The nonprofit Washington Maritime Blue has accepted 10 startup companies into its third Seattle-based accelerator cohort. The group includes Seattle-based firms Sea Potential and Carbon Orca, Bainbridge Island-based Blue Dot Kitchen and Anacortes-based Duplex M.
“We became an early supporter of the Maritime Blue Accelerator to better establish our region as a global center of maritime and ocean innovation,” Dave McFadden, managing director of the Port of Seattle’s economic development division, said in a news release. “The strategy is working. We are thrilled to see participating companies bring new energy and solutions to Washington’s maritime industry.”
Maritime Blue, which also has a presence in Tacoma, aims to develop the local maritime and ocean economy by supporting maritime industry startups.
Sea Potential, one of the Seattle-based companies, focuses on cultivating Black and Indigenous people and people of color for the maritime workforce. Carbon Orca, also from Seattle, develops electric hydrofoil boards, while the Bainbridge Island-based Blue Dot Kitchen produces sustainably sourced sea-based snacks.
The cohort also includes Photon Marine of Portland, Adhere Gear of Portland, Steamchain of Beaverton, Oregon, Algeon Materials of San Diego, Marine Safety Solutions of Poway, California, and WeavAir of Singapore.
The program, which lasts four months will hold an online launch event from 3 to 4:30 p.m. on Feb. 3.
Maritime Blue is vying to be one of 30 winners of up to $100 million in federal Build Back Better funding. As one of the 60 finalists, the nonprofit will receive $500,000. Winners of the awards, which range from $25 million to $100 million, will not be announced until September.
“Being a finalist is an incredible recognition of coalition building,” Joshua Berger, founder, president and CEO of Maritime Blue, recently told the Business Journal. “It’s about the power of doing projects from a collaborative point of view. The collaborative process is not easy, in fact, it is harder at first. But it makes projects more successful in the long run. It’s like companies spending money on capital projects up front that will build long-term efficiency in the long run.”
Maritime Blue will use its $500,000 grant on work to support commercialization of new technologies that decarbonize heavy-duty transportation and reduce emissions.
