Get READY TO Take your startup to the world
Applications have now closed, express your interest in future programs below.
The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2023 celebrates startups working on innovative solutions that improve ocean health - by supporting them with exposure, cash prizes, and opportunities to make their greatest impact.
Applications have now closed. Finalists will be announced on 12 October 2023.
Why Should You Apply?
$100K cash prize pool for the Winner, Runner Up, and four Spotlight Award Winners
$100k in Cash Prizes
Pitch To Investors
Finalists will pitch to active ocean investors and representatives from 1000 Ocean Startups in an exclusive virtual demo day!
PODCAST EPISODE
Finalists will get to tell their story on a dedicated episode of the Ocean Impact Podcast, with accompanying blog post
SOcial media EXPOSURE
Finalists will be celebrated broadly across OIO (and partner) social media, email newsletter, etc
Dedicated Webpage
Finalists each get a dedicated webpage about their startup on OIO’s website, as well highlighted in press releases, blog posts, etc
ATTEND INNOVOCEAN
Finalists will have the chance to attend our showcase event INNOVOCEAN in Sydney on 22 November 2023
RECOGNISED by the Best
The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2023 is a 1000 Ocean Startups member initiative. 1000OS is a global coalition of investors, incubators, and accelerators committed to backing a thousand ocean startups by 2030.
Great News for Startups
Finalist applications and pitch videos will be assessed by some of the world's most active investors and experts working to scale critical innovations for ocean health.
And for the first time in Pitchfest history, we’re excited to announce that Finalists will participate in an exclusive virtual demo day with members of 1000 Ocean Startups!
This is your chance to pitch to aligned impact investors. Don’t miss out, apply now.
PRIZES AND AWARDS
-
![]()
Monitoring
The Ocean Monitoring Spotlight Award presented by Dicker Data rewards an applicant working on an innovative solution to improve ocean monitoring and data with:
• $10,000 cash
• Extensive exposure via OIO and our partners -
![]()
Sustainable Harvesting
The Sustainable Harvesting Spotlight Award presented by Auxilium Foundation rewards an applicant working on an innovative solution to sustainable harvesting with:
• $10,000 cash
• Extensive exposure via OIO and our partners -
![]()
Climate
The Climate Solution Spotlight Award presented by Star of the South rewards an applicant working on an innovative solution to climate change with:
• $10,000 cash
• Extensive exposure via OIO and our partners -
![]()
Plastic
The Plastic Pollution Solution Spotlight Award presented by Zip Water rewards an applicant working on an innovative solution to reduce ocean plastic pollution with:
• $10,000 cash
• Extensive exposure via OIO and our partners -
![]()
Winner
The Winner will receive:
• $50,000 AUD cash prize
• Access to key business and science mentors
• OIO Communications Boost
• Extensive exposure via OIO and our partners
-
![]()
Two Runners Up
Runners Up will receive:
• $10,000 AUD cash prize (First Runner Up only)• OIO Communications Boost
• Extensive exposure via OIO and our partners
Picture it: Your startup’s name is announced LIVE on stage at INNOVOCEAN in Australia’s National Maritime Museum on beautiful Sydney Harbour. Maybe you’ll take out one of multiple awards, or even be crowned the Winner. But one thing’s for sure…
The stage is set to make a BIG impact.
Apply today. Here’s a glimpse from INNOVOCEAN 2022.
Pitchfest 2022 Winners Video
LAST YEARS Winners
You could join the ranks of Pitchfest winners like Sea Forest, Planet Protector Packaging, or even Shark Tank favourites Nohbo!
APPLICATION CRITERIA
Impact
Entrants must have the potential to significantly improve ocean health through their business model.
SCALABILITY
Entrants must have the potential to grow rapidly.
Startup
Entrants are expected to have a refined business idea with some level of customer validation and annual turnover of less than $5milUSD.
STRUCTURE
Entrants must be pursuing a profit motive business model. Entry is not open to not-for-profits.
SIX IMPACT AREAS
Are you pursuing an impact in one or more of these six areas? Then apply to Pitchfest 2023!
-
![]()
Sustainably Managed Ocean resources
-
![]()
A Clean Ocean
-
![]()
Thriving and Restored Marine Habitats
-
![]()
Towards a 1.5c World
-
![]()
Resilient Coastal Communities
-
![]()
Positive Socio-Economic Outcomes
See the FAQ’s section for more details on each impact area, or learn more about the Ocean Impact Navigator.
JUDGING PANEL
THE World’s best and brightest
Your pitch video and application could be assessed by some of 1000 Ocean Startups’ most active ocean investors and experts, with experience in supporting ocean impact startups.
