Blue Venture Forum
Blue Venture Forum is a Rhode Island nonprofit founded in 2021 that connects blue technology startups with investors, resource providers, and policymakers through events, mentorship, and matchmaking across New England.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2021
- HeadquartersNewport, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Blue Venture Forum does
Blue Venture Forum (legal name: The Blue Venture Forum, Inc.) is a Rhode Island–incorporated nonprofit organization founded in October 2021 and headquartered at Innovate Newport, 513 Broadway, Newport, RI. Its stated function is to support the growth of the marine and oceanographic technology industry by connecting blue technology companies with investors, resource providers, and policy makers. The forum operates as a community-orchestration platform rather than a technology vendor, with no proprietary software products, APIs, or AI/ML components in its stack.
The forum's product portfolio is event- and programming-led. Flagship offerings include the Blue Innovation Symposium (annual conference entering its 10th year and recognized as the largest blue tech event in New England, drawing 400+ attendees), the Blue Venture Investment Summit series (held in Rhode Island, Maine, and Portland), the In-Water Equipment Demo Day at Roger Williams University, Piranha Pond Blue pitch competitions, and the Greater Newport Soft Landing Partnership (a concierge relocation service). Programming is delivered through a blended virtual and in-person model anchored at Innovate Newport, supported by structured mentorship and matchmaking services connecting founders with a documented investor network spanning Launchpad, DTN, Beacon Angels, Matrix Capital, and others. The forum does not produce or sell a unified software product; its outputs are events, mentorship sessions, and curated introductions.
The business model is sponsorship- and grant-funded nonprofit economics with all programming free to participants. Revenue (undisclosed) is generated through founding sponsors (Van Beuren Charitable Foundation, DTN Ventures, MOTN, Greater New Bedford Chamber of Commerce, City of Newport, SAAB), event sponsors, and grants. Distribution occurs via in-person events at Innovate Newport and a global virtual/blended programming footprint, with marketing through the organization's website, blog, LinkedIn (79490041 profile), Facebook, YouTube, email newsletters, and partner channels. Customer segments served include blue tech founders and entrepreneurs, institutional and angel investors, corporate resource providers, and policy makers — with the first two as primary segments.
Blue Venture Forum firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Blue Venture Forum
- Legal name
- The Blue Venture Forum, Inc.
- Website
- https://blueventureforum.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2021
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Blue Venture Forum is a Rhode Island nonprofit founded in 2021 that connects blue technology startups with investors, resource providers, and policymakers through events, mentorship, and matchmaking across New England.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Blue Venture Forum industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Blue Economy Community Programs
- akta.pro primary industry
- Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures) (FSANAHAC)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms (FSANAHAF)
Keywords
Where Blue Venture Forum is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Newport
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Blue Venture Forum business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Sponsorship Revenue: The organization generates revenue through sponsorships from founding sponsors (Van Beuren Charitable Foundation, DTN Ventures, Marine & Oceanographic Technology Network, Greater New Bedford Chamber of Commerce, City of Newport, SAAB), event sponsors, and partners. As a non-profit, the forum relies on sponsor support to fund programming and operations.
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels5 records
Blue Venture Forum product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Blue Venture Forum is a non-profit organization that supports the growth of the marine and oceanographic technology industry by providing programming, mentorship, and matchmaking services that connect blue technology companies, investors, and resource providers. It operates events including the Blue Innovation Symposium, Blue Venture Investment Summits, In-Water Equipment Demo Days, pitch competitions, and a soft-landing partnership program for relocating blue tech companies.
Product overview
Blue Venture Forum is a non-profit organization that operates as a platform connecting blue technology companies, investors, and resource providers to grow the blue economy. The organization does not offer a unified software product but rather delivers a portfolio of programs and services including: the Blue Innovation Symposium (annual flagship conference), the Blue Venture Investment Summit (investment-focused programming), the In-Water Equipment Demo Day (hands-on demonstrations), Piranha Pond Blue (pitch competitions), and the Greater Newport Soft Landing Partnership (business relocation support). These programs are delivered through monthly meetings, case studies, workshops, and both virtual and in-person events from Innovate Newport.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Blue Innovation Symposium Flagship annual conference recognized as the premier Blue Economy event in New England and the largest blue technology event in the region. Brings together over 400 participants for three days of education, networking, and matchmaking, featuring keynote addresses, panel discussions, and flash talks.
- Blue Venture Investment Summit (BVIS)
- In-Water Equipment Demo Day Hands-on demonstration event where blue tech companies showcase their equipment and technology in water. The event connects founders with investors, resource providers, and customers through in-water demonstrations, exhibitor booths, and flash talks.
- Piranha Pond Blue
- Greater Newport Soft Landing Partnership
- Mentorship and Matchmaking Services
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 1,000 participants engaged through programming
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Blue Venture Forum
Customer profileNamed customers5 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Blue Venture Forum technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Blue Venture Forum partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI)flagshipBVF and GMRI co-host the Blue Venture Investment Summit (BVIS) events, including BVIS Portland (November 2023) and BVIS Maine (November 2024). GMRI's Gulf of Maine Ventures is the entrepreneurship and innovation arm dedicated to Gulf of Maine ecosystem resilience.
- Gulf of Maine VenturesflagshipCo-developer of BlueTech Boost program - a 10-week accelerator providing early-stage blue economy companies with expertise and non-dilutive micro-grants. Partnership enables cross-regional participation in blue tech ecosystem development.
- Innovate NewportcoreBVF is based at Innovate Newport, a technology incubator that serves as the physical hub for companies and the blue tech community. Innovate Newport hosts BVF programming and events.
