ORRAA

What ORRAA does

ORRAA (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance) is a non-profit alliance founded in 2018 and co-hosted by ORRAA Inc. in Washington, DC and ORRAA UK Limited in London. The organisation convenes finance, insurance, governments, multilateral institutions, civil society, and academia to develop and deploy innovative finance and insurance products that build resilience for climate-vulnerable coastal communities in the Global South. Its mission is to activate at least $500 million of investment to support 250 million coastal people by 2030.

The core product platform is the Sea Change Impact Financing Facility (SCIFF), an open ocean financing architecture comprising six instruments: Outrigger Impact (capital for SIDS), Nautilus The Blue Guarantee Company (de-risking facility), the Octopus Platform (investor-to-project matching), the Neptune Fund (philanthropic endowment), the Blue Finance Facility (MPA financing) and the Blue Bond Accelerator (blue bond market building). These sit alongside a broader Product Pipeline of over 50 finance, insurance and research products, including the world's first weather-index parametric insurance for small-scale fishers (Philippines), the world's first Small-Scale Fisheries Impact Bond (Indonesia), biodiversity and blue carbon credit projects (Kenya, Tanzania, Dominican Republic), parametric reef insurance (Colombia), and microinsurance models replicated across Central America. Notable technical components include a three-factor parametric trigger (wind speed, sea state, rainfall), the High-Quality Blue Carbon Practitioners Guide (2nd Edition, July 2026), and the #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment covering $3.45 trillion in AUM.

ORRAA's revenue model is non-commercial: it operates on philanthropic grants (notably UK Blue Planet Fund £15.5M cumulative, Government of Canada, Swiss Re Foundation), outcome-based finance (impact bonds with outcome funders repaying investors only when verified outcomes are achieved), and government-funded premium structures (Philippines BFAR). Full Members contribute at least USD$50,000 per annum in-cash or in-kind to the Secretariat, with SIDS and ODA-eligible countries exempt. Distribution runs through 140 member organisations and over 40 project delivery partners across 30 countries, with go-to-market activity anchored on global convening events (Blue Economy and Finance Forum, UN Ocean Conference, Our Ocean Conference, Davos). Cumulative outcomes include $139.9 million activated with a 1:4–1:6 leverage ratio, support for over 500,000 coastal people (45% women), and protection of over 1.4 million hectares of coastal ecosystems.

Name

ORRAA

Legal name

Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance Inc.

Website

https://oceanriskalliance.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ORRAA is a non-profit alliance convening 140 finance, insurance, government and civil-society members to develop and deploy innovative finance and insurance products that build climate resilience for coastal communities in the Global South, anchored on the Sea Change Impact Financing Facility (SCIFF).

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Blue Economy Finance

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Environmental Consulting Services (541620)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Ocean finance
• Parametric insurance
• Blue carbon credits
• Coastal resilience
• Climate adaptation finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Washington

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Philanthropic Grants: ORRAA receives grants from philanthropic foundations including UK Blue Planet Fund (£15.5 million total), Government of Canada, and other government donors to support project development and the Secretariat operations. Full Members provide at least USD$50,000 per annum in-cash or in-kind support.
2. Outcome-Based Finance: The SCIFF develops investment vehicles and outcome-based financing mechanisms like impact bonds where outcome funders repay investors only when outcomes are achieved and independently verified. This bridges grant funding and investment finance.
3. Government Funding Partnerships: Partnerships with governments (UK, Canada, Philippines BFAR) where government budgets fund insurance premiums and project implementation. For example, the Philippines government committed national budget funding for parametric insurance coverage.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

ORRAA is a non-profit multi-sector alliance that develops and scales innovative ocean and coastal finance and insurance products, including parametric insurance for small-scale fishers, blue carbon and biodiversity credits, impact bonds, blue bonds, and the Sea Change Impact Financing Facility (SCIFF) — a collaborative architecture designed to drive at least $1 billion of private investment into coastal and ocean ecosystems. Its work supports over 50 products through a pipeline anchored by the Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge (ORIC), partnering with 140 member organisations representing $3.45 trillion in AUM, governments, multilaterals, and 40+ project delivery NGOs in the Global South.

