Strategic Initiatives action area

Gulf of Maine Ventures

Building a resilient, modernized 21st-century marine economy by supporting high-impact companies.

Gulf of Maine Ventures is the entrepreneurship and innovation arm of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute. We bridge the gap between innovative, blue economy businesses and the capital, technical knowledge, and networks needed to help them grow.

We harness the scientific, technical, and solution-oriented expertise of GMRI and our partners to advance innovation in the blue economy.

  • We develop and deliver programs that connect companies to relevant science, industry knowledge, business support resources, and a path to investment.
  • We apply scientific and market expertise in partnership with Bold Ocean Ventures, a mission-driven venture capital fund, to support the growth of innovative, sustainable ocean-related businesses.
  • We collaborate with businesses and other organizations to identify industry needs and develop promising ideas into solutions for the Gulf of Maine and beyond.

Our Projects

Explore some of our recent work with companies, investors, and partners.

  • Blue w(AI)ve Accelerator

    Blue w(AI)ve Accelerator

    The Blue wAIve program is the first-of-its-kind 16-week accelerator based out of Maine. We focus on early-stage companies leveraging artificial intelligence in ocean-based solutions.

  • BlueTech Boost Incubator Program

    BlueTech Boost Incubator Program

    The BlueTech Boost program is a 10-week incubator designed to assist early-stage startup founders in overcoming challenges and achieving milestones.

  • Blue Economy Summer Series

    Blue Economy Summer Series

    The Blue Economy Summer Series is an educational speaker series focused on exploring the opportunities and challenges in Maine’s emerging blue economy.

  • Blue Economy Facilities Resource Map

    Blue Economy Facilities Resource Map

    This Resource Map, developed by Gulf of Maine Ventures and SeaAhead aims to help startups find and connect with the R&D facilities or content area …

  • Gulf of Maine Seafood SPRINT

    Gulf of Maine Seafood SPRINT

    We combined the technical expertise of GMRI with business formation and support services to forge a pathway for Blue Economy entrepreneurs and start-ups, so they …

  • New England Marine Monitoring

    New England Marine Monitoring

    New England Marine Monitoring is an electronic monitoring (EM) services company that provides video review, on-vessel technical support, and program design service to New England …

  • True Fin: Premium Gulf of Maine Seafood

    True Fin: Premium Gulf of Maine Seafood

    True Fin was founded to realize the maximum potential for seafood from the New England region.

  • Scallop Aquaculture Initiative

    Scallop Aquaculture Initiative

    In January 2021, the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, the University of Maine, and Coastal Enterprises, Inc. convened to form the Scallop Aquaculture Initiative (SAI), …

Ventures News and Insights

Gulf of Maine Ventures Team