Open Call: Project 71 – A Venture Competition for Ocean Regeneration

Winning teams will be invited to join the TONOMUS Venture Studio, where you’ll receive resources and support from Silicon Valley experts as you launch your new venture—and also gain the chance to test your idea with TONOMUS.

Goals

• To help promote global ocean regeneration, they’re focusing on five key impact goals that closely align with the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals for marine resources. The most competitive venture submissions will apply to one or more of the following priorities:
  • Restore Marine Life
    • Accelerating conservation, restoration, and rewilding of coastal ecosystems and species.
  • Catalyze The Blue Economy
    • Deploying and accelerating adoption of regenerative ocean-based solutions for food, energy, climate, tourism, transport, logistics, health and wellbeing, and more.
  • Alleviate Ocean Pressures
    • Addressing ocean pressures—pollution of all forms, climate change, and more—and enhancing the capacity of humans and nature to withstand and recover from related stressors.
  • Mobilize Collective Action
    • Raising awareness, building ocean empathy, and mobilizing diverse stakeholders to collectively take action and advocate for ocean regeneration.
  • Reimagine Markets and Governance
    • Inspiring regenerative business practices and reimagining finance and governance systems with ocean regeneration at the heart of decision making.

How tech can drive transformative change?

• It’s too late for incremental change. Ocean-dependent industries need to deploy innovative, scalable technologies that completely transform the relationship with the Earth’s oceans. They’re seeking bold, ambitious solutions that leverage the power of artificial intelligence, machine learning, Internet of Things, data analytics, and other cognitive technologies to regenerate and restore the ocean’s full life-sustaining potential.

Challenge Statements

There are many pathways to achieve the impact goals, but they’re focusing on areas with the most potential for change. Explore the competition challenge statements below to jumpstart your inspiration.

• Regenerative Fishing
  • How to launch technologies that promote regenerative fishing practices to restore marine populations, optimize output, and rebalance coastal ecosystems?
• Regenerative Aquaculture & Seafood Production
  • How to leverage technology that boosts the health and quality of farmed seafood, increases feed conversion efficiency, enhances biodiversity, and reduces the environmental impact of on- and off-shore aquaculture farms?
• Regenerative Tourism and Recreation
  • How to build digital platforms that inspire the responsible travel and recreation of coastal destinations; engage eco-tourists in ocean regeneration initiatives; and improve the local land, oceans, communities, and economies that these invaluable marine environments support?
• Tackling Ocean Pollution
  • How to integrate technology to reduce the amount of plastics, chemicals, fertilizers, and other pollution entering the oceans; remove the waste that is already present; and ensure cleaner oceans for future generations?
• Ocean Intelligence
  • How to harness ocean data, analytics, and other cognitive elements, such as artificial intelligence and machine learning, to monitor ocean changes, and then manage, track, and improve ocean-regeneration efforts to restore the seas to their natural state?
• Regenerative Blue Economy
  • How to accelerate technology-based ventures that provide new tools and enablers to disrupt current ocean-depleting practices, support regenerative fishing and aquaculture, spark local and regional economic growth, catalyze investments, and create quality jobs across multiple sectors in order to rebalance the ocean ecosystems?

What makes this competition unique?

• Many entrepreneurs talk about changing the world but often lack the skills and know-how. This is the chance to actually do it. Joining the Venture Studio will provide you and your team with invaluable resources that can help bring your venture to life and accelerate it by several years.
• They are providing participants with learning sessions—from exploring current trends of the blue economy to determining your market size—to help share this opportunity with those who may be new to venture building. As you progress through the competition, you will gain more access to training resources, including seminars to strengthen your application, experienced mentors to push your ideas further, and networking opportunities with startup leaders and subject matter experts.
• Select finalists will have the opportunity to participate in a final pitch event in front of TONOMUS and WAVE.

The TONOMUS Venture Studio

• If you gain acceptance into the Venture Studio, you’ll have an experience unlike any you’ve had before. Competition winners will be invited to join the TONOMUS Venture Studio for an immersive series of sprints that feature Silicon Valley–influenced methodology and guidance, where you’ll focus on both concept and customer development, as well as refining your business plan. Other benefits include:
  • Technology
  • Methodology
  • Expertise
  • Recruitment
  • Prototyping
  • Business Design
  • Branding

Who should submit an idea or venture?

• The Venture Competitions are designed for existing early-stage startups, marine and ocean researchers, experienced entrepreneurs, and anyone with an entrepreneurial spirit who wants to launch new solutions that safeguard and enhance the oceans.
• Project71 is looking for venture ideas that leverage technologies, especially those with digital, cognitive, and predictive elements that address the ocean’s greatest challenges. Each submission should address at least one of the impact goals of the competition.

For more information, visit NEOM.