When tourism in Southeast Asia came to a halt during the COVID-19 pandemic, creating economic struggle, many coastal communities found resilience in a tradition that’s deeply rooted in the region’s recent history: seaweed cultivation. With its applications in food, biostimulants, animal feed, and more, seaweed farming allowed the locals to diversify their sources of income beyond tourism, fishing, and land agriculture. Since we began investing in the sector three years ago, we’ve had the inspiring opportunity to visit seaweed farms in Indonesia and the Philippines, where we witnessed seaweed’s impact on sustaining the livelihoods of farmers on the ground.

We met Agus, whose father, I Made Simbik, was among the pioneers of seaweed farming in Indonesia after the practice was brought there from the Philippines in the 1970s. Agus now leads Indonesian farm operations at Sea6 Energy, which develops sustainable, seaweed-based solutions for agricultural production and climate resilience. We also paid a visit to Coast 4C, where smallholder seaweed farmers are making a transition to more sustainable, regenerative farming in the Philippines—effectively protecting marine ecosystems while improving their practice with better-quality seedlings and science-based guidance.

For these farmers, seaweed is more than a source of income: it’s their way of building a sustainable livelihood for themselves and coastal generations to come. The potential for impact is only one of the reasons why Potato Impact Partners invests in seaweed companies in Southeast Asia.

Potato Impact Partners is a Singapore-based impact investor focused on seaweed innovation and the blue economy. We see ourselves as the bridge to Southeast Asia and work to generate more capital flows and collaboration in this region that is ripe for potential and opportunity.

Coastal communities in Southeast Asia contribute to nearly a third of the world’s seaweed production. The region has massive scaling potential, thanks to extensive coastlines spanning 170,000–180,000 kilometers and about 70% of the population living along the coast. Despite growing momentum and supportive policy developments in parts of Southeast Asia, several structural challenges continue to slow the growth of the blue economy. Drawing on our experience in the seaweed value chain, we highlight some catalysts needed to unlock and scale the region’s blue economy.

Evolving Financing Models

Startups in Southeast Asia often don’t fit traditional venture capital models – which relies on 10x returns over a 7-10 year time horizon – because that framework was built for asset-light software companies. This is very clear in the case of seaweed startups.

These businesses are frequently capex-heavy and require longer commercialization timelines. Equipment and manufacturing are not capital light, and working with biology takes time.

We need to evolve financing models and look beyond equity to alternative forms of capital such as blended finance. This could include debt to purchase equipment or working capital, given the seasonality of the seaweed business, which are more suitable types of financing vehicles that don’t dilute the founders.

Intentional, patient capital is not optional—it is the foundational structure that this industry requires.

Research and Knowledge Gaps

Despite Southeast Asia’s large production capacity, significant gaps remain in localized research and technical infrastructure. Much of the global innovation ecosystem for seaweed—including R&D funding, advanced processing technologies, and intellectual property development—is still concentrated in Europe and North America. Meanwhile, many producers in Southeast Asia continue to face limited access to climate-resilient solutions, disease management, technical training and scientific data. 

Building stronger regional knowledge ecosystems through partnerships between startups, universities, governments, and coastal communities will be critical to unlocking innovation that is tailored to local market realities in the Southeast Asian blue economy. 

Fragmented Infrastructure

The aquaculture and seaweed supply chain in Southeast Asia also remains highly fragmented. 

In the case of seaweed, complex intermediary networks within the value chain contribute to price volatility and reduce margins for farmers and coastal producers. There is also limited access to hatcheries, climate-resilient seedlings, and processing infrastructure. While production capacity exists, value-added processing and downstream commercialization are still developing.

Future regional growth will be accelerated by reducing this fragmentation through solutions such as end-to-end traceability, ensuring that smallholder farmers are integrated into the supply chain, rather than excluded from it, as well as more processing in the region. 

Building the Ecosystem

Capital alone doesn’t build markets—ecosystems do. Through collaborative action, we can truly scale the blue economy in Southeast Asia.