Product overview

ORRAA (Ocean Risk and Resilience Action Alliance) is the only multi-sector collaboration connecting finance and insurance sectors, governments, multilateral organisations, civil society, and academia to pioneer finance and insurance products that incentivise investment into coastal and ocean resilience. The core product is the Sea Change Impact Financing Facility (SCIFF), an open ocean financing architecture deploying six financial instruments: Outrigger Impact (capital for SIDS), Nautilus The Blue Guarantee Company (de-risking facility), Octopus Platform (investment matching), Neptune Fund (philanthropic endowment), Blue Finance Facility (MPA financing), and Blue Bond Accelerator (blue bond market). The Product Pipeline identifies and scales innovative finance and insurance products across insurance, credits, bonds, funds, and apps through the Ocean Resilience Innovation Challenge (ORIC). Notable projects include parametric insurance for small-scale fishers in the Philippines, the world's first Small-Scale Fisheries Impact Bond in Indonesia, blue carbon exchanges in Tanzania and Dominican Republic, and the Vanga Blue Forest in Kenya. The #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment brings $3.45 trillion in AUM under shared ocean finance principles.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sea Change Impact Financing Facility (SCIFF) A collaborative open ocean financing architecture designed to drive at least $1 billion of private investment into coastal and ocean ecosystems with focus on the Global South by 2030, bridging grant funding and investment finance through six financial instruments.
• Outrigger Impact An innovative blue economy impact solution providing capital and capacity to projects in Small Island Developing States.
• Nautilus - The Blue Guarantee Company The first guarantee facility focused on the regenerative and sustainable blue economy, designed to de-risk investments.
• Octopus Platform A technology platform that matches investors to ocean resilience projects and provides market intelligence to support deployment of private investment in coastal and ocean ecosystems.
• Neptune Fund An expendable endowment fund to supercharge philanthropic giving, providing flexible, long-term support for community-led conservation work in areas overlooked by traditional conservation funding and investment.
• Blue Finance Facility Financing large locally-led marine protected areas through pioneering reef-positive businesses. Operated by Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas.
• Blue Bond Accelerator Building a high-quality blue bond market to catalyse capital flows into the regenerative and sustainable blue economy.
• #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment An initiative ensuring that a regenerating and sustainable ocean has a seat at the table in finance and insurance decisions, with cumulative AUM of $3.45 trillion covered by endorsers including AXA, Deutsche Bank, Standard Chartered, BNP Paribas, Mirova, Eurazeo, WTW, and Palladium.
• Parametric Insurance for Small-Scale Fishers (Philippines) The world's first weather index-based parametric insurance product tailored to small-scale fishers, using wind speed, wave height, and rainfall indices to trigger direct payouts when adverse weather prevents safe fishing. Deployed in the Philippines, protecting 14,200 fishers across 24 coastal municipalities, with premiums funded by the Philippine government's national budget.
• Small-Scale Fisheries Impact Bond (Indonesia) The world's first impact bond tailored specifically to the needs of fishers and ocean ecosystems, supporting sustainable community-led coastal and marine management in Indonesia's Southeast Sulawesi region.
• Blue Carbon Exchange (Dominican Republic) Dominican Republic's first Blue Carbon Exchange mechanism to conserve and restore mangroves by selling high-quality blue carbon credits.
• Vanga Blue Forest (Kenya) A project co-generating biodiversity and blue carbon credits for seagrass ecosystems in Kenya's Vanga Blue Forest — the first project globally to accredit a marine ecosystem under a biodiversity crediting standard, supporting 8,674 people.
• High-Quality Blue Carbon Practitioners Guide A guide connecting high-quality blue carbon definitions with real-world project development and financing, creating shared understanding among practitioners, investors, and stakeholders. The second edition was launched in July 2026.

Quantifiable outcome

• $139.9 million activated in investment with 1:4 to 1:6 leverage ratio
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

