Sustainable Ocean Alliance

Name

Sustainable Ocean Alliance

Legal name

Sustainable Ocean Alliance, Inc.

Website

https://soalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sustainable Ocean Alliance is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that activates young ocean leaders in 115 countries through Hubs, micro-grants, a startup investment network (Ecopreneur Network), and the annual Ocean Leaders Fellowship, supported by donations, grants, and an affiliated venture fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ocean Conservation Nonprofit Programs

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)

Keywords

• Ocean conservation programs
• Marine ecosystem restoration
• Blue economy investment
• Youth leadership network
• Ocean startup accelerator

Headquarters

HQ city

San Francisco

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and Corporate Donations: SOA is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit accepting tax-deductible donations from individuals and corporations. Monthly recurring donors join 'The Wave' community. One-time and recurring gift options are available via the website, with check, stock, and DAF payment methods also accepted.
2. Foundation and Institutional Grants: SOA receives grant funding from foundations and institutional partners. Notable grants include funding from Mission Blue for SOA Peru's Guardians of the Reserve project and IUCN grants to SOA Tanzania. SOA has also received government-adjacent funding through various programs.
3. Ecopreneur Investment Returns (via Seabird Ventures): SOA makes equity investments of up to $100,000 in ocean startups through its Ecopreneur Network, with follow-on investment via its affiliated venture fund Seabird Ventures. Returns on invested capital may flow back to SOA to support operations.
4. Ocean Solution Label Licensing: In December 2024, SOA and the Solar Impulse Foundation launched the 'Ocean Solution Label' — a labeling program for ocean-positive solutions that may generate licensing or certification fee revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA) is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit that operates three core programs: the Youth Leadership Network (80+ Hubs in 51 countries receiving micro-grants), the Ecopreneur Network (providing ocean startups with up to $100K investment and mentorship through affiliated Seabird Ventures fund), and the Ocean Leaders Fellowship (an annual year-long cohort of 40 emerging ocean leaders). The organization also operates a micro-grants program awarding up to $15,000 USD to youth-led ocean conservation projects, and co-launched the Ocean Solution Label certification with the Solar Impulse Foundation in December 2024.

Product overview

Sustainable Ocean Alliance operates as a global nonprofit platform offering multiple interconnected programs rather than a single product. The core offerings include the Youth Leadership Network (supporting grassroots ocean action through 86+ hubs in 51 countries), the Ecopreneur Network (accelerating ocean-positive startups with investment and mentorship), the Ocean Leaders Fellowship (developing emerging ocean leaders through year-long programming), the Micro-Grants Program (funding youth-led ocean projects), and affiliated venture fund Seabird Ventures (providing direct investment to startups). Together, these programs form a comprehensive ecosystem supporting ocean conservation from grassroots action to scalable enterprise solutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ecopreneur Network: A network providing Pre-Seed to Series A companies with market-driven ocean-positive innovations access to investment, mentorship, and community support.
• Youth Leadership Network
• Ocean Leaders Fellowship
• Seabird Ventures

Products and services

• Youth Leadership Network A global network of locally-rooted action-oriented teams organized by location or affiliation that work together to promote ocean health and sustainability, with coordination from Regional Representatives and micro-grant support for emerging leaders and Hubs of ocean action.
• Ecopreneur Network A network providing ocean-positive startups (pre-Seed to Series A) with access to investment up to $100,000 USD via affiliated venture fund Seabird Ventures, expert mentorship matching, funding support, thought leadership exposure, and connections to a global network of high-impact peers for the lifetime of their venture.
• Ocean Leaders Fellowship An annual program providing 40 emerging ocean leaders per cohort with a year of online programming (March–December), peer leadership pods, mentorship, community dialogues, policy brief development, media strategy, campaign design, and travel to ocean conferences, designed to cultivate belonging, activate collective power, and build lifetime leadership capacity.
• Micro-Grants Program Small grants (maximum $15,000 USD, average $4,000 USD) awarded to youth, NGOs, and community organizations for ocean restoration projects, with 70+% of funding directed to developing countries. Maximum 25% of grant may be used for personnel salary.
• Seabird Ventures (Affiliated Investment Fund) The affiliated venture fund of SOA that provides follow-on investment to ocean startups in the Ecopreneur Network, offering capital deployment to blue economy ventures that have completed initial SOA investment.
• Ocean Solution Label A certification/labeling program co-launched with the Solar Impulse Foundation in December 2024 to identify and promote ocean-positive solutions, generating licensing or certification fee revenue while recognizing Ecopreneur Network members and other ocean innovators.