At Potato Impact Partners, we lead programs and initiatives to bring stakeholders together for learning and engagement. This includes our biannual Seaweed Squad Investors Call, leading working groups in coalitions such as 1000 Ocean Startups, and helping organize learning activities, such as a recent seaweed study tour to South Korea. We also participate in knowledge sharing when possible, such as through our whitepaper, speaking on industry panels, and sharing investment notes and diligence with co-investors.

Through our capital, we send a market signal that what we invest in matters. Through our time and collaboration, we can build partnerships across various stakeholders to strengthen the entire value chain. 

About the Author: Tessa Charupatanapongse is Investment Lead at Potato Impact Partners, an impact investor spurring positive contributions to food security, climate action, and the resilience of coastal communities through investments in sustainable seaweed innovation. Tessa leads deal sourcing and due diligence and drives ecosystem building within the sustainable seaweed aquaculture value chain.

Preferred Contact: hello@potatoimpactpartners.com

Website: https://www.potatoimpactpartners.com/

The post BLOG: Catalyzing the Blue Economy in Southeast Asia: Insights from the Seaweed Value Chain appeared first on Ocean Exchange.

Africa’s blue economy is often framed as “untapped potential.” That’s true—but increasingly incomplete. Across the continent, a new wave of entrepreneurs is moving beyond promise into performance: building investable solutions in aquaculture and blue foods, circular materials, coastal resilience, ocean data and monitoring, maritime services, and nature-positive livelihoods. The question is no longer whether Africa has blue economy opportunity. The question is how quickly we can connect these solutions to the markets, partners, and capital that help them scale.

From OceanHub Africa’s vantage point, the most exciting shift is the rise of founders who understand both local realities and global ocean challenges. These are not abstract climate solutions designed at a distance. They are grounded responses to practical needs: reducing post-harvest losses in fisheries, strengthening coastal supply chains, improving traceability and compliance, restoring ecosystems, and creating dignified jobs for coastal communities under growing climate pressure.

This matters because Africa’s ocean economy sits at the intersection of some of the world’s most urgent transitions—food security, biodiversity protection, climate adaptation, circularity, renewable energy, and digital monitoring. Coastal and island communities are often on the front line of climate impacts. They are also close to many of the solutions. When entrepreneurship is properly supported, the blue economy can shift from extraction and vulnerability toward resilience, productivity, and regeneration.

Yet the obstacle is rarely a lack of entrepreneurs. It is the gap between early innovation and the conditions required to scale. Many African startups operate in markets where infrastructure is uneven, customers are fragmented, procurement cycles are slow, and quality data is hard to access. Investors can be cautious—especially when go-to-market pathways are unfamiliar. Founders often need more than funding: they need technical and commercial support, trusted partnerships, regulatory navigation, credible impact measurement, and targeted help to become “investment-ready” or supplier-ready for larger customers.

That is why OceanHub Africa exists: to support, connect, and invest in Africa’s ocean-impact ecosystem. Since 2020, we have worked with startups and local ecosystem actors across the continent to strengthen the pipeline of investable blue economy ventures. Our role is to help founders move from promising innovation to credible, resilient businesses—while also building the broader ecosystem around them.

We are also encouraged by the growing global interest in African blue innovation. But interest must be matched with instruments that fit early-stage realities in emerging markets: non-dilutive awards, catalytic and blended finance, patient capital, and partnerships that reduce market-entry risk.

Initiatives such as Ocean Exchange’s 2026 Call for Solutions are especially valuable for African innovators ready to step onto a global stage. Ocean Exchange is not only an awards programme—it is a global ecosystem with a mission to accelerate the adoption of innovative solutions for healthy oceans and a sustainable blue economy. 

My message to African blue economy entrepreneurs is simple: the world needs your solutions, and now is the time to be visible. Apply, tell your story with confidence, pursue partnerships that accelerate adoption, and help prove that Africa is not only a beneficiary of ocean innovation—it is one of its most important frontiers.

About the Author: Alexis Grosskopf is the Founder of OceanHub Africa, a Cape Town-based ecosystem builder supporting, connecting and investing in Africa’s ocean-impact entrepreneurship ecosystem. OceanHub Africa works with startups, coastal communities, investors and partners to accelerate sustainable and inclusive blue economy solutions across the continent.

