September 15, 2022
Hello Everyone,

SeaTrac, one of the featured companies at today's "Growing a Blue Technology Startup" panel discussion (see below) has been selected by Princeton University to monitor deep earthquake rupture sites with innovative Seafloor Geodesy system. Congratulations to the team! Read the full below.

If you're interested in learning the startup stories of SeaTrac, Jaia Robotics, Salient Predictions, and Armada Robotics, join us today at our Growing a Blue Technology Startup, 3-4:30PM, September 15. This panel of founders and representatives have collectively raised more than $8M in funding. If you are building a Blue, climate, weather, or deep tech company, this is a can't miss program! See below for more information and to register. This program is taking place face-to-face at Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI.

And, if you're an investor or a blue tech startup that's looking to raise an investment, then join us for our Blue Tech Investment, a roundtable discussion, 10-11AM, October 3, featuring a panel of investors and corporates to discuss what they're investing in, and what they look for in an investment opportunity. See below for more information and to register. This program is being held in conjunction with the team at Innovate Newport and is organized as part of RI Startup Week!

We look forward to seeing you!

In the meantime, if you have news to share with the Oceantech community, please send that information to us, [email protected].

The Blue Venture Forum Team
Princeton University Selects
SeaTrac SP-48 to Monitor Deep Earthquake Rupture Sites with Innovative Seafloor Geodesy System 
Marblehead, Massachusetts – September 14, 2022 - SeaTrac Systems, Inc. (SeaTrac) is pleased to announce the sale and delivery of one of its SP-48 persistent Uncrewed Surface Vehicles (USVs) to an elite Geosciences team at Princeton University. Working with longtime collaborator Harold “Bud” Vincent and DBV Technology, Dr. Frederik Simons and his Princeton team aim to advance the current state of the art for seafloor geodesy, which is the science of understanding the depth, shape and movement of the seafloor, and how seafloor bathymetry relates to its gravitational and magnetic fields. By combining acoustic data with GPS/GNSS data (GPS-A), the team’s specific interest is persistently monitoring deep seafloor tectonic plate movement to better measure its change and shape before and after earthquakes.

Autonomous Piece of the Puzzle: SeaTrac’s  SP-48 USV performs the seafloor geodesy duties for a fraction of the $25-50K daily rate of a crewed oceanographic vessel—and completely green.
The Princeton geophysicists, using DBV’s innovative system and method for seafloor geodesy, employs either Temporary or Continuous Deep Ocean Geodetic Sensors (T-DOGS and C-DOGS) which measure seafloor tectonic plate movement at any ocean depth, using very low power, and for very long-term deployments more accurately and economically than present methods. (T-DOGS are recoverable and are for deployments up to 3 years. C-DOGS are for 30-50 years and are not intended to be recovered.) SeaTrac’s SP-48 autonomous platform will transit desired acoustic survey data paths for up to 12 hours at a time, loiter over the DOGS to receive their telemetered data, and regularly send the data to shore via satellite. Test missions are planned initially for Puerto Rico in the Fall of 2022 and Bermuda in Spring 2023.

“This is a critical technology to enable seafloor geodesy at scale, and the overall success of the mission is highly dependent on how the USV performs,” notes project technical lead Bud Vincent. “There are a huge number of USVs out there. We looked at all of their capabilities and maturities; from an economic and technical standpoint, SeaTrac’s stood out.”
 
“Oceanographic research is more critical than ever and environmentally and economically we can’t justify or afford to keep crewed ships at sea for months on end. Seafloor geodesy at scale is a perfect example of how autonomy can make long term data collecting sustainable in every sense of the word,” notes SeaTrac’s Director of Product & Business Development Hobie Boeschenstein.
 
About DBV Technology, LLC
DBV Technology, LLC develops custom ocean instrumentation – from the shallow coast to full ocean depth - concentrating on acoustic systems for navigation and positioning of underwater assets. DBV also designs, builds, tests, and integrates custom acoustic payloads for the SeaTrac platform. For more information, visit www.dbvtechnology.com

About SeaTrac Systems, Inc.
SeaTrac Systems, Inc. manufactures, sells, and rents cost-effective, multi-purpose long endurance solar-powered Uncrewed Surface Vehicles for commercial, scientific, and military applications. The SeaTrac USV can carry a wide variety of sensors and custom payload modules that make it perfect for research, monitoring or surveillance tasks where autonomy, cost and ease of deployment matter. For more information, visit www.seatrac.com
 

Growing a Blue Technology Startup
3:00PM-4:30PM, networking reception to follow
September 15, 2022
Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI.
Join us for the Blue Venture Forum’s “Growing a Blue Technology Startup” panel discussion where we'll hear from four founders who are building blue technology companies right here in the region.

These startups are brining innovative solutions to market, which address critical needs in climate monitoring, ocean exploration, and defense, and have collectively raised over $8 million in investment. This is a free program, register today!

The need to better understand our oceans, so that we can more effectively manage, protect, and use ocean resources is driving a new wave of BlueTech startups.  These startups are developing innovative new products, methodologies, and systems for commercial, governmental, and defense customers.

During this panel discussion, co-founders and representatives of promising blue technology startups will discuss their experience raising an investment and working with investors, bringing a product to market, identifying customers, working with strategic partners, and more.

Panelists
·        Ian Estaphan Owen, Co-Founder & CEO, Jaia Robotics, Inc. https://www.jaia.tech/
·        Ray Schmitt, Co-Founder & President, Salient Predictions, https://www.salientpredictions.com/
·        Rusty Warren, Co-Founder & CEO, Armada Marine Robotics, https://armadamarinerobotics.com/
·        Alessandra Bianchi, Communications Director, SeaTrac, www.seatrac.com

Panel Moderator
Toby Stapleton, Director, Blue Venture Forum, https://www.blueventureforum.org/

Blue Tech Investment, a roundtable discussion
10-11:00AM, coffee to follow
October 3, 2022
Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI

Join the Blue Venture Forum and Innovate Newport for this special event where we'll discuss the current state of investment in BlueTech! This is a free event, register here.

Southern New England has long been the epicenter for marine technology startups. Many of these startups have spun out of the research being developed at key institutions like the US Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC), the University of Rhode Island (URI), and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI). Until recently, the only path to funding for most of these startups was bootstrapping or government funding, particularly through the SBIR program.

However, today, institutional investors, including Venture Capital and Angels, along with corporates are now making strategic investments which are fueling the development of innovations to address the major challenges in ocean exploration, aquaculture, traditional fisheries, defense, undersea communications, climate monitoring, and more.

During this discussion, we will hear directly from investors about why they’re investing in blue technology firms, discuss the companies and technologies they’re investing in, learn what it takes to secure an investment from one of these investors, and hear what they see as emerging opportunities in the sector.

This event is being held in partnership with Innovate Newport as part of RI Startup Week.

Panelists:

·        Thorne Sparkman, Managing Director, Slater Technology Fund, Inc., https://slaterfund.com/
·        Neil Hamel, Head of US Ventures and Open Innovation, Orsted, https://openinnovation.orsted.com/
·        David Ford, Investor, Blue Angels, https://www.sea-ahead.com/blue-angels
·        Adam de Sola Pool, Investor, https://www.linkedin.com/in/adampool
·        Jeffrey Smith, Vice President and General Manager, Unmanned Undersea Systems, SAAB, Inc., https://www.saab.com/products/security/underwater-systems

Panel Moderator
Toby Stapleton, Director, Blue Venture Forum, https://www.blueventureforum.org/

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