By Vittorio Lacagnina, Partner, Apollo Global Management | Member, Board of Governors, Ocean Exchange
Ocean Exchange is not a conference nor an awards show. It is a curated environment where founders building solutions for the Blue Economy come to stress-test their theses with people who govern, advise and invest energy and capital in the next generation marine infrastructure.
I came to it in 2022 through a trusted introduction from Bill Brennan, then chair of the Ocean Exchange board and former president of one of the leading water infrastructure platforms in the United States. He told me simply: “You need to see this.” He was right.
The case for ocean conservation and the aspiration to build resilient, climate-adapted infrastructure naturally converge. Coastal systems are under pressure. The frequency and severity of weather events is accelerating. The communities and economies that depend on healthy oceans need solutions that are not just scientifically sound but commercially viable and scalable. That is exactly what Ocean Exchange is designed to surface.
The track record is hard to argue with. Over 15 years, the organization has put more than 1,000 solutions through a rigorous screening process from 70-plus subject matter experts, recognized 200 finalists, and seen participant companies collectively raise $3 billion. The awards, now including three $100,000 Neptune Awards, two $50,000 Awards and five $10,000 Collegiate Awards, are non-dilutive, which matters enormously at the pre-revenue stage when founders need validation, not dilution.
Phoenix Waste Solutions won the Neptune Award in 2024 and has since secured nearly $2 million in additional non-dilutive funding, including grants from the National Science Foundation and a U.S. Air Force contract. Minesto went from Ocean Exchange finalist to IPO on the Swedish NASDAQ to a significant installation in the Faroe Islands. These outcomes are not arbitrary; they reflect the coupling of best-in-class entrepreneurs with motivated investors.
As a voting delegate, you do something more consequential than observe. You screen the candidate projects directly, bringing your own expertise to bear on founders presenting solutions across marine decarbonization, AI-driven ocean monitoring, aquaculture, carbon capture, alternative materials, and coastal resilience. The peer community you join, spanning industry, government, academia, and conservation, all pointed at the same problem, makes the commitment even more worthwhile.
That community just got bigger. Last year, Ocean Exchange formally integrated into the Marine Technology Society, one of the oldest and most respected professional organizations in the field, founded in 1963. The combination extends Ocean Exchange’s geographic reach and connects its startup ecosystem to an even broader global network of engineers, scientists, policymakers, and investors. It is a meaningful step forward.
I am a PADI Divemaster and have spent a lot of time underwater. The ocean has a pull on me that goes well beyond my work. But you do not need to be a diver to recognize that if the intersection of ocean health, climate resilience, and emerging technologies interests you, this is the room to be in.
The annual event takes place each fall in Fort Lauderdale. If you are considering joining as a delegate or a screener, reach out. I am happy to share what the experience looks like from the inside.
About the Author: Vittorio Lacagnina is a Partner in the Institutional Client & Product Solutions group at Apollo Global Management, where he leads capital formation for infrastructure. He has 28 years of industry experience spanning investment banking, principal investing, and capital formation across senior roles at Goldman Sachs, Babcock & Brown, SteelRiver Infrastructure Partners, QIC, and Partners Group. He serves as a Member of the Board of Governors of Ocean Exchange and is a PADI Divemaster and ocean conservationist affiliated with the AWARE Foundation, Plastic Oceans, and Sea Shepherd.
Connect with Vittorio on LinkedIn.
