Mark Huang, Co-Founder and Managing Director of SeaAhead, joined GoLocal CEO Josh Fenton on GoLocal LIVE to discuss the startup's new initiative and growth strategy.
This week, SeaAhead and Cambridge Innovation Center (CIC) announced a partnership to open the first dedicated Bluetech Innovation Hub in Boston.
Huang, an experienced entrepreneur, venture capitalist and former Providence Economic Development Director, launched SeaAhead last spring.
CIC is launching an office in the Wexford building on the 195 land, but SeaAhead will be working out of Boston.
Latest for SeaAhead -- and CIC
The SeaAhead Hub, located at CIC Boston (50 Milk Street), will enable ocean entrepreneurs, growing businesses, investors and corporations — as well as non-profits, the public sector and researchers — to have a central co-working and convening location. The SeaAhead team believes that Boston is the ideal location for bringing together the Northeast’s broad ocean capabilities with the region’s vibrant tech and venture ecosystems.
Bluetech refers to technology-based innovation tied to ocean sustainability in areas such as ports and shipping, fisheries, aquaculture and offshore renewables. The bluetech mandate also includes coastal resiliency, ocean-centric approaches to climate change, plastic pollution and the impacts of stormwater and agricultural runoff.
Huang said on GoLocal LIVE during an interview with GoLocal’s Fenton that educating investors on the possible upside is a barrier they are focused on.
SeaAhead was founded in 2018 as a benefit corporation to catalyze new bluetech venture formation and success. “Through the Hub, we will look to catalyze new solutions by connecting disparate stakeholders, including venture investors and corporations that are seeking to better engage with urban innovation districts. The Hub will also act as a U.S. landing spot for bluetech stakeholders from other international centers of excellence, such as Europe,” said Huang.
SeaAhead will launch within CIC’s Boston location, in the heart of CIC’s thriving innovation community. With 20 years of experience, CIC has a mission to create powerful innovation communities for exceptional entrepreneurs who fix the world.
“We’re thrilled to partner with SeaAhead, working with its visionary co-founders Mark Huang, Alissa Peterson and Jason Kelly,” said Tim Rowe, Founder and CEO of CIC. “Together, we can foster the growth of the bluetech sector. We believe bluetech will be a key growth driver for New England while promoting technologies to enhance global sustainability."
“SeaAhead is excited to leverage the vast experience that CIC has in operating innovation communities to grow the bluetech sector,” said Alissa Peterson, Co-Founder and Executive Director of SeaAhead. “We are currently tracking and engaging over 75 regional bluetech startups and we are planning a full calendar of events in 2019 to draw together and promote this new tech cluster. We could not have done this without the support of our early partners, including Moran Shipping Agencies, Bay State Wind [a JV between Ørsted and Eversource] and JF Moran.”
About SeaAhead:
SeaAhead is a benefit corporation with the mission of supporting new venture development at the intersection of innovation + sustainability + the oceans. Our ecosystem includes technologists, scientists, startups, corporations, governments and other ocean stakeholders that are coming together to create impact in areas including greener shipping and ports, aquaculture and fishery processes, offshore alternative energy and smart cities. SeaAhead is working to improve bluetech startup success rates through connections to investors and customers, mentorship and promotion.
For more information, go to http://www.sea-ahead.com or on Twitter @SeaAhead.
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