In the newsroom, you will find the latest updates on the BlueInvest initiative: useful videos to expand your knowledge, success stories, insights on our pasts and upcoming events and much more!
BlueInvest was launched in 2019 with the aim to facilitate access to finance and support investment readiness for early stage businesses, SMEs and scale ups in the blue economy. The platform …
Supports investment readiness and access to finance for innovative start-ups, SMEs, and scale-ups in the blue economy.
Provides a market path through technical assistance, visibility, matchmaking and network- and opportunity-building for investors and companies.
Guides investors to specialize their investment strategies into blue economy related areas and to maximize their related investments.
Fosters a community and investment ecosystem to help finance the go-to-market and scale-up and to fuel the transition to more sustainable finance and impact investment.
SUCCESS STORIES
80+ beneficiaries had qualified introductions to investors 50+ beneficiaries secured investment 96.5% satisfaction rate
Read more on the BlueInvest beneficiaries and their success stories here below.
Aquapurna, a German company, is transforming shrimp farming with a sustainable, holistic, and technology-driven approach. Using its innovative Smart Reef System, whichreproduces the natural shrimp habitat, the company produces high-quality, sustainable shrimp.
This advanced, automated technology creates a controlled and stress-free environment that mimics nature,optimising both shrimp health and yield. With the support of BlueInvest, Aquapurna has successfully secured a substantial eight-figure investment from investors.
‘’BlueInvest brought us valuable ideas and expertise on finance that we managed to transfer into reality during our fundraising journey,’’ Aquapurna CEODavid Gebhard said.
Aquapurna’s co-founders Florian Gösling and David Gebhard, with Marcus Thon (Head of R&D).
Aquapurna was launched four years ago, driven by a vision to develop scalable and cost-efficient solutions for shrimp farming. With a team of experienced experts and the establishment of Europe’s first R&D centre dedicated solely to shrimp recirculating aquaculture system (RAS), a period of dedicated research ensued.
Aquapurna achieved a breakthrough: it succeeded inincreasing shrimp density in a sustainable, animal-friendly manner. At the same time, the company’s approachedreduced power consumptionby using a water treatment that is mostly based on the use of gravity. This innovation not only lowered production costs, but also allowed Aquapurna to expand beyond niche markets and bring its products to the European market.
Unlocking scalable, eco-friendly shrimp production
At the heart of Aquapurna’s success lies the company’s groundbreaking Smart Reef System, which reproduces the complex natural habitats where shrimp thrive. Thispatented tank interior allows three generations of shrimp to coexist seamlessly. The data-driven environment avoids manual handling, resulting in stress-free shrimp.
Healthy, relaxed shrimp have long, intact antennae, no wounds or scars, eat eagerly, move around actively, and swim in a controlled manner. They also grow quickly and have a high survival rate. How does Aquapurna makes sure its shrimp are stress-free? Unlike traditional farms that harvest 3 to 4 times a year, Aquapurna’s system allows for harvesting every 2 days. Aquapurna proves that you can feed a population, while leaving ecosystems untouched.
This is the L. vannamei species. The distinctive royal blue look is achieved through Aquapurna’s grow-out environment.
BlueInvest in action
At the beginning of its journey, Aquapurna launched a fundraising campaign to advance its technology and scale up production. The company applied for the BlueInvest Readiness Assistance programme to bolsterits financial expertise and receive personalised guidance. They were matched with a financial expert.
Their coach supported Aquapurna in its fundraising preparations, especially project finance and banking. Building on personal experience, the coach prepared company representatives for investor expectations, crafting a compelling case and identifying suitable contacts.
Aquapurna was successful in raising of an impressive eight-figure sum. The company now focuses on achieving maturity, maintaining steady growth and expanding into new markets.
About BlueInvest
BlueInvest Readiness Assistance is an exclusive coaching programme. It targets high potential EU startups and SMEs with innovative and sustainable products and solutions for the Blue Economy. Businesses and projects selected for Investment Readiness Assistance will receive coaching packages tailored to their readiness levels and business objectives. The programme is impact-driven, with a clear focus on providing business support to help startups and SMEs build capacities for growth and attract investment.
Interested? Apply now by registering to the BlueInvest Community and completing the dedicated Readiness Assistance application form. The current application deadline is 1 August 2024. For any questions, reach out to us at lu-blueinvest@pwc.lu.
Call for Tender: EU Coastal Monitoring Demonstrators
The ‘EU Coastal Monitoring Demonstrators’ Call for Tender, launched by Mercator Ocean International, aims to reinforce the Copernicus Marine Service’s interactions and collaboration with core users at the national and transnational level in the European Union.
