University of California, San Diego, Scripps Institution of Oceanography
StartBlue Blue Economy Accelerator Development Project
La Jolla, CA
Industry Challenge
Federal Share: $328,542
Local Match: $328,542
StartBlue is a new accelerator that supports formation of advanced science and engineering startups tackling ocean-focused challenges and solutions integrated into science, industry, investment, and government networks.
StartBlue will be led by UC San Diego, which has launched or created technologies for over 1,000 companies contributing a $16.5 billion annual economic impact for California. StartBlue is the sixth accelerator launched in 8 years by UC San Diego Rady School of Management’s (Rady) StartR accelerator program, including programs for startups led by women, minorities, and veterans. StartR has graduated 198 companies since 2012.
StartBlue will be based at UC San Diego’s Scripps Institution of Oceanography (Scripps), a world-renowned leader in earth, ocean, and marine science research and education, with extensive marine facilities. In the past eight years, Scripps and Rady have worked together to support over 80 new environmental startups out of UC San Diego through entrepreneurship education and pitch competitions.
StartBlue expands the regional Blue Economy by supporting startup formation, including but not limited to UC San Diego spin-outs. StartBlue provides its annual cohort of startups a curriculum, 1-1 mentorship, and facilitated access to potential partners, investment, and customers. Active participation of partners integrates StartBlue into the pipeline of regional resources that support visibility, growth, and scale of ocean startups including The Port of San Diego and its Blue Economy Incubator, U.S. Coast Guard Blue Tech Center of Expertise, National Defense Industry Association, AIIM Partners, TMA BlueTech and its Blue Tech Incubator, CA Sea Grant, The Brink SBDC, and Ocean Visions.