Introducing 'Rising Tides'

Welcome to Rising Tides —a LinkedIn-exclusive newsletter brought to you by Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), featuring the latest news and highlights from SOA’s growing network of 370+ ocean-based solutions and the innovative changemakers behind them.?

Every month, you will get top insights into the exciting progress and milestones from SOA’s portfolio of solutions, discover new investment opportunities to get involved in, and learn about upcoming events and networking engagements within the SOA Community.?

In this inaugural edition, we learn about new seaweed-based plastic packaging alternatives , the launch of production facilities to scale the sustainable protein industry , a ‘green’ sailing voyage in French Polynesia , and more.

Dive in below.

A funding boost from Italy’s Development Agency, Invitalia , is set to propel the realization of a pilot plant for biotech startup, Ittinsect , which will produce 2,500 tons of sustainable proteins when operating at full capacity.

This marks a key step toward the biotech company's goal of scaling up to support industrial?production of proteins derived from 100% circular economy processes by 2025.?

With Invitalia's funding of €482,000, Ittinsect will deploy a total of €602,500 to build a section of its inaugural production facility. The facility will prove both the technical and economic advantages of Ittinsect's products at scale, laying the groundwork for the company's first industrial plant.?

This scale-up will also bolster the recruitment of specialized personnel and the pursuit of new patents, solidifying Ittinsect'sposition as the preeminent innovator in the market.

Agriloops , a pioneering sustainable aquaculture company, closes with €13 million raised to break ground on their first commercial farm, Mangrove #1, with investments from Sustainable Ocean Alliance as well as BNP Paribas Développement , Sowefund , Breizh Up , Good Only Ventures , ORSAY GROUP , SPV Aqua Invest, and Transitions First .

After an initial fundraising round that financed the R&D phase and the pilot farm, this second round marks a new turning point for Agriloops.

With this new support, the France-based company can begin the construction of its commercial demonstrator, Mangrove #1. Built on more than 1 hectare in the heart of Brittany, this new facility will be one of the largest aquaponic farms in Europe and will enable Agriloops to sustainably produce more than 100 tonnes of prawns and produce per year.?

California-based startup Sway has revealed a breakthrough technology that, for the first time, will enable seaweed to replace flexible plastics at scale.?

Representing an entirely new category of biopolymer resin, Sway’s patent-pending Thermoplastic Seaweed resin (TPSea?) is a 100% biobased, home-compostable, microplastic-free ingredient made from a regenerative ocean crop that can replenish ecosystems and support coastal communities.

Sway’s new technology is designed to mesh seamlessly with the most scaled plastic manufacturing systems available, enabling growth and massive impact.?

This launch accompanies Sway’s successful $5 million seed round led by Third Nature Investments and includes investment from The Helm , Alante Capital , BAM Ventures , Superorganism , and other industry-aligned investors. The funds will directly support the scaling of Sway’s product portfolio, and catalyze adoption by fashion, food, and home goods brands.?

"We believe everyday materials should help to replenish the planet from sea to soil," says Sway Co-Founder, Julia Marsh . “The launch of our thermoplastic seaweed materials, along with an influx of new capital targeted at scaling production, signifies tangible progress toward a more circular future.”?

bound4blue has been selected to install a 22-meter-high eSAIL? onboard the newbuild multipurpose cargo vessel, NA PAE E HIRO, helping shipowner SNA TUHA’A PAE (SNA) reduce energy consumption by 10%. In addition to the lightweight, easy to maintain eSAIL?, NA PAE E HIRO will be fitted with engines capable of running on biofuel or e-fuel, as soon as it becomes commercially available in the region.

Launching in 2026, the trailblazing ship will mix green technology with an ambition to accelerate the sustainable development of the remote Austral Islands, carrying both vital supplies and up to 200 tourists on its voyages from Tahiti to the South Pacific archipelago.?

The contract marks the first time bound4blue’s proven solution has been selected for a new-build vessel of this type.

Novoloop , a leading plastic circularity technology company, has announced the construction of a new pilot plant in India—marking a major milestone toward its vision of a truly circular world.?

Equipped with industrially applicable instrumentation, process controls, and safety systems, this new facility will be able to operate continuously—confirming the reliability of this first-of-a-kind Lifecycling? technology. This collaboration with Aether Industries , a publicly listed specialty chemical manufacturer and chemical process development provider, will demonstrate the scalability of Novoloop's product.?

“This pilot plant is a testament to the commitment of the Novoloop team and our partners at Aether Industries to tackle the global plastic crisis,” said Miranda Wang , Co-Founder & CEO of Novoloop. “By scaling this technology, we are creating a pathway towards a truly circular world, where plastic waste becomes a valuable resource.”

The project will unfold in phases, with the startup of initial operations commencing in Q1 2024 and culminating in a 70-metric-ton annual plastic intake capacity by the end of 2024.

The following are some of the startups in SOA’s Ecopreneur Network who are actively fundraising to develop new, emerging technologies within the ocean innovation sector.

Planblue combines underwater hyperspectral imaging, underwater navigation, and AI-based automated data processing to map the seafloor quicker, more efficiently, and in greater detail. With a special focus on the blue carbon and offshore wind markets, Planblue helps unlock blue nature-based solutions around the globe and contributes to revealing the seafloor’s true economic and ecological value.?

Ittinsect makes aquaculture sustainable by producing specialized feed from agri-food by-products with high nutritional efficiency to simultaneously improve the health of the farmed fish and the environment.

microTERRA is pioneering sustainable food ingredients by harnessing the cleansing power of Lemna—an aquatic plant that has the unique ability to clean water while simultaneously producing valuable functional ingredients.

If you are a mission-driven investor interested in connecting with and supporting any of these startups or would like to learn about other companies in our network that are fundraising, please email Camila Vega at [email protected] .

March 25-27, ChangeNOW

ChangeNOW is an action-oriented event that brings together the most innovative solutions and impactful changemakers tackling our planet’s biggest challenges, to take action, together.?

March 25 is Ocean Day at ChangeNOW. SOA Founder & CEO, Daniela V. Fernandez , will be speaking during the Taking Action for the Ocean panel at the Eiffel Stage at 1:45pm CEST.

SOA is also organizing ‘Ocean Night’ in partnership with RespectOcean and SWEN Capital Partners . Learn more and register (for free) here .?

March 18-22, Monaco Ocean Week

Monaco Ocean Week gathers local and international experts, the scientific community, the voluntary sector, and public authorities to collaborate, share scientific findings, and take action to preserve the ocean.?

On March 20, SOA’s partners at Fondation Prince Albert II de Monaco will once again host the sixth edition of the Ocean Innovator Platform event on March 20. 16 members of SOA’s Ecopreneur Network plan to attend, including Alessandro Romano of Ittinsect who will be speaking on a panel.?

SOA Founder & CEO, Daniela V. Fernandez , and SOA’s Startup and Business Development Manager (Europe), Benjamin Lesage , will be present on behalf of the organization.

Thanks for reading!?

Stay tuned for future editions of Rising Tides , dropping the second Wednesday of every month.