Katapult Ocean Accelerator has launched its eighth cohort, including companies from four continents with a focus on blue food, water, sustainable transportation, and circular resource solutions. The accelerator said the 13 companies have an average valuation of €25 million, and are Katapult Ocean’s most mature and market-ready cohort.
The ocean economy is at an inflection point. With mounting pressure from climate regulation, supply chain vulnerabilities, and environmental degradation, industries are actively seeking solutions that deliver both measurable impact and commercial returns.
Katapult said that sustainable companies that solve large-scale environmental problems have long been challenged because those best positioned to solve the problems often lack business models that make such solutions economically viable. The accelerator said the majority of companies in this cohort are preparing to scale implemented solutions with customers worldwide.
“The Katapult Ocean team reviewed a record number of companies for this year’s cohort, and we’re thrilled with the result,” said Ross Brooks, General Partner at Katapult Ocean. “This year’s cohort brings together a diverse group of founders leveraging everything from molecular engineering and AI-guided automation to nature-based innovation — all with the clear aim of scaling solutions that drive impact without sacrificing economic performance.”
Since 2018, Katapult Ocean has accelerated over 90 companies across themes including maritime decarbonization, aquaculture and food systems, renewable ocean energy, circular materials, and ocean data and robotics.
“What emerges from this varied collection of companies is a coherent investment thesis around what might be called ‘impact-as-a-service,’” explained Anthony Bellafiore, Investment Manager at Katapult Ocean. “Rather than asking customers to choose between profitability and sustainability, these companies generate revenue directly from their environmental benefits: captured methane becomes energy, PFAS destruction clears regulatory liabilities, flood intelligence reduces downtime and enables new insurance models, algae-based materials improve product performance while reducing environmental risk.”
The 2025 cohort also exemplifies Katapult Ocean’s growing systems-level approach, which moves beyond isolated solutions to consider how changes in one area can positively influence the entire ocean and its related industries.
While some cohort companies operate directly in marine environments, others influence ocean health by transforming adjacent industries–such as plastics, fuels, and manufacturing–that have significant indirect impacts on marine ecosystems. By driving these industries toward more sustainable practices, the portfolio aims to catalyze positive ripples throughout interconnected ocean systems.
Among the companies:
- Ammobia (US) Ammobia makes ammonia production for marine fuel, among other things, with a process that it says dramatically reduces the temperature and pressure traditionally required, cutting both capital costs and energy use significantly. Their company’s plants can be sited near end-users or as large facilities using any source of hydrogen. The company that if they use clean hydrogen they can achieve up to 90% emission reduction or 10-30% emission reduction with Ammobia’s synthesis loop.
- Bluemethane (UK) captures methane from liquid waste streams such as sludge or digestate – methane that would otherwise escape unnoticed into the atmosphere. The company said it is the first of its kind to recover methane directly from liquids and is designed to be deployed across wastewater plants, biogas plants, water utilities, reservoirs. The methane can then be used in fuels such as marine fuels.
- Soarce (US) develops nanocellulose-based coatings and additives from seaweed to make composite parts stronger, lighter, and cheaper. Its technology replaces fossil-based materials and improves bonding between fibers and resins, enabling manufacturers to use less material and even incorporate recycled or lower-cost fibers without sacrificing performance.
- Aquaria (US) Aquaria’s water generators harvest humidity directly from the atmosphere to produce thousands of gallons of drinking water per month–without pipelines, heavy construction, or long lead times. By decentralizing water supply with modular, stackable units, Aquaria delivers affordable, point-of-use solutions that can serve households and entire communities much like solar has decentralized power. Atmospheric water generation helps preserve dwindling groundwater resources and provides an alternative to desalination.
- Living Ink Technologies (US) Living Ink creates nature-made color from renewable biomass waste. Its Algae Black pigment transforms discarded algae into a carbon-negative alternative to fossil-fuel-based carbon black, diverting landfill emissions while saving water and reducing petroleum feedstocks. Already used in packaging, apparel, paints, and cosmetics, Living Ink enables brands to lower supply chain footprints without compromising performance or design.
- Healthy Seaweed Co. (Tanzania) Healthy Seaweed Co. transforms Tanzania’s seaweed into certified superfoods that fight malnutrition, tackle non-communicable diseases, and empower women farmers. Through its “Sea to Plate” model, the company pays farmers above traditional rates while producing gels, sauces, and powders for local and international markets. By linking health, equity, and climate resilience, Healthy Seaweed Co. is positioning seaweed as Africa’s next mainstream superfood.
