Blue Ventures
Blue Ventures is a UK-registered charity founded in 2003 that pioneers community-led marine conservation, including Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), across 13 countries serving roughly 85,000 coastal communities in low-income tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2003
- HeadquartersBristol, United Kingdom
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Blue Ventures does
Blue Ventures is a science-led social enterprise and registered UK charity (number 1098893) founded in 2003 by Matthew Linnecar, headquartered in London with a secondary office in Bristol and operations across 13 countries spanning Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean. The organization pioneered the Locally Managed Marine Area (LMMA) model in Madagascar in 2006 and now works with coastal communities in Belize, Cabo Verde, The Gambia, Guinea-Bissau, Indonesia, Kenya, Madagascar, Philippines, Senegal, Somalia, Tanzania, and Timor-Leste. Its core offerings include Locally Managed Marine Areas, Community-Based Fisheries Management, Rights-Based Approaches for securing community legal tenure over coastal resources, Mangrove Blue Carbon projects, and Financial Inclusion and Food Security programs. The technology layer consists of community-led participatory data systems that enable coastal communities to collect and use fisheries data for local decision-making, alongside interactive platforms such as Discover Blue Ventures and Explore Blue Ventures.
The organization's go-to-market is a community-led and event-driven model: Blue Ventures works directly with coastal communities, local NGO partners (more than 25 named organizations including MIHARI in Madagascar and 17 partner organizations in Indonesia), and government agencies (Tanzania Ministry of Fisheries, Zanzibar, Belize Fisheries Department) to establish and manage marine protected areas, Beach Management Units, and co-management frameworks. It runs learning exchanges, training programs, and capacity-building workshops to scale its model, and complements programmatic delivery with global advocacy campaigns including 30x30 and Transform Bottom Trawling.
As a nonprofit, Blue Ventures does not sell products or services; its revenue comes from donations and grants from individuals, foundations (e.g., Whole Foods Market Foundation), and development agencies. Quantified impact includes LMMAs covering nearly one-fifth of Madagascar's coastal seabed, 219 LMMA sites supported through the MIHARI network, 18,000 hectares of mangroves protected in Senegal's Sine-Saloum delta, and more than 80,000 people reached across 81 communities in Indonesia.
Blue Ventures firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Ventures
- Legal name
- Blue Ventures Conservation
- Website
- https://blueventures.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2003
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Blue Ventures is a UK-registered charity founded in 2003 that pioneers community-led marine conservation, including Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), across 13 countries serving roughly 85,000 coastal communities in low-income tropical regions of Africa, Asia, and the Caribbean.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where Blue Ventures is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bristol
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices9 records
Markets served
Blue Ventures business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: Blue Ventures is a registered charity in England & Wales (number 1098893) and relies primarily on donations from individuals, foundations, and organizations to fund its conservation programs.
- Grants and Funding: The organization receives grant funding from development agencies, foundations, and government programs to support marine conservation, community development, and advocacy initiatives.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels7 records
Blue Ventures product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Ventures delivers community-led marine conservation programs for coastal communities in tropical low-income countries. Its core work involves establishing Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), supporting community-based fisheries management, securing community rights to coastal resources, and delivering mangrove (blue carbon) restoration. Programs are implemented directly through field offices and in partnership with local NGOs and government agencies across 13 countries.
Product overview
Blue Ventures is a marine conservation organization offering a portfolio of community-led programs and platforms for coastal ocean protection. The core offerings include Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs) and Community-Based Fisheries Management systems, supported by Rights-Based Approaches for securing community legal tenure. Additional programs cover Financial Inclusion, Food Security, Blue Forests (mangrove conservation), and Gender Equity initiatives. The organization operates interactive platforms including Discover Blue Ventures (data visualization) and Explore Blue Ventures (photo stories). Advocacy campaigns include the 30×30 initiative and Transform Bottom Trawling. In Madagascar, the MIHARI Network coordinates 25 partner organizations across 219 LMMA sites. The organization does not operate a unified software product but provides community-focused conservation services and tools across 13 countries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs)
Quantifiable outcome
- LMMAs covering nearly one-fifth of Madagascar's coastal seabed with research demonstrating benefits to both fisheries and conservation
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Blue Ventures
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Blue Ventures technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Blue Ventures partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
27 partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- FitsinjocoreIndustrial fisheries watchdog organization launched in Madagascar in 2022 with Blue Ventures' support. The network highlights industrial and IUU fishing activities in Madagascar and the wider Western Indian Ocean region.
- Fundaçao Maio Biodiversidade (FMB-Maio)coreLocal NGO partner in Cabo Verde working with Blue Ventures to support coastal communities on Maio island to use data for fisheries management and value chain improvement. Partnership is expanding to five more islands in the archipelago.
- TiniguenacoreOne of the oldest conservation groups in Guinea-Bissau, partnering with Blue Ventures to establish the country's first community-led marine protected area in the Bijagos islands.
- Kawawana (APAC)coreSenegal's oldest Locally Managed Marine Area, known locally as APAC, partnering with Blue Ventures to protect 18,000 hectares of mangroves and manage rich fisheries in the Sine-Saloum delta.
- NebedaycorePartner organization in Senegal working with Blue Ventures on community-based fisheries management systems, particularly for oyster and shellfish collection in estuaries and deltas.
- EcoRuralecorePartner organization in Senegal implementing community-based fisheries management and environmental restoration programs.
- Mwambao Coastal Community NetworkcoreImplementing NGO partner in Tanzania that has led remarkable acceleration in community-based fisheries management and conservation, particularly through short-term fishing closures.
- Sea SensecoreNGO partner in Tanzania working on community-based marine conservation and fisheries management.
