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.
No matter where you are, the plastic you are using will likely end up in the ocean. MeetInfinity Recycling, a Dutch growth equity investor working with BlueInvest and the European Investment Fund (EIF) to solve the plastic problem.
Land-based sources account for 80% of marine litter and about 85% of this is plastic. Only 9% of plastics are recycled, even as the global consumption of plastic is set to double by 2050.(Source)
With the help of €50 million financing from InvestEU via the EIF, Infinity Recycling will invest in advanced recycling technologies to improve plastic waste recycling and make this profitable.
Infinity Recycling’s co-founders Jeroen Kelder and Jan Willem Muller
Through itsCircular Plastics Fund, Infinity Recycling will help European companies to develop and scale up technologies to fully recycle plastic waste and produce new plastics with properties equivalent to those of virgin materials, unlike traditional methods which cause plastics to lose their initial properties (safety for food use, strength, or elasticity).
The Circular Plastics Fund also has a bigger and broader aim; todevelop cutting-edge technologies and business models to establish a circular plastics industry.By providing capital, expertise, and access to partners, the fund helps companies scale up their solutions to convert plastic waste streams into tradeable commodities.
With no time to waste, the Fund has moved to establish its portfolio, with its initial investments ranging from €5 to €15 million per company. Notable investments include PRYME, ITERO, CLARITER, DEPOLY, IONIQA, BIOBTXand POLYSTYVERT.
Pryme was Infinity Recycling’s first portfolio company. It has started converting plastic waste into valuable products on an industrial scale this summer in the Port of Rotterdam.
Given the role of plastic in marine litter, synergy between Infinity Recycling and the BlueInvest was inevitable. Both parties are now working together to identify new investment opportunities within the BlueInvest project pipeline. This collaboration will be further enhanced with BlueInvest technical assistance, which will support selected projects in increasing their readiness and closing a deal.
Jeroen Kelder, one of the founders of Infinity Recycling, spoke at BlueInvest Day 2024 on the importance of a well-connected investment ecosystem to combat the plastic problem. "Our success is not only making good investments but also connecting with the right opportunities and supporting them. BlueInvest brings different stakeholders together, providing a platform to share experiences and best practices with other investors."
He continues with a promising note for start-ups and scale-ups who are continuing efforts to develop in this space, “The fight against climate change has gained significant momentum which means that there is a lot of support available for the right ideas.”
BlueInvest
BlueInvest is the EU's innovation and investment platform for the blue economy, offering business coaching, fundraising support, and networking opportunities for ocean technology companies. Interested individuals can register with the BlueInvest Community to explore programme features and opportunities or contact lu-blueinvest@pwc.lu.
The InvestEU programmesupports the European economy's green and digital transition, including the InvestEU Blue Economy Fundfor sustainable blue economy SMEs and start-ups. It is made possible by a top-up contribution from the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund matched with additional InvestEU resources and EIF/EIB own funds.
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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