics and are carbon neutral.
• Desolenator: Maastricht, the Netherlands. Desolenator is pioneering low-cost, ocean-safe desalination with a technology powered 100% by solar energy, and without the use of harmful chemicals. Desolenator supports the resilience of communities and thought-leading businesses experiencing high water stress.
• FlyWire: Lexington, Kentucky. Flywire aims to increase the percentage of wild-caught seafood that is harvested sustainably – using required fishing gear, fair labor, and data-driven fisheries management. FlyWire has built the world’s first “Fitbit” for fishing boats to give customers the operational insights they need to achieve efficiency comparable to other industries and boost profitability.
• microTERRA: Mexico City, Mexico. Alternative protein for animal feed grown in aquafarms, reducing waste water output and fresh water input for farms and allowing the uptake of more sustainable aquaculture methods.
• Oceanworks: Los Angeles, CA. Oceanworks® is the largest global marketplace for recycled ocean plastic. Oceanworks’ mission is to accelerate the market for recycled ocean plastic to clean-up the ocean, reduce the use of new virgin plastic, and eliminate demand for new plastic production.
• PlanetCare, Ljubljana, Slovenia. PlanetCare has designed the only purpose built microfiber filter that has been independently tested to capture over 90% of the fibers of all size ranges before they leave the drain pumps. The filter is installed as an external attachment to washing machines. As part of a closed loops system, cartridges are collected after use and reused/recycled.
• Trademodo: Vancouver, Canada. Supporting sustainable trade by providing a platform for users to easily find, research and connect with ethical seafood businesses throughout all levels of the supply chain. Trademodo is the trusted source for great seafood industry businesses and makes data gathered from governments, NGOs, and seafood professionals digitally accessible.

For more information, please contact Haley Steinhauser: Haley@soalliance.org

About Sustainable Ocean Alliance

Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) is a global non-profit organization that advances the impact of startups, social enterprises, and initiatives that are developing solutions to protect and sustain our ocean. SOA’s pipeline of ocean leaders is cultivated through a hub-based model, led by students at the collegiate and young professional levels.

Founded in 2014 as a college-room idea, SOA has created the world’s largest network of young ocean leaders through establishing a presence in over 165 countries, launching the first-ever Ocean Solutions Accelerator in 2018 to support ocean tech startups, and partnering with corporations and governments to develop technological solutions that can address the greatest threats facing our planet.

To date, SOA has accelerated 20 ocean solutions through the Accelerator and granted 72 microgrants towards ocean grassroots projects through our Leadership Program in an effort to complete their commitment to accelerate 100 ocean solutions by 2021.

Connect with Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) on Twitter, Facebook, and Instagram using handle @soalliance.

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