about us

Ocean Impact Organisation’s purpose is to transform ocean health through inspiration, innovation, and good business.

Our mission is to support and accelerate ocean impact businesses.

We help people start, grow and invest in businesses that positively impact the ocean.

We provide a range of startup programs, mentoring, and support to help people to start, grow and invest in businesses that positively impact the ocean.

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Why?

We live on Planet Ocean. 70% of the earth's surface is covered by ocean and the aquatic wonderland beneath the sea contains vastly more habitable space than the terrestrial landmass populated by humans.

Planet Ocean regulates our climate; produces two thirds of the oxygen we breathe; fuels the water cycle; sustains the livelihoods and provides nourishment for nearly three billion people; is fundamental to diverse cultures; is essential to global transport; is critical to addressing climate change and is home to millions of marine species, many of which are yet to be studied by science.

But Planet Ocean is in danger.

challenge

Decades of ocean mismanagement combined with a rapidly growing population; industrialisation and the ever increasing threats created by climate change place the long-term health of the ocean on a delicate precipice.

Without a healthy ocean there can be no healthy ‘us’. It’s imperative that humankind rapidly reduces unnecessary damage to the ocean and develops a new future that preserves, regenerates and restores ocean ecosystems.

Ocean Impact Organisation (OIO) is a registered charity based in Sydney, Australia.

Launched in February 2020 by founders Nick Chiarelli and Tim Silverwood, OIO is Australia’s first ocean impact ecosystem and startup accelerator for businesses dedicated to transforming ocean health.

Our office is situated in Manly, a picturesque isthmus bordered by Sydney Harbour to the South and the Pacific Ocean to the East. The traditional owners of the land on which we work, the Guringai people of the Eora nation acted as careful custodians of this coastline for thousands of years.

Cabbage Tree Bay, one of only 12 aquatic reserves in NSW, is nestled like an emerald jewel a short walk from our office. The OIO team can regularly be found swimming, surfing and diving close by, experiencing the joys of an abundant ocean and inspiring them to do all that they can to protect Planet Ocean.

Approach

We are industry & technology agnostic and solutions focussed. We believe that the myriad of challenges facing the ocean are complex and require a broad range of industries, disciplines and technologies to solve them. We focus on six ocean health themes:

Ocean Health themes

Pollution & Biodiversity Protection
Eg. Ecosystem protection and restoration,Waste management & recycling, Circular economy, Alternative materials, Agricultural practices, Urban development, Blue financing, Sustainable tourism, Ocean sports & activities

Ocean Harvesting
Eg. Traditional fisheries & aquaculture, Smart fishing gear, Supply chain digitisation, Regenerative aquaculture, Aquaculture digitisation, Waste reduction, Fish feed replacements, Ocean farming, Lab grown seafood

Ocean Energy
Eg. Harnessing renewable energy from the ocean to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Wave energy to convert ocean waves into electricity, Tidal energy from currents or ranges using diverse methods, Ocean thermal energy using temperature variations to create energy, Solutions to increase the supply and demand for ocean energy

Transport & Security
Eg. Alternative fuels & ship design, Electrification of boats, Increased ports efficiency, Improved security & goods transparency, Container digitisation, Decarbonisation of vessels

Inspiration & Leisure
Eg. Increasing ocean literacy, Virtual and augmented reality, Sustainable tourism, Ocean accessibility, Mainstream media projects, Improving impacts of sports and leisure

New Frontiers
Eg. Large scale seaweed farming, Marine bio solutions and products, Marine biomimicry, Ocean exploration, Underwater robotics, IOT for oceans, Offshore renewable energy aquaculture, Floating cities

a thriving Ecosystem

We bring together a multi-disciplinary ecosystem of founders & startups, marine experts and organisations, business mentors, industry partners, corporates, research institutions, media organisations, not-for-profit partners, investors and philanthropists to transform ocean health through inspiration, innovation, and good business.

OUR OBJECTIVES

Accelerate 100 ocean impact startups in 5 years

Establish Australia as a world leader in ocean solutions

Our Core Values

We believe in ocean protection and conservation so that future generations may enjoy the ocean as a source of abundance, health and inspiration.
We believe that social justice and environmental justice are inextricably linked.
We believe in the potential of the ocean to help achieve the UN Sustainable Development Goals.
We believe in the power of business as a force for good.
We believe in an inclusive and sustainable economy where profits and growth are seen as a means to greater outcomes for people and the planet.