Maritime Blue Seattle Incubator @ Fishermen’s Terminal
Washington Maritime Blue, in partnership with the Port of Seattle create new incubator program for concept and early-stage maritime focused startups.
The Port of Seattle has commissioned Washington Maritime Blue to create and execute a program focused on helping founders working on maritime and ocean related startups by providing access to workspace, mentors, programming and more. This one-year, free program will be housed in the Blue Hub located at Fishermen’s Terminal and allow founders to learn how to take their concept and early-stage companies to the next level. This new incubator will act as a possible feeder to the marquee Maritime Blue Innovation Accelerator, a fourth-month program investing in venture scale companies.
Selection
Five to eight companies will be selected for a program that will begin June 1st, 2023 at the Blue Hub in Fishermen’s Terminal through a selection committee that will be looking at team strength, concept viability, as well as topics related to challenges that are being faced throughout the region within the maritime and ocean industries. The focus areas for Maritime Blue include: Maritime Decarbonization, Renewable Ocean Energy, Sustainable Fishing & Seafood, Ocean Health & Sustainability, and the Digital Transformation. The Blue Ventures program works to ensure that we are providing underserved communities a safe space for ideas to grow, seek out and recruit women, BIPOC, and other underserved startup founders.
This program will accept everything from ideation/concept to early-stage startups. We will also consider companies that are further along who are interested in a soft landing into the region’s blue economy.
The Program
Over 12 months, The selected startups will receive rent-free collaborative working space at the Blue Hub in Fishermen’s Terminal. The startups will benefit from the full suite of the Washington Maritime Blue cluster members, stakeholders and partners, be a part of unique programming, and the opportunity to connect with a global network of maritime and ocean economy mentors. Maritime Blue members include global, national and regional maritime companies, leading research institutions, government and public agencies, and other community organizations.
Why Maritime, Ocean and the Blue Economy?
The OECD predicts the Global Ocean Economy is expected to double to $3 Trillion by 2030. If, and only if, we employ sustainable solutions and accelerate innovation that address current climate and ocean health challenges. – accelerating the Blue Economy.
The Washington Maritime Blue cluster organization is a strategic alliance formed to accelerate innovation and sustainability building on one of the most diverse, interdependent and strong maritime and ocean economies in the US. Add Washington’s strengths in technology development, advanced manufacturing and a culture of best practices, and our region quickly becomes a Center of Excellence to grow jobs, protect the environment, and support resilience in communities.
Contact:
Josh Carter, Blue Ventures Program Director
Access to Capital
Washington Maritime Blue is working to direct capital towards maritime innovation and entrepreneurs.
We act as a resource and pipeline to projects, start-ups, and investments that lead towards our vision for a sustainable, innovative and growing blue economy in Washington State.