A six-month incubator for pre-formation and early-stage blue economy ventures, built for founders proving there's a business, not yet scaling one.
WHO IT’S FOR
Where founders start before there's anything to scale.
Foundations guides you to a problem–solution fit — before product–market fit, and often before the company itself exists.
01
03
Pre-revenue, often pre-product
You're testing problem–solution fit, not yet product–market fit.
02
Born from research, insight, or lived experience
A team still taking shape
A technical founder without a commercial counterpart, a collective still working out roles — whatever "founding team" looks like for you.
04
A university spinout, unlicensed IP, a founder with deep domain insight, or a kaupapa grown from community need — with no validated model yet.
TRL 1–4
Still proving the concept works, and that it's genuinely needed.
FOCUS AREAS
where your idea fits
Circular Economy & Ocean Plastics
Waste reduction, recovery, and circular material systems for the marine environment.
Aquaculture & Blue Foods
Sustainable seafood, alternative proteins, and next-gen farming systems.
Marine Biotech & Bioscience
Compounds, materials and diagnostics derived from the marine environment for research, health and industry.
Maritime Operations & Vessel Tech
Vessel efficiency, autonomous systems, and port and marine infrastructure.
Ocean Tech & Data
Sensors, monitoring, and the intelligence layer for a data-driven ocean.
Coastal & Ecosystem Restoration
Blue carbon, habitat restoration, and nature-based climate solutions.
PROGRAM STRUCTURE
Six months, four stages, one validated idea.
Foundations is structured like the technology itself is being built — layer by layer, from concept to a validated solution.
Months 1-2 . Phase 1
Explore & Define
Frame the problem, map the market or community you're building for, and stress-test the founding insight with domain experts.
Months 3-4 . Phase 2
Build & Team
Develop early prototypes, run structured validation, and work through team roles, decision-making, and the right governance structure for where you're headed.
Months 5-6 . Phase 3
Prove & Ready
Build the business fundamentals you need, commercial or impact-focused, and graduate with a validated solution.
what you get
Mentorship & Domain Experts
Connect with founders who've been where you are, and a variety of subject matter experts across the blue economy.
Structured Validation Frameworks
The same problem/solution and evidence tools our Velocity founders used to get market-ready — validating demand, refining your offer, and proving traction before you scale.
Team Formation
Help finding the co-founder, collective member, or collaborator your team is missing.
Funding Pathway Guidance
We don't provide direct funding, but we connect you to it — including an MBIE-led session on grants and funding options, and connections to relevant funders.
Foundational Business Literacy
The business and funding fundamentals research teams and first-time founders are rarely taught — whatever pathway you're building toward.
KEY DATES
Six months, mapped out.
Jul 22, 2026
Aug 3, 2026
Sep 25, 2026
Applications Open
Jan 18 - Mar 12, 2027
Dec 14, 2026 - Jan 15, 2027
Oct 5 - Dec 11, 2026
Mar 15 - May 7, 2027
Applications Close
Selection
Explore & Define
Holiday Break
Sep 11, 2026
Build & Team
Prove & Ready
EOI Open
ready to lay the foundationS?
EXPRESSIONS OF INTEREST ARE NOW OPEN!
acknowledgement
Ocean Impact Organisation acknowledges Māori as tangata whenua of Aotearoa New Zealand and recognises Te Tiriti o Waitangi as the foundation for partnership. We pay our respects to mana whenua across the motu and acknowledge their enduring relationship with the moana, whenua, and taiao — and the practice of kaitiakitanga that shapes how we build a sustainable blue economy.
our partners