-
![]()
Reece Pacheco
Partner
Propeller
LinkedIn -
![]()
Rita Souza
Partner
Faber
LinkedIn -
![]()
Jean-Noel Poirier
Executive in Residence
Washington Maritime Blue
LinkedIn -
![]()
Julie Peyrache
Investment Director
SWEN Blue Ocean
LinkedIn -
![]()
James Lindsay
Principal - Investments
Builders Vision
LinkedIn -
![]()
Larsen Mettler
Managing Director
S2G Ventures
LinkedIn -
![]()
Nikhil Neelakantan
Senior Program Officer
Ocean Visions
LinkedIn -
![]()
Alexis Grosskopf
CEO
Ocean Hub Africa
LinkedIn -
![]()
Elisa-Marie Dumas
Innovation Programs Manager
Ocean Impact Organisation
LinkedIn -
![]()
Ingrid Maurstad
Impact Director
Katapult Ocean
LinkedIn -
![]()
Craig Dudenhoeffer
Chief Impact & Investments Officer
Sustainable Ocean Alliance
LinkedIn
Judging Criteria
-
Your solution must have the potential to significantly improve ocean health.
-
Your solution should be highly novel or unique.
-
You must demonstrate a good level of product/market fit i.e. customers need your solution and your number of customers and/or customer pipeline is growing fast.
-
Your business must be able to compete against existing competitors and fend off copycats.
-
You must have a realistic business plan and a high likeliness of generating sustainable profits.
-
You have the right balance of skills and experience to build your business.
-
You must be able to clearly articulate the problem you’re working on, the size of the opportunity & potential for impact, and why you have a great chance of being successful. Extra consideration will be given to applications with an attractive video entry.
ARE YOU READY?
Pitchfest 2023 Hype Video
FAQS
-
Pitchfest is open to applications from all over the world!
-
Neither! The cash prizes are completely unencumbered prizes with no strings attached.
-
24 September 2023: Applications close. Submit your application and pitch video via F6S by this time.
12 October 2023: Finalists announced.
22 November 2023: Winners and Runners Up announced live at INNOVOCEAN.
-
Applying to Pitchfest is easy:
1. Submit your online application via F6S, where you’ll be prompted to join or sign in.
2. Be notified by OIO to upload your up to three-minute pitch video.Hint: with F6S you can start and save your application at any time. We recommend you get started ASAP and ensure that both it and your pitch video are submitted by the deadline!
-
Applicants will be notified from 3 October 2023, informing them if they’ve been shortlisted as a Finalist. Finalists will be announced publicly around 11 October (TBC)
The 1000 Ocean Startups Virtual Pitch Event (Demo Day) will take place on 23-24 October (TBC)
Judges will then use a combination of online applications, pitch videos, demo day Q&A, and publicly available information to submit their votes for each Finalist.
-
You can find the Pitchfest eligibility criteria here.
-
Yes, you absolutely can, and we encourage you to do so!
-
No, applications can only be from organisations pursuing a profit motive business model.
-
A good story that shows your solution and how it can positively impact the ocean! The stylistic approach you take to creating your pitch video is completely up to you, but we have provided a number of useful resources in this document. And you can review the Pitchfest 2020, Pitchfest 2021, and Pitchfest 2022 finalist pitch videos here. They range in production quality (some are even shot on mobile!) but all tell a story.
-
The OIO Communications Boost includes:
• Coverage of your video pitch and your startup through OIO - and select partner - channels, including social media, website, and email; and
• the opportunity to participate in a dedicated episode of The Ocean Impact Podcast.
-
We have adopted the six Ocean Impact Areas defined in the Ocean Impact Navigator developed by 1000 Ocean Startups with support from SYSTEMIQ. The Ocean Impact Navigator is an open-source impact KPI framework, designed to simplify, harmonize and strengthen impact measurement and reporting for the Ocean Impact Innovation ecosystem.
The six Impact Areas and example Indicators are:
Sustainably Managed Ocean Resources: Preserving or restoring biomass; reducing seafood waste; ensuring welfare of marine life; producing ocean-based seaweed and bivalves.
A Clean Ocean: Diverting macroplastic or primary microplastics from nature (or landfill); reducing, avoiding, or bioremediating nitrogen or phosphorus pollution; reducing other pollution; diverting contaminated wastewater from land-based sources from waterways; reducing or avoiding invasive species.
Thriving and Restored Marine Habitats: Protecting or restoring areas of coral reefs, mangroves, seagrasses, salt marshes, kelp forests, or other habitats.
Towards 1.5c: Reducing or avoiding GHG emissions; sequestering carbon; mitigating nitrogen oxide (NOx) and sulfur oxide (SOx) emissions.
Climate-Resilient Coastal Communities: Protecting coastlines; ocean information products or services to support climate adaption and resilience; supporting people to adapt to climate change; enhancing food security.
Positive Socio-Economic Outcomes: Creating jobs; enabling education/training programs; supporting or employing women; enabling fair and liveable wages; mitigating particulate emissions.
