Programs | Venture | Oceans – Creative Destruction Lab

For founders focused on disrupting the ocean economy with digital technologies and sustainable solutions.

Digital current map of the world

The Oceans Stream at CDL-Atlantic is located in Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada – the forefront of Canada’s Ocean industry. This Stream brings together experienced entrepreneurs, investors, and leading scientists from around the world who are active in the ocean industry. CDL startups work with these mentors to sharpen objectives, prioritize time and resources, raise capital, and engage with experts working on the frontiers of research.

Ocean innovation is driven by mega trends such as global population growth, increased life expectancy, rising incomes, and expanding global trade. The Oceans Stream focuses on emerging technologies including underwater acoustics and imaging, sensors, robotics and AUVs, data, predictive analytics, and any other technologies transforming the sustainable ocean economy.

Startups accepted into the CDL Program attend five objective-setting sessions between October and June. There are no fees for participation and CDL does not take any equity.

Who should apply?

The Oceans Stream is particularly suited to highly-skilled, coachable entrepreneurs and researchers who operate in the Ocean Economy or who are involved with impactful Oceanographic research. This stream is tailored towards early-stage companies (early venture or growth) or even projects (pre-incorporation); however, startups at all levels of maturity will be considered.

Example innovation areas

  • Shipping and Logistics
  • Sustainable fishing and offshore aquaculture
  • Marine resources and bio-products (e.g. data, food, nutraceuticals and pharmaceuticals, etc)
  • Marine and Sustainable Energy Innovations
  • Naval and Defense

Our mentors

CDL mentors include accomplished entrepreneurs, experienced operators, active angel and venture investors, world-leading scientists, engineers, and economists. Mentors and CDL-Atlantic startups formally meet five times in a structured format over the program’s nine-month duration to help founders set short-term objectives.

Companies accepted to the CDL-Atlantic Oceans Stream benefit from partnerships with Canada’s Ocean Supercluster, the Ocean Startup Project, Ocean Frontier Institute, Centre for Ocean Ventures and Entrepreneurship (COVE), DeepSense, Ocean Sciences Centre, Dalhousie University, and Memorial University. These experts meet with companies periodically between the set sessions to evaluate their technologies, suggest improvements, and explore formal advising engagements.

Learn more about the Oceans program

For more information or to schedule an introduction meeting with the CDL team email Hope Scheller, Associate Director, at hope@creativedestructionlab.com

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