Ocean AID

Earlier this month, we announced the launch of Blue Action Canada, our latest climate & ocean tech program backing blue economy startups based in British Columbia with COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies). Today, we’re excited to announce our first cohort. Learn more about each of these startups in the carousel below 👇 ⭐️ 7 Leagues Leather ⭐️ AOE Accumulated Ocean Energy Inc. ⭐️ Celerity Craft ⭐️ Ocean AID ⭐️ Open Waters Solar ⭐️ Seacork Studio ⭐️ Swordfish-Energy Incorporated ⭐️ Offshore Designs Blue Action Canada will provide these eight founding teams with four months of support around commercialisation, product, fundraising, and more, as well as connecting startups to a local and global network of investors and partners. Read more about the program & our cohort here: https://lnkd.in/eBKzqZds George Northcott | Olivia Brooks | Rupert Hayward | Jeff Stoike | Melissa Halpern | Jason Goldsworthy | Burak Evren | Sophie Silkes | Lee Bernasconi | Simon Lovick | Laura Moross | Marie-Louise Hayward | Katie Morgan-Jones #oceantech #climatetech #startups #accelerator

We’re thrilled to announce that Ocean AID has been selected to participate in the pilot cohort of Blue Action Canada, Canada’s blue economy accelerator program, powered by COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies), Founders Factory, and Blue Action. Over the next 16 weeks, we’ll join seven other innovative early-stage ocean ventures from British Columbia. Looking forward to learning and growing with the other ocean ventures! Learn more about the cohort and meet our fellow participants here: https://lnkd.in/gkwb97sa  

We’re thrilled to announce that Ocean AID has been accepted into the NVIDIA #Inception Program! 🐳 Thanks NVIDIA for this opportunity! #OceanInnovation #SustainableOceans #NvidiaInception

A pod of killer whales came to say hello while out on the water working with Lax Kw’alaams Fisheries, in Tucks Inlet. It was an incredible experience to see the mom teaching her calves to hunt. I did not get it on video but the mom hit a bird, then the bird tried to take off and was chased down and eaten by one of the calves. The boat captain, who is Killer Whale clan was happy to see the next generation of his clan hunting and told me that this pod came up the inlet once or twice per year to learn to hunt in the shallows. Important things to remember when you see whales while operating a boat: 1. Slow down, steer clear and give lots of space. 2. If it is not possible to safely give enough space (e.g. they are headed your way in an inlet), make sure your engine is turned off, as well as any sonars to prevent underwater noise. 3. Enjoy the moment! 4. If possible, report the whale so other boats in the area can keep a safe distance. You can report whales by radio or via WhaleReport Alert System app. Thanks Lax Kw’alaams for welcoming me on your territory, it has been great to work with you the past few months and I look forward to continuing to work closely together in the future. Hope you enjoyed the footage! It’s experiences like these that make being out on the water my favourite time 🌊🐳 #killerwhale #orca #whale #bc

New COAST Talks: Podcast alert—get to know Ocean AID, our recent Pitchfest winner! Did you know that plastic comprises 80% of ocean pollution, and 70% of ocean macroplastic pollution is "ghost gear"? Discarded, abandoned, or lost fishing gear drifts through the water column or settles on the seafloor, trapping or entangling marine life and destroying vast swaths of marine habitat. Ocean AID uses real-time marine AI detection to locate marine objects like ghost gear nearly instantaneously, enabling accurate, timely cleanup for coastal stewards and conservationists. Their technology also helps with the identification of derelict vessels, fisheries monitoring, and other critical marine management tasks. Learn more from our Pitchfest winner here, or tune in on your favourite streaming service: https://lnkd.in/gEK-FR5V

We’ve been buzzing about Ocean AID a lot lately, and for good reason! This innovative startup is tackling one of the ocean's most stubborn and damaging problems: ghost gear. Ghost gear—abandoned fishing nets, traps, and ropes—makes up an alarming 70% of ocean plastic pollution. It not only threatens marine life and ecosystems but also breaks down into harmful microplastics. 🌍💧 Ocean AID is leading the charge with cutting-edge technology that detects and retrieves this dangerous debris in real-time. Andrew Polanyi and Archit Kumar, co-founders of Ocean AID, are on a mission to create cleaner, safer oceans with their advanced sonar and AI systems. Read our latest article to learn more about how Ocean AID is working towards a more sustainable future and what’s next for this exciting startup! #oceantech #ghostgear #victoria #bc #blueeeconomy

Good news Friday! Congratulations again to Ocean AID, Andrew Polanyi 🐋 and team on their COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies) Pitchfest win. A BIG thank you to Seaspan Corporation for sponsoring the grand prize prize. This wouldn't be possible without the generous support of our members and key partners like Seaspan ULC. Such a great kickoff for this amazing collaboration space and celebration of the blue economy/ocean sector in the south island and beyond. This marks just the beginning for Ocean AID and COAST. 🌊🐋🛥️ #OceanAID #COAST #BlueEconomy #PitchfestWin

We are thrilled to congratulate the finalists of the COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies) Pitchfest that took place yesterday, all of whom are part of the Ocean Startup Project | Projet Startup Des Océans community. We’re so happy to see so many familiar faces representing the future of ocean innovation: 🔹 Majid Hajibeigy from Canadian Pacifico Seaweeds 🔹 Dr. Minh-Hai Tran from Miha Biotech Inc. 🔹 Richard MacKellar from Celerity Craft 🔹 Jaiya Varshney from FIBR.BIO 🔹 Andrew Polanyi 🐋 from Ocean AID A special shoutout to Andrew from Ocean AID for taking home the win! 🏆 Your dedication to solving critical challenges like ghost gear removal is making waves, and we're excited to see what the future holds for you and your team. Well done to all, and let's keep pushing boundaries in the blue economy! #OceanInnovation #BlueEconomy #OceanTech #COASTPitchfest #Entrepreneurship --- Nous sommes ravis de féliciter les finalistes du Pitchfest de COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies) qui s'est déroulé hier, qui font tous partie de la communauté du Projet Startup des Océans. Nous sommes ravis de voir autant de visages familiers représentant l'avenir de l'innovation océanique: 🔹 Majid Hajibeigy de @Canadianpacific 🔹 Minh-Hai Tran de Miha Biotech Inc. 🔹 Richard MacKellar de Celerity Craft 🔹 Jaiya Varshney de FIBR.BIO 🔹 Andrew Polanyi de Ocean AID Un coup de chapeau particulier à Andrew d'Ocean AID qui a remporté la victoire! 🏆 Votre dévouement à résoudre des défis critiques tels que l'enlèvement d'engins fantômes fait des vagues, et nous sommes impatients de voir ce que l'avenir vous réserve, à vous et à votre équipe. Bravo à tous, et continuons à repousser les limites de l'économie bleue!

Thrilled to share that Ocean AID recently won COAST’s Pitchfest! 🏆 This experience has been incredible, and was a huge honour to pitch alongside the such innovative BC ocean startups. A huge thanks to COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies)'s team for hosting at their new Ocean Innovation Hub, Seaspan ULC for sponsoring the prize, judges, and team Archit Kumar and Sophie Vogel for all thier hard work! Looking forward to the future of Ocean AID and the blue economy in BC 🌎

Congratulations to Ocean AID, winners of today's COAST (Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies) Pitchfest! Also a big thank you to Seaspan Corporation for sponsoring the $10,000 prize awarded to our winner. All 5 pitches were compelling, and excited the panel of judges, but for today there can be only 1. What. A. Day! 🌊⛴️🐋 --- South Island Prosperity Partnership