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!
SUCCESS STORIES
560+ companies had qualified introductions to investors 70+ beneficiaries secured investment 96.5% satisfaction rate
Read more on the BlueInvest beneficiaries and their success stories here below.
Oil spills pose a severe threat to marine ecosystems and industries that depend on clean water. Inobiostar, a Lithuanian spin-off from Klaipeda University, is addressing this challenge through innovative biotechnological solutions.
The company has developedInnoAerogel, a super-absorbent, biodegradable biomaterial made from wastepaper and integrated with oil-degrading microorganisms extracted from the Baltic Sea. This pioneering solution is enhancing oil spill cleanup efforts while contributing to the circular economy.
With the support ofBlueInvest, Inobiostar has successfully transformed from a research project into an innovative business, securing over €2 million in funding.
Transforming waste into a sustainable solution
Inobiostar’s key solution, InnoAerogel, is a patented material mainly made from wastepaper mixed with water. This slurry is freeze-dried into an ultralight, highly porous aerogel which can absorb oil at an impressive rate, all while being 100% biodegradable.
Unlike traditional methods, InnoAerogel not only absorbs oil but also integrates oil-degrading microorganisms that naturally break down pollutants into harmless substances, ensuring the cleanup process is safe for the marine environment. By using wastepaper, Inobiostar’s approach eliminates secondary pollution, making it a game-changer in sustainable marine protection.
Founded in 2020 by Tatjana Paulauskienė, a chemical and environmental engineer with over 20 years of experience, Inobiostar emerged from a university research project aiming to develop sustainable oil spill remediation solutions. The initial team had strong technical expertise but lacked the necessary support for business development and commercialisation. To address this gap, Inobiostar participated in several accelerator programmes, helping them refine their approach and advance their project into a start-up with a clear market path.
BlueInvest in action
Inobiostar’s success story wouldn’t be complete without the support from BlueInvest. TheBlueInvest Readiness Assistance Programmeplayed a key role in Inobiostar’s journey to commercialisation. "Together with our BlueInvest coach we developed a comprehensive business strategy, including a detailed market analysis and go-to-market plan", says CEO and founder Tatjana Paulauskienė. Their coach also worked with the team on stakeholder interviews, which helped them refine their investment approach.
"The BlueInvest Readiness Assistance programme provides targeted support to specific sectors, distinguishing it from more general programmes. What was particularly valuable was our coach's experience working with researchers in similar fields."
The programme strengthened their overall strategy and investor approach, contributing to Inobiostar securing over €2 million in funding and receiving 19 letters of intent.
Next steps: Scaling up for greater impact
With a successful pilot plant launched on the horizon, Inobiostar is preparing to expand its technology into new applications. The company plans to adapt InnoAerogel for uses in wastewater treatment, insulation, defence, biomedical applications, and beyond. To fuel this growth, Inobiostar will seek additional funding to scale up its operations and broaden the reach of its sustainable solutions.
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. If you are interested in joining the BlueInvest Community and exploring its features, visit the websiteor reach out to 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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