11th Hour Racing
11th Hour Racing is a nonprofit philanthropic organization funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation that advances ocean health through sport sponsorships, storytelling, strategic grantmaking to 359 grantees, and MarineShift360, a life-cycle assessment tool for the marine industry.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2010
- HeadquartersNewport, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What 11th Hour Racing does
11th Hour Racing is a privately funded nonprofit organization founded in 2010 and headquartered in Newport, Rhode Island, that advances ocean health and coastal resilience through three integrated pillars: sport (sailing sponsorships and ambassadors), storytelling (documentary films and a dedicated multimedia platform), and strategic grantmaking. It operates through three entities under the Schmidt Family Foundation umbrella: 11th Hour Racing, Inc. (the programmatic impact entity), 11th Hour Racing Charitable, LLC (charitable work), and 11th Hour Racing Action, LLC (social welfare and advocacy). The organization has funded 359 grantees across clean technologies, ecosystem restoration, and ocean literacy, and supports community composting in Rhode Island that has diverted 13 million pounds of food waste from landfills since 2019.
Its core proprietary asset is MarineShift360, a purpose-built Life Cycle Assessment tool delivered by Marine Futures and supported by 11th Hour Racing, which provides methodology, tools, and training for marine manufacturers and sailing classes to measure environmental footprint across production, use, and end-of-life stages. Sponsorship assets include Team Francesca Clapcich (IMOCA offshore racing), UpWind by MerConcept (all-female sailing team), and impact-partner relationships with The Ocean Race Atlantic, Transat Café L'OR, Vendée Globe, IMOCA, and World Sailing. Sub-brands include Operation Restoration (a five-part film series) and The Toolbox Impact Awards (€1,000 sustainability grants).
The business model is philanthropic rather than commercial: there are no products or services sold, no pricing model, and no external investors. Revenue flows from the Schmidt Family Foundation to fund grants, sponsorships, ambassadorships, content production, and MarineShift360 program operations. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, targeting four primary segments: the marine industry (sustainability and LCA adoption), coastal communities (restoration, resilience, composting), the sailing community (equity and inclusion), and students/educators (ocean literacy and career pathways). Notable recognition includes the World Sailing 11th Hour Racing Sustainability Award in 2024 for the Winds of Change project.
11th Hour Racing firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- 11th Hour Racing
- Legal name
- 11th Hour Racing, Inc.
- Website
- https://11thhourracing.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2010
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- 11th Hour Racing is a nonprofit philanthropic organization funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation that advances ocean health through sport sponsorships, storytelling, strategic grantmaking to 359 grantees, and MarineShift360, a life-cycle assessment tool for the marine industry.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where 11th Hour Racing is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
11th Hour Racing business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Philanthropic Grantmaking: 11th Hour Racing operates as a philanthropic foundation funded by the Schmidt Family Foundation. Activities are provided through 11th Hour Racing, Inc. (impact entity providing programmatic direction) and its philanthropic partners including 11th Hour Racing Charitable, LLC (charitable work) and 11th Hour Racing Action, LLC (social welfare programs and advocacy).
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
11th Hour Racing product offering
Product offeringCore offering
11th Hour Racing is a nonprofit foundation that advances ocean health through three interconnected pillars: strategic grantmaking to ocean-conservation nonprofits, sponsorship of elite offshore sailing teams and events (IMOCA, The Ocean Race, Vendée Globe), and a storytelling platform that produces documentary content about ecosystem restoration and marine sustainability. It also supports MarineShift360, a purpose-built life cycle assessment tool for the marine industry, and runs community composting programs in Rhode Island.
Product overview
11th Hour Racing is a nonprofit organization operating as a unified initiative rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization functions through interconnected programmatic areas: Grant Giving (funding ocean health projects), Sponsorships (supporting sailing teams and athletes), the Ambassador Program (network of advocates), MarineShift360 (lifecycle assessment tool for marine industry), the Storytelling Platform (multimedia content), and the Compost Program (soil health initiative). These programs work together under the 11th Hour Racing umbrella to advance ocean health through sport, storytelling, and grantmaking, with activities provided through 11th Hour Racing, Inc., 11th Hour Racing Charitable, LLC, and 11th Hour Racing Action, LLC.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MarineShift360: A purpose-built life-cycle assessment tool for the marine industry, delivered by Marine Futures and supported by 11th Hour Racing, providing methodology, tools and training for sustainability in marine operations.
