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- Orpheus' Pre-Seed Round, Recirculating Aquaculture, and Electric Pilot Vessels
Orpheus' Pre-Seed Round, Recirculating Aquaculture, and Electric Pilot Vessels
Plus I Did Some Marine Decarb Brainstorming, and Maritime Efficiency
Will Lutz
March 04, 2025
Hello Ocean Friends,
It has been a busy week for me.
Last week I had the opportunity to lead a roundtable discussion on maritime decarb organized by Newlab. I had a blast guiding such an awesome group of luminaries through a very productive conversation on oceanic decarbonization.
That was followed up with a full day of the first Atlantic Maritime Tech Conference, during which I was honored to moderate a discussion on the next era of maritime energy generation. If you haven’t met her yet, find time to introduce yourself to Sammie Hasen. She is the mastermind behind both of these killer events and an up-and-coming type breaking down walls in ClimateTech with sheer willpower.
Last, but certainly not least, my friend and collaborator Jake Russell announced the pre-seed round for Orpheus Ocean, spun out of WHOI with Casey Machado’s hard-earned work. I am personally super proud to have cut a (very small) angel check into this round.
Best,
Will
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About this Newsletter: BlueX is a weekly newsletter that scours the internet for venture and startup news as well as jobs related to OceanTech.
OceanTech Fundings
The main event. Startup investment announcements in OceanTech.
🤖 Underwater robotics company Orpheus Ocean raised a $2.8M pre-seed led by Propeller, with Village Global, Jetstream, and Climate Capital . . . with a very tiny angel check from BlueX News’ editor William Lutz 😎. | More from Orpheus Ocean
🐠 Sustainable Corvina aquaculture using Recirculation Aquaculture Systems company SEAentia raised in €16M from Indico Capital Partners’ Blue Fund and the Mar2030 Programme. | More from EU Startups News
🚢 Shipping industry for optimization firm ZeroNorth raised $20M from CIBC Innovation Banking. | More from Tech Funding News
🌊 AI-driven water management company Turing raised $14M led by Safar Partners. | More from FinSMEs
⚓ STAX Engineering, Maritimes emissions capture company, raised $70M from Firstime Credit and Deutsche Bank Private Credit & Infrastructure. | More from FinSMEs
More OceanTech News
Some of the OceanTech articles we liked. Not fundings necessarily, but some great stuff:
🐬 Canada Invests $5 Million in Konscious Foods to Scale Up Plant-Based Seafood | The Canadian government is investing $5 million in Konscious Foods, a Richmond-based company specializing in plant-based sushi and seafood alternatives. The funding, provided through PacifiCan’s Business Scale-up and Productivity program, will allow the company to expand production, increase exports, and create over 40 new jobs in British Columbia. | More from The Vegconomist
🌍 Why There’s a Wealth of Opportunities for Investing in African Aquaculture | Africa’s largest, vertically integrated tilapia farmers deserve to attract more investment, but financiers should look at other options on the continent too, argues Anton Immink, CEO of ThinkAqua. | More from The Fish Site
🚣 Port Charts Greener Future With Artemis EF-12 Pilot | A port is making waves in sustainable maritime transport with a pioneering investment in “ground-breaking” technology. Port of Tyne has bought the UK’s first fully electric foiling pilot vessel, designed and built by Belfast-based Artemis Technologies. | More from Bdaily News
Last Note
We all saw the news this past week. When this guy and his cronies fired a ton of people (likely illegally) from NOAA.
Definitely a good idea for this guy to fire NOAA staff right?
It is dumb, heartbreaking, and incredibly frustrating. Don't hesitate to reach out if you are one of the people affected. BlueX gives me a platform - albeit a small one - if I can help you transition to another job let me know. I want to help.