Sustainable Ocean Alliance Co-Hosts the 3rd Annual Ocean Pitch Challenge 2023

The Ocean Pitch Challenge®—co-hosted in partnership with Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) and RespectOcean—is a global event for ocean ecopreneurs around the world to develop and promote their nature-based solutions for the protection of marine and coastal ecosystems.

Dive into the highlights from the third edition of the Ocean Pitch Challenge and learn more about the winners.

The third edition of the Ocean Pitch Challenge was a splash! 

For a third year in a row, SOA and RespectOcean hosted the 2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge to cultivate and develop new ocean-based solutions to help solve some of the greatest challenges facing our global ocean today.

136 applications were received and 10 finalists were selected by an independent expert committee:

Arena Recycling (Tanzania)

Blue Latitudes (United States)

Ecovironment (Sierra Leone)

Paradoxal Surfboards (France)

Pinovo (Norway)

ProjectQRSargasso (Mexico)

Seafar (Belgium)

Spiru'Marine (France)

TONTOTON (Vietnam)

Vlinder (Austria)

The finale of the 2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge took place on May 23 in person and online at the Leonard Institute in Paris, France. SOA and RespectOcean welcomed the 10 finalists to Paris, where they had the opportunity to pitch to 10 jury members and a room filled with more than 100 blue economy investors, startups, and ocean innovators.

"The Ocean Pitch Challenge is an occasion to bring together our global community of ocean innovators, investors, mentors, and supporters from across the ocean restoration ecosystem," said Jessica Newfield, SOA Mentor Community Manager. "It's really moving to see the community show up to support each other for this event. Support systems make such a difference in the entrepreneurial journey of startups!"

A major highlight of the event for SOA was the special opportunity to have Marion Padioleau, CEO & Founder of Finsulate France, as a jury member and speaker during the event. As an alumnus of SOA's Ocean Solutions Accelerator, this truly was a full-circle moment for our team!

Three top prizes were up for grabs for the finalists, in addition to three special awards that highlight: 1) preservation of marine biodiversity, 2) bio-inspired solutions, and 3) early-stage solutions.

After two hours of exciting pitches and presentations from the finalists, the winners were announced:  

Top Prizes: 

1st Place: Paradoxal Surfboards (France)

Solution: Replacing petroleum in the manufacturing of surfboards through 3D printing with green-stranded algae.

Impact: Fighting against microplastic pollution by upcycling green algae.

2nd Place: Ecovironment (Sierra Leone)

Solution: Using innovative plastic extrusion technology to convert ocean-bound plastic into construction slabs and bricks. 

Impact: Fighting against plastic pollution and promoting the use of sustainable and environmentally friendly building materials.

3rd Place: Vlinder (Austria)

Solution: Accelerating blue carbon projects with a focus on mangrove restoration through early-stage funding and supporting these projects to make them investable. 

Impact: Restoring of mangrove ecosystems in Africa and Asia with 3,370 hectares restored and 5.3 million native mangroves planted in Myanmar, Indonesia, and Kenya. 

Special Prizes: 

Special Prize for Marine Biodiversity Solution: Pinovo (Norway)

Solution: Developing a real "clean blasting" alternative to traditionally polluting surface treatment methods.

This prize, in partnership with the French Office for Biodiversity, will allow Pinovo to benefit from technical support as well as a "discovery day" in a French marine park.

Special Prize for Bio-inspiration Solution: Enereef (France)

Solution: Developing artificial reefs optimized and adapted to withstand the potential ecological impacts of offshore wind turbines and promote the clean energy transition.

This prize, in partnership with Biomim'Expo and NewCorp Conseil, will allow Enereef to benefit from strategic biomimicry support with NewCorp Conseil and the opportunity to attend Biomim'Expo 2023.

Special Prize for Early Stage Solution: TONTOTON (Vietnam)

Solution: Addressing plastic waste in coastal areas through a community-based approach by empowering the informal waste sector and local communities to recycle, upcycle, and co-process mismanaged plastic and create a circular solution for all types of plastic waste—leaving nothing behind.

This prize, in partnership with Sustainable Ocean Alliance, will allow TONTOTON to benefit from access to SOA's programs and community.

Throughout this event, the value and support of SOA’s global community were evident all around us. We were thrilled to welcome SOA Partners and Mentors to the program as jury members and key supporters throughout the 2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge®. This event was truly a convening that represents the power of our work as a global Alliance dedicated to ocean leadership and generating creative solutions to protect our ocean. 

Video by 2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge® partners and event hosts at Leonard

THANK YOU to all of the participants, mentors, and partners for giving us hope for the future of our ocean.  We are so excited about each of the incredible solutions developed during this event, and we are here to support you every step of the way. Without your hard work and expertise, this event would not have been possible!

Until next year...

2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge® 1st Place Winner Paradoxal Surfboards

For more, check out SOA's Live Virtual Discussion with the winners of the 2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge® here!

SOA would like to recognize our incredible 2023 Ocean Pitch Challenge® Mentors and Jury Members who supported and coached the finalists throughout the event: 

Mentors: Adam Pool, Aurelie Vincent, Darren Sabo, Gus Domel, Vincent Guiheneuc, Jean-Francois Trecco, JC Vautrin, Lee Ann Woods, Mark Butcher, Michael Rubin, Jean-Francois Thau

Jury Members: Cyrille Barnerias, Vincent Doumeizel, Philippe Kunter, Santiago Lefebvre, Marion Padioleau, Olivier Raybaud, Marie-Noëlle Tiné-Dyèvre, Olivier Wenden, Geneviève Pons-Deladrière

Special thanks to the following for making the event the success it was: 

Co-Organizers at RespectOcean

SOA Dream Team Staff Members

Photographer & Videographer: Rudy Mirabel

Event Partners:

Officially endorsed by the United Nations as an Ocean Decade activity under the patronage of Hervé Berville, French State Secretary for the Sea.

Recognized by the Jeudis De L'Innovation Maritime.