Welcome to our February Newsletter!
We hope all’s well and that your 2025 is off to a great start.
There’s a lot happening across politics, policy, funding and science that is creating headwinds for blue economy participants. While we’re operating in a period of considerable
uncertainty, we do see consistent, energized commitment from those working in the oceans. Much like the environment, the ocean community is adapting and building resilience: it is
acknowledging the realities of the day, searching for consensus and common ground wherever possible, radically collaborating to efficiently marshall resources, and importantly,
demonstrating persistence and resolve in moving worthy initiatives forward.
Since communication and collaboration are especially important in the current environment, we start with a look at some upcoming ocean events that have proven effective in bringing
people and organizations together to create tangible solutions and partnerships:
First Half 2025 Events… The Road to Nice:
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Ocean Innovation Africa 2025, February 24–28, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania: Ocean Innovation Africa in partnership with organizations including OceanHub Africa, IUCN and
others. Bridging science and solutions to address critical challenges like ocean degradation, climate resilience, and sustainable development.
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BlueInvest Day 2025, March 5–6, Brussels, Belgium: Two day European Commission event of workshops, networking sessions, panels, and pitch sessions to foster high-level
networking and investment opportunities in the sustainable blue economy.
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World Ocean Summit & Expo 2025 (Economist Impact), March 12–13, Tokyo, Japan: Will again convene a diverse cross-section of the ocean community— business and
finance leaders, policymakers, civil society, and academia—to advance a sustainable ocean economy. Topics include ocean health, industry strategies, and ocean-climate
solutions, with an emphasis on investment and innovative finance.
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Ocean Visions Biennial Summit 2025, March 25–27, Vancouver, Canada: Will gather scientists, policymakers, innovators, funders, and other stakeholders to explore
solutions and strengthen partnerships to help restore the oceans and stabilize the climate.
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Blue Economy and Finance Forum (BEFF), June 7–8, Monaco: A special event of the United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC) 2025, it will bring together global experts,
policymakers, investors, and innovators to explore sustainable financing and policy solutions for ocean conservation and economic development.
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Third United Nations Ocean Conference (UNOC3) Co-organized by France and Costa Rica, June 9–13 in Nice, France: The conference seeks to accelerate action and mobilize
all actors to conserve and sustainably use the ocean, bringing together UN member states, specialized agencies, civil society, the private sector, and international donors.
We encourage you to attend one or more of these conferences – they really can produce results and make a difference. We’ll be at the BEFF and UNOC wearing both our Investable
Oceans and 1000 Ocean Startups hats – hope to see many of you there!
Five Compelling Blue Economy Reads:
There’s been a number of thoughtful and thorough “deep dive” reports recently, so we thought it worthwhile sharing a few of our favorites that provide insights on blue economy
investing through different lenses:
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“
Towards a Sustainable Ocean: Where there’s a will, there’s a wave
” – A comprehensive exploration of the blue economy from Marisa Drew and her team at Standard Chartered. Reviews broad concepts but plenty of specifics - great as a first read
in the space but also for experienced practitioners.
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“
Ocean-Positive Investments Market Snapshot
” – CREO’s Aly Rose documents the rise of startups in this area with habitat management and ecosystem restoration leading the way, but argues that more is needed.
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“
Climate Intuition: Navigating the New Climate Era
” – Fresh off the press from Dr. Sarah Kapnick, Global Head of Climate Advisory at J.P. Morgan and former NOAA Chief Scientist. Notable in that it’s the debut report in a
climate series by a leading global financial institution.
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“SWEN Blue Ocean: Impact Investing Goes to Sea” –
A Harvard Business School case study on blue economy investing - the first we know of! Congratulations to Christian, Olivier and the SWEN team. Charts the development of SWEN’s
initiative and examines their investment process on a specific deal ($10 to purchase report).
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“
Lessons Learned from 10 Years of Investing in Food & Energy, Oceans, and Energy
” – We’ve focused a lot recently on cross-over investing into the blue economy, as it provides valuable insights and helps mainstream sustainable ocean investing. This report
is a fantastic way to widen your horizons and learn from talented investors who have deep and broad experience across multiple sectors.
We’re delighted as always to dive deeper on any of the topics above, and hope to cross paths with many of you over the coming months.
With gratitude as always,
The Investable Oceans Team
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