Hello Everyone,

Thank you to CBIZ for their sponsorship of our upcoming BlueTech Industry "Spotlight", at Innovate Newport on May 7th, from 4:30PM-7:00PM. See below for more information and a link to register.

The Blue Venture Forum is proud to announce our partnership with MathWorks which will ensure that our startups have access to MathWork's industry-standard tools. See below for more information.

Save the Date: Defense Investment Forum: October 28th, 2026, Wyndham Newport Hotel, Middletown, RI. Additional information in our next newsletter.

There's still time to participate in Bryant University's Capstone Consulting Program. Applications are due on May 1, see below for more information.

In the meantime, if you have information to share with the bluetech community, please send it to: info@blueventureforum.org.

May 7: BlueTech Industry Spotlight & Pitch Competition

4:30PM-7:00PM, Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI

Organizers:

Innovate Newport & Blue Venture Forum

To attend and for more information, register here.

This event will include a pitch competition for select blue technology companies.

Participating investors include representatives from Angel and Venture Capital organizations. Cash prizes will be awarded.

BlueTech Industry Spotlight & Pitch Competition

May 7, 4:30PM-7:00PM

Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI

Meet the Applicants

AYNA

Blue Venture Forum joins the MathWorks Accelerator Partnership Program

The Blue Venture Forum is pleased to announce that we have partnered with MathWorks to enable, by providing access to their industry-standard tools, our BlueTech startup community!

Each year, the Blue Venture Forum delivers programming, matchmaking, and mentorship to BlueTech companies that are developing the next generation of marine & oceanographic technologies, including autonomous vehicles, marine energy systems, and sensors. This partnership will enable our network of BlueTech startups, including the most recent cohort of the Ocean Tech Challenge (OTC) accelerator program, to gain access to:

10 Licenses per company for MATLAB, Simulink, and 100+ additional toolboxes.
Engineering support from MathWorks experts
MATLAB Central, a user community of 100,000+ members.
100+ hours of MathWorks training at no cost.
Participate in Co-Marketing opportunities to drive awareness of your product.

We want to particularly thank our strategic counterpart Taylor Hatcher, MathWorks Accelerator Program Lead, for this partnership and are excited to work more closely with the extended team.

Learn more about MathWorks Startup Suites Program by clicking here

SAVE THE DATE!

Defense Investment Forum (DIF)

Ensuring U.S. Maritime Supremacy Through Innovation

Co-Organizers UTIC and the BVF

Wyndham Newport Hotel, Middletown, RI

8:00AM-6:30PM

October 28, 2026

Join top-tier investors, industry leaders, startup founders, and government officials at the Defense Investment Forum (DIF) 2026. Organized by the Undersea Technology Innovation Consortium (UTIC) and the Blue Venture Forum, this premier event brings together leaders in defense innovation to explore investment trends, emerging technologies, and government opportunities that are shaping the future of maritime security.

More information coming soon!

Bryant University Business Practica

The Chafee Center, in partnership with Bryant University’s College of Business, administers the MBA Practicum Program, an experiential capstone that connects MBA students with real-world organizations.

Through Bryant’s nationally ranked Capstone Consulting Program, faculty-led student teams work with companies during a nine-week engagement to develop actionable solutions for challenges such as growth strategy, market validation, business planning, customer analysis, and operational improvement.

By participating in the MBA Practicum, organizations receive thoughtful, research-based support on important business questions while also helping to develop the state’s future business leaders.

We are currently accepting applications for the Summer 2026 MBA Practicum, which begins in June. Applications are due May 1.

This program is being offered to businesses for a fee of $5,000. For this cohort only, program support valued at $2,500 is being offered for qualifying corporate partners and $4,500 for startups and nonprofit organizations, reducing the cost to participate considerably.

The prospective client application form can be accessed here, and additional details are available on the College of Business Practica website. For questions, feel free to contact practicum@bryant.edu.