- Operation Restoration
Products and services
- Grant Giving Program
Companies that use 11th Hour Racing
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
11th Hour Racing technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
11th Hour Racing partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
13 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- GuritminorSelected for 2026 MarineShift360 Impact Accelerator Programme. Gurit is one of the world's leading composite materials and engineering companies serving marine, wind energy and aerospace industries. Will assess lifecycle impact of key marine products and embed LCA methodology into engineering.
- MobyFlyminorSelected for 2026 MarineShift360 Impact Accelerator Programme. Swiss-Portuguese technology company developing zero-emission hydrofoil vessels for passenger transport. Recognized as World Economic Forum Technology Pioneer. Will produce cradle-to-grave lifecycle assessment of 12-passenger S1 vessel.
- NLCompminorSelected for 2026 MarineShift360 Impact Accelerator Programme. Founded by competitive sailors, NLComp developed rComposite, a DNV-certified fully recyclable thermoplastic composite system using recycled carbon fibre and natural fibres. Will build LCA framework to benchmark composites against traditional materials.
- Van Orton DesignminorItalian award-winning design duo (Stefano and Marco Schiavon) created Team Francesca Clapcich's bold new visual identity for the 60-foot IMOCA sailboat. Their graphic style has earned commissions from Marvel, Disney, Pearl Jam, and Bon Jovi.
- The Magenta ProjectcoreCollaboration on the 2x25 Review examining equity, inclusion and discrimination in sailing and the marine industry. The Magenta Project, in collaboration with 11th Hour Racing and World Sailing, released landmark study findings showing 65% of respondents report experiencing discrimination.
- World SailingcorePartnership on Olympic-wide Life Cycle Assessment project. World Sailing's 12-month project will see all six Olympic sailing classes undertake LCA to understand environmental footprint across production, use and end of life. MarineShift360 provides methodology, tools and training.
- MarineShift360 / Marine FuturescoreMarineShift360 is a purpose-built life-cycle assessment tool for the marine industry delivered by Marine Futures and supported by 11th Hour Racing. Ollie Taylor is Director of Marine Futures. The Impact Accelerator Programme equips marine organizations with LCA expertise.
- The Ocean Racecore11th Hour Racing is the official Impact Partner of The Ocean Race Atlantic 2026. Partnership drives sustainability, science, ocean literacy, and gender equity. Racing yachts collect ocean data during competitions, and the organization works with ocean experts and Marine Mammal Advisory Group to develop routes that reduce risk to marine biodiversity.
- Transat Café L'ORcore11th Hour Racing is a new partner of the Transat Café L'OR sailing race (formerly Route du Café/Jacques Vabre). The race starts in Le Havre, France with 74 boats and 148 skippers. Partnership supports ocean health messaging during the transatlantic race.
- IMOCAcore11th Hour Racing sponsors IMOCA (International Monohull Open Class Association) to further advance commitment to sustainability and diversity in offshore racing. Partnership navigates sustainable innovation and equity in competitive sailing.
- UpWind by MerConceptcoreAll-female sailing team created to accelerate gender equity in offshore racing by giving female sailors opportunity to compete at highest levels. 11th Hour Racing is title sponsor of the program.
- Ocean Hour Farmminor44-acre farm in Rhode Island serving as soil lab for teaching farmers and community members about soil health through microscopy. Partner in composting education initiatives and creator of The Ocean Lovers Guide to Compost.
- Rhode RacesminorOfficial Sustainability Sponsor of Newport and Providence Rhode Races running events. Partnership includes community commitment and sustainability integration into race operations.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
11th Hour Racing competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Ocean Conservancy: One of the largest U.S.-based ocean advocacy nonprofits focused on ocean health, sustainable fisheries, and policy advocacy. Comparable to 11th Hour Racing in mission scope and grantmaking approach, though broader in policy focus and lacking the sailing-sponsorship narrative engine.