24 partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• RarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025ORRAA member and key project partner leading parametric insurance for small-scale fishers in the Philippines and the world's first Small-Scale Fisheries Impact Bond in Indonesia. Rare worked with Willis (WTW) and Philippines government to develop pioneering parametric insurance product. Also developing the impact bond as an Outcomes-Based Finance contract supporting sustainable, community-led coastal and marine management.
• WTW (Willis)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2025Implementation partner for parametric insurance solution in the Philippines. Willis developed weather index-based parametric insurance product using wind speed, sea state, and rainfall data to trigger direct payouts when adverse conditions prevent safe fishing. Supports ORRAA's Blue Finance Innovation workstream.
• Government of the PhilippinescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic Resources (BFAR) and Philippine Crop Insurance Corporation (PCIC), partnered to launch the country's first parametric insurance solution for small-scale fishers. Government committed national budget funding for premiums and envisions scaling nationwide to all registered fishers.
• Outrigger ImpactflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovative blue economy impact solution providing capital and capacity to projects in Small Island Developing States. Part of SCIFF's six instruments under the Sea Change Impact Financing Facility.
• Nautilus The Blue Guarantee CompanyflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst guarantee facility focused on the regenerative and sustainable blue economy designed to de-risk investments. Part of SCIFF's financial instruments.
• Neptune FundflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpendable endowment fund to supercharge philanthropic giving, providing flexible, long-term support for community-led conservation work in areas overlooked by traditional conservation funding and investment.
• Blue Finance FacilityflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinancing large locally led marine protected areas through pioneering reef-positive businesses. Operated by Blue Alliance Marine Protected Areas.
• Blue Bond AcceleratorflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuilding a high-quality blue bond market to catalyse capital flows into the regenerative and sustainable blue economy.
• Conservation InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing the High-Quality Blue Carbon Practitioners Guide (2nd Edition) and High-Quality Blue Carbon Principles and Guidance. A founding partner in the HQBC framework development.
• The Nature Conservancy (TNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupporting partner for High-Quality Blue Carbon project and Practitioners Guide development. TNC brings expertise in marine conservation and blue carbon science.
• Global Parametrics LimitedcoreTechnology or IntegrationManaging the Natural Disaster Fund backing parametric insurance risk capacity for Philippines fishers. Provides technical expertise in parametric risk solutions and weather index design.
• World Economic Forum (WEF) ACT OceanflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnchor Partner for #BackBlue Ocean Finance Commitment. Collaborated on 'From Red Lines to Blue Lines' report providing guidance to financial institutions on transitioning to regenerative blue economy investment portfolios.
• UNEP Finance InitiativecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional Partner and collaborator on 'From Red Lines to Blue Lines' report. Published the UN Sustainable Blue Economy Finance Principles referenced in #BackBlue commitments.
• UNDPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitutional Partner. UNDP works on ocean-climate resilience and sustainable blue economy initiatives globally.
• Action For Ocean (AFO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner in Tanzania. Leading establishment of voluntary carbon market, Africa Fair Seaweed Finance Facility, and mangrove conservation. Supported 50,061 people (52% women) and planted 290,000 mangrove seedlings.
• Coast 4CcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner in Philippines. Supported regenerative seaweed farming benefiting 1,545 coastal people with 300 farmers. Selected as Earthshot Prize Finalist 2024 and secured $2.5M seed funding.
• Association for Coastal Ecosystem Services (ACES)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner leading Vanga Blue Forest project in Kenya, co-generating biodiversity and blue carbon credits for seagrass ecosystems. First project globally to accredit marine ecosystem under biodiversity crediting standard.
• CI-Atabey FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner leading protection of mangroves in Dominican Republic through the Blue Carbon Exchange, the country's first blue carbon exchange mechanism.
• MAR FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner for scaling coral reef insurance in the Caribbean (Colombia, Honduras). Supports parametric reef insurance releasing funds immediately after storms for reef restoration.
• MarVivacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner replicating microinsurance model in Colombia with community-based insurance solutions for small-scale fishing communities in Central America.
• ICLEI South AsiaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner developing nature-based municipal bond for canal restoration in Kochi, India.
• WaterAid NigeriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject delivery partner for Lagos State Partnership for Coastal Resilience Initiative.
• Stockholm Resilience CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific contributor to 'From Red Lines to Blue Lines' report, examining Planetary Boundaries at the intersection with the Ocean. Part of Full Members.
• Lloyd'scoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull Member bringing insurance and reinsurance market expertise to ORRAA's ocean risk and resilience initiatives.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pew Charitable Trusts: Major environmental NGO where multiple ORRAA senior leaders (Karen Sack, Ashleigh Cirilla) previously worked. Pew's marine conservation program focuses on ocean policy, fisheries management, and large-scale marine protected areas with comparable global ambitions to ORRAA.
• Oceana: Largest international advocacy organization focused exclusively on ocean conservation. Oceana combines scientific research, policy advocacy, and on-the-ground campaigns to restore ocean abundance, overlapping with ORRAA's marine conservation mission but through advocacy rather than finance innovation.
• The Nature Conservancy: A core ORRAA partner and one of the world's largest environmental NGOs with a major oceans program. TNC brings marine conservation science expertise and works on blue carbon project development in geographies overlapping with ORRAA's portfolio.
• Fauna & Flora International: Global conservation organization (where ORRAA's Communications Manager previously worked) operating in 40+ countries on threatened species and ecosystems including marine environments. Comparable scale, geographic spread, and conservation focus to ORRAA.

Direct peers

• Conservation International: Founding partner for ORRAA's High-Quality Blue Carbon Practitioners Guide and HQBC Principles. Both organizations work on blue carbon standards and methodology development for voluntary carbon markets focused on coastal and marine ecosystems.
• Rare: ORRAA's lead project delivery partner for parametric insurance in the Philippines and Small-Scale Fisheries Impact Bond in Indonesia. Both organizations pioneer innovative finance mechanisms for ocean conservation and small-scale fisheries, making Rare the closest operational peer to ORRAA.
• Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based ocean conservation foundation focused on marine protected areas and sustainable fisheries. Both organizations target ocean ecosystem protection through innovative financing, with overlapping funder and partner networks in marine conservation.
• Minderoo Foundation: Australian philanthropic foundation that previously housed Dr. Melissa Walsh as Head of Ocean Finance before she joined ORRAA. Minderoo operates an ocean finance program with overlapping goals of mobilizing institutional capital into sustainable ocean economy.

Regional players

• Asian Development Bank: ORRAA institutional partner that previously managed the Ocean Finance Initiative where ORRAA's Director Blue Finance Innovation (Dr. Melissa Walsh) and Senior Associate (Tanya Marin) worked. ADB provides development finance for ocean-climate resilience across Asia-Pacific, directly relevant to ORRAA's Asia-focused investment opportunities.

Emerging players

• Sustainable Ocean Alliance: Global organization supporting ocean-focused startups and young leaders through accelerator programs and capital deployment. SOA represents an emerging player in mobilizing private capital and innovation for ocean solutions, partially overlapping with ORRAA's pipeline approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/orraanews
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/oceanriskalliance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about ORRAA