Accelerating Ocean Innovation at COAST's Blue Tech Connect event

Jason Goldsworthy, COAST, George Northcott, Founders Factory and Rupert Hayward, Blue Action

COAST hosted the Blue Tech Connect event at the Vancouver Lookout with support from Canada's Ocean Supercluster and the Ocean Startup Project | Projet Startup Des Océans. This sold-out blue economy showcase and ocean investment event welcomed 150+ guests on the eve of Web Summit to hear the story of COAST's new Blue Action Canada accelerator, delivered with Founders Factory and Blue Action. 

Our team from Blue Action Accelerator visited Vancouver to host the culmination of our inaugural Blue Action Canada program. Along with the eight blue economy startups from our first cohort, we brought together our Blue Action Founders (Rupert Hayward and Jeff Stoike), our JV partners Founders Factory (George Northcott, Olivia Brooks and Jacob George) and the COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies) team, based out of Victoria, BC.

Highlights from the week included:

⭐️ Hosting Founders Circles sessions in person with the cohort, discussing real-world challenges around go-to-market, commercialisation, and more.

⭐️ Blue Tech Connect event, where each founder had the opportunity to pitch to a room full of sector-relevant investors, as well as a session on Taking Ocean Ventures Global featuring Rupert Hayward and Blue Action Accelerator JV partner, George Northcott, Founders Factory.

⭐️ Taking part in Web Summit, Vancouver, an opportunity to experience Vancouver’s thriving tech ecosystem, and meeting local and regional companies and VCs based in the city.

📍 Apply for future Blue Action programs here