- Marine & Oceanographic Technology Network (MOTN)coreMOTN co-organizes the Blue Innovation Symposium with BVF. Dr. Tobias Stapleton serves as President of MOTN. MOTN presents the Steve Withrow award at BIS.
- Consulate General of Canada in BostoncoreThe Consulate co-organizes the Blue Innovation Symposium and supports BVIS Portland. Erin Donahue from the Consulate serves as co-organizer of BIS 2024.
- Roger Williams UniversitycoreRWU hosts the Blue Venture Investment Summit (January 2023) and In-Water Equipment Demo Day (May 2023) at their Sailing Center. University showcases student research at BVF events.
- University of Massachusetts DartmouthcoreUMass Dartmouth is a co-organizer of Piranha Pond Blue pitch competition and Global Entrepreneurship Week activities. Dr. Toby Stapleton holds PhD and MA from UMass Dartmouth.
- Greater Newport Chamber of CommercecoreCo-organizer of Piranha Pond Blue pitch competitions and BVF launch events. Partner in the Greater Newport Soft Landing Partnership.
- 401 Tech BridgeminorSupports Demo Day events and promotes blue tech ecosystem connectivity. Selects Demo Day participants for additional demonstration opportunities.
- Mystic Seaport MuseumminorCollaboration on 'The Future of Blue Technology' event (September 2023) featuring panel discussions, flash-talks, and on-the-water demonstrations.
- Invest Nova ScotiaminorBVF signed first MOU with Invest Nova Scotia to develop cross-border blue economy programming and connections.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Blue Venture Forum competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Greentown Labs: Greentown Labs is a cleantech startup incubator and the largest of its kind in North America, providing accelerator programming, mentorship, and investor connections — directly comparable to BVF's venture studio and matchmaking model but focused on climate rather than ocean tech.
- Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI): GMRI's Gulf of Maine Ventures is a co-host and strategic partner on BVIS and BlueTech Boost — a peer organization that convenes blue economy founders, investors, and resource providers across the Gulf of Maine with comparable programming and accelerator models.
- Ocean Exchange: Ocean Exchange runs the annual 'Rising Tide' awards and pitch/recognition programming for blue economy innovators — overlapping with BVF's Piranha Pond Blue pitch competition and Blue Innovation Symposium awards format.
- Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA): SOA is a global ocean impact organization that runs the Ocean Solutions Accelerator, pitch competitions, and convenes blue economy founders and investors — directly comparable to BVF's mission of connecting blue tech startups with capital and ecosystem resources.
- Marine & Oceanographic Technology Network (MOTN): MOTN is a marine technology industry association that co-organizes the Blue Innovation Symposium with BVF, with significant overlap in membership and programming — essentially a peer network organization serving the same New England blue tech community.
- Center for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship (COVE): COVE is an ocean technology incubator and accelerator based in Halifax, Nova Scotia, that supports marine tech startups with mentorship, investment readiness, and connections to capital — directly comparable to BVF's BlueTech Boost accelerator and event programming model.
- 401 Tech Bridge: 401 Tech Bridge is a Rhode Island-based undersea and defense technology innovation hub that supports blue tech startups through demo days and ecosystem connectivity — a close BVF partner and direct parallel organization serving overlapping startup communities.
Broad incumbents
- MassChallenge: MassChallenge is a global, equity-free startup accelerator with deep Boston presence and corporate partnerships — comparable to BVF in the accelerator/mentorship model and corporate matchmaking function but operates at much greater scale and across all sectors.
- Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution: WHOI is a premier ocean research institution that runs technology transfer, industry partnership, and startup-collaboration programs from the Cape Cod region — comparable to BVF in blue tech ecosystem support but with a much larger research and commercialization footprint.
- Plug and Play Tech Center: Plug and Play is a global startup accelerator and corporate innovation platform running vertical-specific programs (including sustainability) — comparable to BVF in accelerator and corporate matchmaking structure but operating at much larger scale across multiple geographies.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Blue Venture Forum social profiles
Digital presenceBlue Venture Forum financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Blue Venture Forum leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Blue Venture Forum funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Blue Venture Forum M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Blue Venture Forum
What does Blue Venture Forum do?
Blue Venture Forum is a non-profit organization that supports the growth of the marine and oceanographic technology industry by providing programming, mentorship, and matchmaking services that connect blue technology companies, investors, and resource providers. It operates events including the Blue Innovation Symposium, Blue Venture Investment Summits, In-Water Equipment Demo Days, pitch competitions, and a soft-landing partnership program for relocating blue tech companies.
Is Blue Venture Forum a public or private company?
Blue Venture Forum is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Blue Venture Forum founded?
Blue Venture Forum was founded in 2021. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Blue Venture Forum based?
Blue Venture Forum is headquartered in Newport, United States, in the North America region.
How does Blue Venture Forum make money?
One revenue line is on record: sponsorship Revenue.
Who are Blue Venture Forum's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Greentown Labs, Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI), Ocean Exchange, Sustainable Ocean Alliance (SOA), Marine & Oceanographic Technology Network (MOTN), Center for Ocean Ventures & Entrepreneurship (COVE) and 401 Tech Bridge. Broad incumbents are MassChallenge, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution and Plug and Play Tech Center.
Does Blue Venture Forum have an API?
No public API is recorded for Blue Venture Forum.
What industry is Blue Venture Forum in?
Blue Venture Forum's product category is Blue Economy Community Programs. Its primary akta.pro industry code is FSANAHAC, Corporate Venture Studios & Incubators (Build/launch ventures), with a secondary code of FSANAHAF, Corporate Strategic Partnership & Ecosystem Investment Arms.