- Jongowe Development FundcoreNGO partner in Tanzania supporting community development and conservation initiatives.
- CETAGcoreLocal organization in The Gambia empowering coastal communities and advocating against environmental destruction drivers.
- Gambian Environmental AlliancecoreEnvironmental alliance in The Gambia partnering with Blue Ventures to find community-led solutions to coastal ecosystem destruction.
- SANYEPDcoreYouth group in The Gambia working with Blue Ventures to help communities secure preferential access to fish and shellfish.
- Hallahin Women Oyster FarmerscoreWomen's group in The Gambia focused on oyster farming and sustainable shellfish harvesting.
- People and the SeacorePartner organization in the Philippines helping coastal communities set up and use participatory data systems to monitor and understand their fisheries.
- ForkanicoreLocal partner organization in Indonesia supporting community-based marine conservation.
- Yayasan LINIcoreIndonesian conservation organization partnering with Blue Ventures on marine conservation initiatives.
- Yayasan Planet IndonesiacoreIndonesian environmental organization partner working on community-based conservation.
- COMRED (Coastal and Marine Resources Development)coreKenyan NGO partner providing technical support, mentorship, and assistance to local partners for Beach Management Units in Mombasa.
- Lamu Marine Conservation Trust (LAMCOT)coreConservation trust in Lamu, Kenya partnering with Blue Ventures on marine conservation.
- Bahari HaicoreKenyan organization working on marine conservation and sustainable fisheries.
- Kwale Beach Management Unit Network (KCBN)coreNetwork of 23 Beach Management Units in Kwale County, Kenya working on community-led fisheries management.
- MIHARI NetworkcoreMadagascar LMMA network bringing together 25 partner conservation organizations supporting 219 LMMA sites across the country. MIHARI is a key national partner for Blue Ventures.
- PHEM MadagascarcoreMadagascar health-environment network incubated by Blue Ventures, bringing together 40 partner organizations to address health needs of communities living in conservation areas.
- Ministry of Fisheries (mainland Tanzania)coreGovernment partner for co-management of marine resources in mainland Tanzania.
- Ministry of Fisheries (Zanzibar)coreGovernment partner for co-management of marine resources in Zanzibar.
- Belize Fisheries DepartmentcoreGovernment department partnering with Blue Ventures on MPA management, invasive lionfish fisheries, and coral reef monitoring.
- Health in HarmonycoreConservation organization highlighted alongside Blue Ventures as an example of conservation models that integrate health and development outcomes, cited in commentary on conservation funding crisis solutions.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves2 records
Expansion highlights7 records
Blue Ventures competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Rare: Rare is a global conservation organization that uses community-based approaches to drive fisheries reform and marine protected area management, mirroring Blue Ventures' LMMA and community-led fisheries model.
- WorldFish: WorldFish is an international research organization focused on small-scale fisheries and aquaculture in tropical developing countries — directly comparable to Blue Ventures' community-based fisheries management programs.
- Wetlands International: Wetlands International works on coastal wetland and mangrove conservation globally, with a comparable focus on community-based stewardship and ecosystem services that overlap with Blue Ventures' mangrove and fisheries work.
- Re:wild: Re:wild is a global conservation organization protecting marine and coastal species and habitats through partnerships with local NGOs and communities, comparable to Blue Ventures' LMMA-driven approach.
- Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT): WWT is a UK-headquartered conservation charity focused on wetlands and coastal ecosystems, with overlapping mangrove and community engagement models relevant to Blue Ventures' blue forests work.
- Fauna & Flora International: FFI is a UK-registered conservation charity (like Blue Ventures) with strong marine, fisheries, and community-based programs in tropical coastal regions.
Broad incumbents
- Conservation International: Conservation International operates large-scale marine and coastal conservation programs globally, including community-based initiatives, and overlaps directly with Blue Ventures on ocean protection, blue carbon, and LMMA-adjacent work.
- Pew Charitable Trusts (Ocean Conservation): Pew's ocean program runs large-scale fisheries reform, marine protected area campaigns, and bottom-trawling advocacy — directly overlapping with Blue Ventures' advocacy and fisheries management work.
- The Nature Conservancy: TNC is a major marine and coastal conservation incumbent running community fisheries, mangrove, and ocean-policy programs across tropical geographies comparable to Blue Ventures' portfolio.
Emerging players
- Health in Harmony: Health in Harmony is repeatedly cited alongside Blue Ventures as a model for integrating health, livelihoods, and conservation outcomes, making it a strong thematic peer on the integrated community-led model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Blue Ventures social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Ventures financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Ventures leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Blue Ventures funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Ventures M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments2 records
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Ventures
What does Blue Ventures do?
Blue Ventures delivers community-led marine conservation programs for coastal communities in tropical low-income countries. Its core work involves establishing Locally Managed Marine Areas (LMMAs), supporting community-based fisheries management, securing community rights to coastal resources, and delivering mangrove (blue carbon) restoration. Programs are implemented directly through field offices and in partnership with local NGOs and government agencies across 13 countries.
Is Blue Ventures a public or private company?
Blue Ventures is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Blue Ventures founded?
Blue Ventures was founded in 2003. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Blue Ventures based?
Blue Ventures is headquartered in Bristol, United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Blue Ventures make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Donations and Charitable Contributions are the primary driver. The others are grants and Funding.
Who are Blue Ventures's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Rare, WorldFish, Wetlands International, Re:wild, Wildfowl & Wetlands Trust (WWT) and Fauna & Flora International. Broad incumbents are Conservation International, Pew Charitable Trusts (Ocean Conservation) and The Nature Conservancy. Health in Harmony is listed as an emerging player.
Does Blue Ventures have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Ventures.