Welcome to our Startup Newsletter!

Whether you're an entrepreneur, an investor, a tech enthusiast, or simply someone curious about the latest trends in innovation in leisure marine & yachting, this startup newsletter is tailor-made for you.

Our mission is to be your trusted source of information and inspiration within the startup ecosystem in this space. We will curate and deliver timely content on a monthly basis that explores emerging trends, highlights success stories, and offers expert resources to help you navigate challenges and seize opportunities.

As always, thank you for your continued support. We are just getting started!

Gabbi Richardson, Founder at Yachting Ventures

Join us at the Abu Dhabi International Boat Show.

We are excited to announce the launch of our Yachting Ventures Innovation Hub at Abu Dhabi International Boat Show (ADIBS) taking place from 9-12th November this year.

ADIBS is looking to promote 10 CleanTech ventures in alignment with the region's focus on The Year of Sustainability and close proximity of the COP28 conference taking place in the UAE at the end of November.

Are you a startup interested in participating? There are just 4 spots remaining. Contact us here to request more information.

Welcome to the team! Meet our interns.

Please join us in extending a warm welcome to our summer interns. Both have been carefully selected from a pool of exceptional candidates, and we couldn't be more impressed with their enthusiasm, passion, and potential.

Aya M'ghailil is an ambitious student currently pursuing a degree in Business & Management at the International University of Monaco. She joins us for a 3-month internship focusing on events organisation and management.

Chris Callahan is a student at Northeastern University, pursuing a degree in Finance and Entrepreneurship with a minor in Consulting.?He joins us for a 2-month internship focusing on fundraising and investor relations.

METSTRADE: Applications close soon.

Applications for our pitching competition in collaboration with METSTRADE close on 31st August. We are looking for startups that are raising finance and available to pitch on 17th November in Amsterdam.?Apply here.

Money, money, money. Who's raising?

Evoy recently announced a €6.4M funding round led by strategic investor Axopar, which is the largest boatbuilder in the Nordics. The funding round also saw strong participation from current shareholders, including Katapult Ocean, Klaveness Marine and Grieg Edge. Read more here.

Swedish startup ZPARQ has closed a €2.5M seed round co-led by Santander (through Santander InnoEnergy Climate Fund) and Almi Invest GreenTech. ZPARQ provides electric motors and complete powertrains for recreational boats and commercial vessels. Read more here.

Be quick! Deadlines you don't want to miss.

1. Faros is looking for Italian and international startups operating in the fields of blue economy, port innovation, resources and/or marine ecosystems with sustainable business models. The acceleration programme will take place both remotely and on-site between October 2023 and February 2024. Investment is available in the form of a convertible bond with potential seed and follow-on investments between €200k and €275k. Deadline: 27th July.
2. Creative Destruction Labs brings together experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and leading scientists from around the world who are active in the ocean industry. Startups accepted into the?CDL Program?attend five objective-setting sessions between October and June. There are no fees for participation and CDL does not take any equity. Deadline: 31st July.
3. Ocean Exchange is a global ecosystem whose mission is to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and the sustainable blue economy. Each year, they host a competition which encourages startups to compete for three $100k non-dilutive awards. The 24 finalists will be selected to present at the Ocean Exchange event in Fort Lauderdale (expenses paid) from October 22-24th, right before the Fort Lauderdale International Boat Show. Deadline: 17th August.

Startup Spotlight: Metarina

Each month, we'll be featuring one of the startups in our growing community. We recently sat down with Nicola Kienzle, founder of Metarina, to talk about the journey to date and plans for the future of the business.

Metarina is building an intelligent marina management software that bridges the gap between boaters and marinas. By digitising and automating processes, they are eliminating manual and time-consuming tasks, enabling marinas to allocate berths more effectively and provide timely updates on availability and services.

Read the full interview with Nicola here.

Work in a startup. Who's hiring?

At a startup, you’ll join a team of smart, driven people solving hard technical problems and building the future of the leisure marine & yachting industries.

1. BlueNav develops innovative motorization solutions that convert any boat normally propelled bycombustion engines, into a hybrid electric boat. The startup is currently looking for a marketing & communications expert to join their team in France. More information here.
2. CetoAI combines data analytics, engineering knowledge and AI to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and manage risk through predictive maintenance. The startup is looking for a Data Engineer to build, manage and own everything data. More information here.

Join the YV Community.

Yachting Ventures is the only purpose-built platform supporting founders and startups in the leisure marine & yachting industries. It is a thriving ecosystem of 100+ members, which will support you at every stage of your startup journey.

Connect with like-minded individuals, network with industry experts, access a private slack channel, benefit from support at industry events globally, attend regular workshops, receive exclusive perks, and?gain?visibility through social, editorial and partnership opportunities.

Subscription is priced at just ￡45?per month.

Apply here