Quantifiable outcome

• 4,475 metric tons CO₂e reduction; 4,519,554 people provided climate resilience; 276,639 people engaged in GHG-reducing activities in 2025
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers16 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• The Nature ConservancyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Research collaborator and advisor to Primitives. The Nature Conservancy is one of the world's largest environmental organizations and provides scientific validation for Primitives' restoration approach.
• Korean Ministry of Oceans & FisheriescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Co-host of the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit 2025 alongside SOA, Dona Bertarelli Philanthropy, and Korea Maritime & Ocean University. The OOYLS brought 80 youth leaders from 35 countries to Busan, South Korea.
• Korea Maritime & Ocean UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2025Co-host of the Our Ocean Youth Leadership Summit 2025 alongside SOA and Korean Ministry of Oceans & Fisheries.
• Solar Impulse FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2024SOA and Solar Impulse Foundation jointly launched the 'Ocean Solution Label' in December 2024, a labeling program to identify and promote ocean-positive solutions. This co-branded certification creates a new category of recognition for Ecopreneur Network members and other ocean innovators.
• Waitt InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2024SOA and Waitt Institute launched a Fellowship program in Tonga for 2025, combining SOA's youth leadership network with Waitt Institute's blue economy expertise to advance ocean conservation in the Pacific region.
• Plastic OdysseyminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022SOA and Plastic Odyssey announced a global partnership in September 2022 to combat ocean plastic pollution through joint programming, shared resources, and coordinated outreach across both organizations' networks.
• Seabird VenturescoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSeabird Ventures is SOA's affiliated venture fund that provides follow-on investment to Ecopreneur Network members. SOA directs qualifying startups to Seabird Ventures for Series A and later-stage funding, creating a structured investment pathway for ocean startups.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Ocean Conservancy: Established US-based marine conservation nonprofit focused on policy advocacy and science-based campaigns. Both organizations pursue marine ecosystem protection through policy influence and community engagement, but Ocean Conservancy operates at a larger scale with broader issue scope, while SOA differentiates through youth activation and startup investment.
• The Nature Conservancy: One of the world's largest environmental NGOs with significant marine and coastal programs. Comparable because both invest in conservation science, fund local partners (Nature Conservancy is an advisor on SOA portfolio company Primitives), and engage in marine ecosystem restoration, though TNC operates at much greater scale and asset base.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Large nonprofit developing advanced technologies to remove ocean plastic, founded by Boyan Slat. Comparable as a high-profile ocean nonprofit with strong brand recognition, but focused on technology deployment rather than SOA's youth network and startup investment model.

Emerging players

• rePurpose Global: Plastic action platform that finances waste recovery through plastic credits across 11 countries. SOA portfolio company (since 2019) that has scaled to 100M+ pounds of waste removed — comparable in mission alignment but operates as a for-profit venture rather than a nonprofit platform.
• Aqua-Spark: Netherlands-based investment fund focused exclusively on sustainable aquaculture across the value chain. Comparable because both deploy capital into blue-economy startups (co-invested in Ace Aquatec) and both target aquaculture, ocean data, and seafood supply chain innovation — Aqua-Spark is a pure investment vehicle while SOA combines investing with nonprofit community-building.
• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise that stops ocean plastic by building collection networks in vulnerable coastal communities. Comparable to SOA in mission and target geographies, but operates as a for-profit social enterprise with a recycling credits model rather than a nonprofit network platform.

Direct peers

• Mission Blue: Marine conservation nonprofit founded by Sylvia Earle that builds a global network of "Hope Spots" for ocean protection. Most direct peer to SOA: both operate marine-focused nonprofit platforms that combine scientific credibility, founder-driven brand, and a globally distributed network of champions to drive ocean policy and protection outcomes.
• Plastic Odyssey: France-based nonprofit tackling ocean plastic pollution through expeditions and local capacity building. Direct peer and existing strategic partner (2022 global partnership with SOA) — both organizations activate a distributed global network of leaders to combat marine plastic, with overlapping youth-led programmatic models.
• Sea Legacy: Ocean storytelling and conservation nonprofit co-founded by photographers Cristina Mittermeier and Paul Nicklen. Comparable as a youth- and narrative-driven marine nonprofit that uses media, expeditions, and a champion network to advance ocean protection — overlapping SOA's mission and influencer-led brand model.
• Waitt Institute: Ocean policy and blue economy nonprofit that partners with governments to design sustainable ocean plans. Existing strategic partner (Tonga Fellowship, 2024) — both organizations combine ocean conservation funding with on-the-ground national-level engagement, with Waitt Institute specializing in sovereign blue economy planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@soalliance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sustainable-ocean-alliance
• Instagraminstagram.com/soalliance
• TikToktiktok.com/@soalliance
• Xx.com/SOAlliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds5 records

Investors3 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments44 records

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Sustainable Ocean Alliance