- Schmidt Ocean Institute: A sibling organization under the Schmidt family philanthropic umbrella, operating a research vessel (R/V Falkor) for ocean science and technology development. Comparable in funding source and ocean-health mission, though oriented toward scientific research rather than sport-based storytelling and grantmaking.
- Marine Stewardship Council: International nonprofit setting sustainability standards and certification for sustainable fishing and seafood supply chains. Comparable in marine-sector sustainability focus and standards-development role, and competes for influence with 11th Hour Racing's MarineShift360 in shaping industry sustainability practices.
- World Wildlife Fund (Oceans): Global conservation organization with a significant ocean portfolio including fisheries, marine protected areas, and sustainable seafood. Comparable in environmental advocacy mission and grantmaking, though far larger in scale and operating with broader species/geography scope.
Direct peers
- Sailors for the Sea (Oceana): Ocean conservation nonprofit leveraging the sailing community for ocean advocacy and education programs. Direct peer in mission — using sailing as a platform for ocean health awareness — and competes for the same intersection of sailing engagement and conservation funding.
- SeaLegacy: Ocean conservation organization using storytelling, photography, and expeditions to drive ocean protection. Comparable to 11th Hour Racing's storytelling-led GTM motion and focus on visual narrative as a conservation lever, though anchored by celebrity founders rather than a sailing-sport platform.
- The Ocean Cleanup: Nonprofit deploying technology and large-scale ocean cleanup systems to remove plastic pollution. Comparable in nonprofit structure and ocean-health mission, and shares the marine-tech dimension with 11th Hour Racing's MarineShift360, though focused on engineering solutions rather than LCA tooling.
- Surfrider Foundation: Grassroots ocean and beach conservation nonprofit with a large volunteer network and chapter system. Comparable in nonprofit structure and ocean-advocacy mission, and shares the sport-community engagement model (surfing parallels sailing), though broader and more established.
Emerging players
- Lonely Whale Foundation: Ocean conservation nonprofit focused on plastic pollution, marine protected areas, and youth engagement. Comparable in nonprofit ocean-advocacy mission and storytelling-led campaigns, though with more celebrity-driven and consumer-facing activations.
- Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global advocacy alliance working to end plastic pollution through policy, education, and campaigns. Comparable in environmental advocacy and grantmaking model within a narrower cause area, and shares the storytelling and campaign-driven GTM approach.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
11th Hour Racing social profiles
Digital presence11th Hour Racing financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
11th Hour Racing leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
11th Hour Racing subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries2 records
11th Hour Racing funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
11th Hour Racing M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about 11th Hour Racing
What does 11th Hour Racing do?
11th Hour Racing is a nonprofit foundation that advances ocean health through three interconnected pillars: strategic grantmaking to ocean-conservation nonprofits, sponsorship of elite offshore sailing teams and events (IMOCA, The Ocean Race, Vendée Globe), and a storytelling platform that produces documentary content about ecosystem restoration and marine sustainability. It also supports MarineShift360, a purpose-built life cycle assessment tool for the marine industry, and runs community composting programs in Rhode Island.
Is 11th Hour Racing a public or private company?
11th Hour Racing is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was 11th Hour Racing founded?
11th Hour Racing was founded in 2010. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is 11th Hour Racing based?
11th Hour Racing is headquartered in Newport, United States, in the North America region.
How does 11th Hour Racing make money?
One revenue line is on record: philanthropic Grantmaking.
Who are 11th Hour Racing's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Ocean Conservancy, Schmidt Ocean Institute, Marine Stewardship Council and World Wildlife Fund (Oceans). Direct peers are Sailors for the Sea (Oceana), SeaLegacy, The Ocean Cleanup and Surfrider Foundation. Emerging players are Lonely Whale Foundation and Plastic Pollution Coalition.
Does 11th Hour Racing have an API?
No public API is recorded for 11th Hour Racing.