Gulf Blue Navigator Program Announces Second Cohort
Mon, 12/09/2024 - 11:29am | By: Gabriela Shinskie
The University of 51逗奶 Mississippi (USM), as a partner of the Gulf Blue Navigator program, is proud to announce the selection of its Cohort Two startups for its dynamic accelerator, designed to propel innovation in the burgeoning Blue Technology sector on the Mississippi Gulf Coast.
The Mississippi Gulf Coast has quickly gained recognition as one of the top Blue Economies worldwide, as highlighted by Research On Investment. The region is rapidly becoming a hub for ocean innovation, with the Gulf Blue Navigator at the heart of this transformation. Successful companies from the previous two cohorts, such as Seatrec, SeaTrac, LeVanta Tech, Mythos AI, Seasats and V2 Forensics, have demonstrated the program鈥檚 capacity to foster high-impact, late-stage companies working in various marine industry sectors.
Gulf Blue Navigator Cohort Two includes:
- San Diego, California
- , McAlester, Oklahoma
- , Plymouth, England
- , San Francisco, California
- , Newport, Rhode Island
- , Seattle, Washington
The Gulf Blue Navigator program offers a unique ecosystem for both entrepreneurs and established businesses looking to capitalize on the region鈥檚 abundant natural resources, skilled, diverse workforce, and collaborative network across government, industry, and academia. By leveraging strategic partnerships with state and federal agencies, academic institutions and commercial enterprises, the program ensures opportunities for startups and the wider Mississippi coastal economy. Since its inception in 2022, the program has solidified its position as a critical launchpad for ocean-focused startups, attracting global attention for its contributions to the Blue Economy.
The program sought late-stage startups with a viable product, working in marine aquaculture, fisheries, and coastal restoration and resilience. The Cohort members will engage in a four-month accelerator program, which includes monthly, three-day onsite sessions on the Gulf Coast. Each participant will receive $25,000 in program support, access to prototyping and lab facilities, shallow and deep-water testing, technical assistance from USM faculty and experts, mentoring and marketing assistance and membership in the Gulf & Ship Island building in downtown Gulfport, Miss. The selected companies typically have a prototype and less than $1 million in revenue.
This year, the Gulf Blue Navigator is once again partnering with the US Small Business Administration Regional Innovation Cluster and Unmanned Coast, managed by NVision Solutions Inc., to provide participating companies with valuable business mentorship. The Program Management is contracted through Tek Annoa, a Choctaw, Woman-Owned small business.
鈥淲e鈥檙e excited to expand our partnership with Gulf Blue Navigator,鈥� said Joel Lawhead, program manager for Gulf Blue Navigator. 鈥淭he Blue Economy exists at the intersection of advanced research and cutting-edge business, which is the environment the accelerator offers to ocean startups.鈥�
The university鈥檚 support for the Gulf Blue Navigator program is anchored by the Marine Research Center with its ability to support autonomous underwater vehicles (AUV) development, ranging from prototyping to over-the-horizon at-sea testing. The Thad Cochran Marine Aquaculture Center, which conducts research in algae, fin and shell-based aquaculture as well as recirculating aquaculture system-based farming, and the Office of Innovation Management, which supports the advancement of the university鈥檚 technologies and Mississippi鈥檚 knowledge-based economy will also aid the startups.
This project was paid for in part with federal funding from the U.S. Department of the Treasury and the Mississippi Department of Environmental Quality under the Resources and Ecosystems Sustainability, Tourist Opportunities, and Revived Economies of the Gulf Coast States Act of 2012 (RESTORE Act).
Click for more information and to visit the application portal.