Seaworthy Collective snagged $150,000 from the U.S. Small Business Administration to fund its research and development efforts.
It was one of 35 accelerator programs or partnerships among the SBA's 2023 Growth Accelerator Fund Competition Stage Two winners. Each winner will receive $150,000 to help fund investment in innovative startups and high-growth small businesses in priority areas such as domestic manufacturing and production, underserved communities, national security and global competitiveness, and climate and renewable energy.
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Headquartered in Miami, Seaworthy Collective is an entrepreneur support organization devoted to scaling restorative ocean and maritime startups. The goal is to create a sustainable “blue” economy that can combat marine pollution and climate change while also creating profitable companies.
The organization has already supported dozens of startups and entrepreneurs in the blue tech space. They include Miami-based Kind Designs, a 3D-printed seawall maker that recently closed a $5 million investment round.
“This network of accelerators will help ensure high-growth small businesses and innovative startups have access to resources and networks to scale in critical technologies across America," said SBA Administrator Isabella Casillas Guzman.
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The SBA has a two-stage format for the Growth Accelerator Fund Competition. In May, the stage one winners received $50,000 and were invited to apply for stage two, with its $150,000 prize.
The University of Central Florida Board of Trustees, doing business as the Florida High Tech Corridor Council, was the only other Florida organization among the stage two winners. Located in Orlando, the Corridor is a regional economic development initiative with a mission to grow the region's high tech industry and innovation through partnerships that support entrepreneurship, workforce training and more.
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