Preferred contact: contact@oceanhub.africa
Website: www.oceanhub.africa

The post BLOG: Africa’s Blue Economy Is Ready for Investment-Grade Innovation appeared first on Ocean Exchange.

The post Solution Spotlight – BlueiQ appeared first on Ocean Exchange.

The post Solution Spotlight – Phoenix Waste Solutions appeared first on Ocean Exchange.

The post Solution Spotlight – C2C NewCap appeared first on Ocean Exchange.

Iluminar el Mar Update – April 2026

Iluminar el Mar is a socially and economically sustainable bycatch reduction solution. Bycatch threatens endangered species like turtles and sharks. The solution is to use the differences in visual abilities between the target fish of fisheries, and other animals. Fishers tested lights in Ecuador’s gillnet fishery, cutting bycatch up to 73%.

“Since the transformational funding provided by the Ocean Exchange and Guy Harvey Foundation, project Iluminar el Mar, led by The Leatherback Project and the Mare Nostrum Foundation, has made great strides. We used the funding to support Phase II of Iluminar el Mar, a scientific research and conservation project to test and implement bycatch reduction technology in the artisanal gillnet fishery in Ecuador to protect threatened and endangered species groups such as sharks, rays, cetaceans, and marine turtles. The fishers requested trialing a new light placement for Phase II, and we have now conducted 72% of the required Phase II trials. We were able to onboard two new fishing crews to join the team as well, through purchasing lights for their vessels and training them in our data collection protocols. After completing Phase II trials, we hope to continue expanding our fishing team to increase the number of turtles, elasmobranchs and cetaceans protected each month.”

~ Callie Veelenturf, COO & Project Manager, Iluminar el Mar
University of Central Florida

Ignition Packaging Update – April 2026

Ignition Packaging is biodegradable, ocean-safe packaging that replaces the top contributors to marine pollution. The cellulose-based materials are strong, cost-competitive, and compatible with existing manufacturing.

“Since winning the Ocean Exchange Collegiate Competition, Ignition Packaging has accelerated the development of our cellulose-based biofoam technology made from agricultural residues, aimed at replacing Styrofoam/petroleum-based protective packaging. We have further refined our formulation to improve structural stability, integrability, and biodegradability, with early prototypes successfully demonstrating prolonged shelf life and real-world performance in small-scale production.

On the commercialization side, we’ve advanced discussions with agricultural partners for consistent feedstock sourcing and continued building early customer interest for our compostable foam alternative, including multiple LOIs. We have also strengthened product validation to further demonstrate functional application and durability.

This support has meaningfully helped us move faster from lab-stage iteration toward pilot-ready material development and early market validation while also connecting us to a broader community of innovators and partners advancing practical solutions for environmental resilience at scale.”

~ Abdurrahman Bejjaj, CEO of Ignition Packaging
University of Florida

OctaPulse Update – April 2026

OctaPulse is an AI-powered Inspection platform to automate production in early stage finfish aquaculture. Designed for hatcheries and the early land-based part of production, the system uses computer vision and commercially available hardware to identify deformities, estimate weight, and improve egg/stock quality with over 90% accuracy in early pilots.

“Over the past five months, OctaPulse has made strong progress advancing our AI-powered computer vision platform for aquaculture. We were accepted into Y Combinator’s Winter 2026 batch, which has accelerated both product development and customer traction. We also signed a paid development partnership with Riverence, the largest trout producer in the United States, to deploy and refine our phenotyping and deformity inspection platform in commercial hatchery operations.

In addition, OctaPulse received the ACME SICA innovation award, which has supported pilot deployments and data collection across multiple species. Our system automates manual quality inspection workflows, reducing inspection time from minutes per fish to under 30 seconds while delivering over 90% model accuracy.

We are now beginning our seed fundraising round to scale deployments and expand globally.”

~ Paul L. Grech, Co-Founder & CEO of OctaPulse
Carnegie Mellon University

The post BLOG: Updates from 2025 Collegiate Winners appeared first on Ocean Exchange.

The post Solution Spotlight – Seacork Studio appeared first on Ocean Exchange.