Washington Maritime Blue is collaborating with the Port of Seattle to spearhead a new initiative aimed at supporting startups focused on the maritime and ocean sectors. The Port of Seattle has enlisted the expertise of Washington Maritime Blue to design and implement this program, which is tailored to assist founders at the concept and early-stage development phases.
The one-year program, provided at no cost to participants, will be hosted at the Blue Hub within Fishermen’s Terminal. Its primary objective is to empower founders with the knowledge and resources needed to propel their concepts and early-stage companies to the next level. The incubator program also serves as a potential pipeline for the Maritime Blue Innovation Accelerator, a four-month program focusing on investing in venture-scale companies.
The focus areas of the initial group of selected companies include maritime decarbonization, renewable ocean energy, sustainable fishing and seafood, ocean health and sustainability, and digital transformation.
Admitting companies on a rolling basis, the Seattle Maritime Blue Incubator will accept enterprises from ideation/concept to early-stage startups. Over the course of 12 months, participating startups will gain access to rent-free collaborative workspaces, tap into the collective wisdom and resources of Washington Maritime Blue's cluster members, stakeholders and partners, engage in tailored programming, and establish connections with a global network of mentors well-versed in the maritime and ocean economy.