The European Commission launched theShip Financing Portal, designed to improve access to financing for the shipping sector and the wider maritime industry.
The platform, launched by the European Commission’s Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport, provides businesses and organisations with a repository of available financial tools needed to drive fleet renewal and retrofitting, enhance efficiency, and reduce environmental impact.
The Portal in a nutshell:
Consolidated resource:the portal centralises access to a variety of pan-European financing products, simplifying the search for suitable financing opportunities for stakeholders across the maritime sector.
Current information:it provides up-to-date details on available grants, loans, and other financing products administered by the EU, Member States, and private financial institutions. This ensures that users are informed about the latest financing opportunities.
Sector-specific solutions:the portal lists financing products relevant for the shipping sector, facilitating the development and deployment of technologies and services to promote shipping decarbonisation. This aligns with the EU's commitment to steer the maritime sector towards a green transition.
The launch of the portal is a further step in supporting the greening of the maritime industry. The portal addresses the lack of available information on financing opportunities.
The European Commission invites all maritime stakeholders, including small and medium-sized businesses, financial institutions, and other organisations to explore the Ship Financing Portal and take advantage of the diverse financing opportunities available. This initiative underscores the EU's dedication to fostering a sustainable and competitive maritime sector.
EUSPA has published a new Fundamental Elements funding scheme grant to support the integration of Galileo High Accuracy Service (HAS) in maritime positioning and/or navigation solutions.
The Galileo HAS-enabled Maritime receiver Call for Proposals aims at designing, developing, testing and demonstrating aGNSSpositioning/navigation solution, integrating Galileo HAS receiver, suitable to be embedded within the vessel navigation equipment.
Deadline for submission to the call: Friday, September 20, 2024 - 23:59 CEST.
You can read more about this opportunity at theEUSPA pages.
Oceanovation Festival - 21-22 June 2023
Innovation and technology are the cornerstones of a blue economy, and Europe is leading the way. A thriving Blue economy promises to bring innumerable benefits through the financing of projects and investments with a focus on marine innovation and circular economy solutions. This is why Blue Invest is a supporting partner of OCEANOVATION Festival taking place in The Hague on 21-22 June.
The Festival will bring together 350+ innovative founders, investors, corporates, and forward-thinking minds in the ocean space to identify, implement and scale the technologies we need to grow the blue economy in a sustainable way. As part of the Blue Invest network, you will be able to attend 2 days of workshops and engaging conversation with a 40% discount on the ticket. Take part in the different civities offered during the event such as a Founders program, dedicated Investor Program, Pitch on The Beach, Industry Workshops, and unlimited networking opportunities.
BlueInvest is partnering up with Ocean Autonomy Cluster for the seminar “Protecting and Monitoring the Ocean - the Nordics” taking place on 03 May in Clarion Brattøra and online.
Experts, innovators, and industry leaders will gather to discuss the current state and prospects of the blue economy in the Nordic region.
The session "Solutions looking for a problem - Entrepreneurs" is available for online participation. Registerhere.
The other parts of the event are by invitation only. Any questions can be addressed toOcean Autonomy Cluster.
Innovation Fund third small-scale call for projects
Thethird Innovation Fund small-scale call for projectswas launched on 30 March 2023 with a budget of EUR 100 million for projects with a total capital cost between EUR 2.5 million and below EUR 7.5 million, it will be open for projects submissions until19 September 2023, 17:00 Brussels time.
On 20 April, the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) and the European Commission's DG Climate Action are organising anInfo Dayto present the call.
BlueInvest and the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism are collaborating to provide market pathways for sustainable and innovative technologies at different stages of formation.
The Black Sea Assistance Mechanism offers participating countries practical support to help meet the blue economy goals of the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea.
The focus is on facilitating awareness and capacity of local and regional stakeholders by providing the Black Sea community with expertise on the blue economy, a network across borders on both shores to help project leaders find the right partners, as well as support with project idea development and share funding opportunities.
BlueInvest and the Black Sea Assistance Mechanism are collaborating to provide market pathways for sustainable and innovative technologies at different stages of formation.
The Black Sea Assistance Mechanism offers participating countries practical support to help meet the blue economy goals of the Common Maritime Agenda for the Black Sea.
The focus is on facilitating awareness and capacity of local and regional stakeholders by providing the Black Sea community with expertise on the blue economy, a network across borders on both shores to help project leaders find the right partners, as well as support with project idea development and share funding opportunities.
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