By the Ocean we Unite

What By the Ocean we Unite does

By the Ocean we Unite is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting) founded in 2016 by Thomas van Thiel following his observation of marine plastic pollution during a 2014 Atlantic crossing. Registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce under number 66180732 and pursuing ANBI (Public Benefit Organisation) charitable status, the organization is headquartered in Amsterdam with multiple pop-up offices across the Netherlands. It operates sailing-based programs combining citizen science microplastic research, awareness campaigns, and behavioral activation targeting marine plastic pollution.

The foundation's product portfolio includes Major Expeditions (15-17 day international voyages across European waters), Mini Expeditions (1-2 day trips in Dutch waters including the Wadden Sea UNESCO site), Company Expeditions (customized B2B team-building and corporate sustainability experiences), lectures, documentaries (including the National Geographic 'Plastic Sailors' series), symposia (such as 'An Ocean of Opportunities' with Stockholm Resilience Centre), high school educational projects, and Project S.I.L.B.A. (a Croatia eco-island initiative). Operations are delivered through chartered vessels including the 26-meter ketch Fantastiko, the clipper Lauwerszee, and the Store Baelt, with citizen science programs enabling participants to collect water samples for microplastic analysis.

Revenue is generated through a hybrid non-profit model: individual donations (preset tiers of 10-100 EUR or custom amounts via bank transfer and PayPal), expedition participation fees (2,500 EUR per person for 16-day major expeditions, 75 EUR for mini expeditions), corporate expedition bookings, lecture fees for schools and organizations, merchandise sales, and documentary screenings. The organization employs 1-10 staff supported by 16 volunteers and is governed by a three-member board. Its go-to-market combines digital channels (website, blog, bi-monthly newsletter, social media), earned media, an ambassador network of professional sailors and media personalities, in-person info meetings, and partnerships with research institutions (Wageningen University & Research, NIOZ, University of Bergen) and conservation organizations (Plastic Soup Foundation, The Ocean Cleanup, Searious Business).

Name

By the Ocean we Unite

Legal name

Stichting By the Ocean we Unite

Website

https://bytheoceanweunite.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

By the Ocean we Unite is a Dutch non-profit foundation that organizes sailing expeditions across European waters to conduct citizen science research on marine microplastic pollution, deliver education and awareness programs, and activate individuals, schools, and corporations toward ocean conservation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Non-Profit Services

akta.pro primary industry

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Marine conservation expeditions
• Ocean plastic cleanup
• Sailing research voyages
• Citizen science programs
• Environmental education lectures

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Public donations received through bank transfers and PayPal, supporting the foundation's mission to prevent plastic pollution
2. Expedition Fees: Participation fees for major expeditions (2500 EUR all-inclusive for 16-day expeditions) and mini expeditions (75 EUR per person for day trips), which include meals and program activities
3. Lecture Fees: Fees charged for educational lectures at organizations, schools, and events about marine plastic pollution
4. Merchandise Sales: Sales of merchandise through the organization's shop
5. Company Expeditions: Custom sailing expeditions for organizations and businesses focused on team building and environmental awareness
6. Documentary Screenings: Revenue from organizing and hosting documentary screenings about plastic pollution

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

By the Ocean we Unite organizes sailing expeditions (Major, Mini, and Company variants) that combine ocean sailing with marine plastic pollution cleanup, research, and citizen science participation. The foundation complements these voyages with educational lectures, documentary productions and screenings, and symposia to raise awareness about ocean health and engage individuals, companies, and institutions in marine conservation.

Product overview

By the Ocean we Unite is a Dutch non-profit foundation operating a portfolio of sailing-based environmental programs focused on marine plastic pollution research, awareness, and prevention. The core offering consists of three types of sailing expeditions: Major Expeditions (multi-day international voyages for scientific research), Mini Expeditions (one-to-two day trips in Dutch waters), and Company Expeditions (customized group experiences for organizations). Supporting programs include lectures, documentaries, symposia, high school educational projects, and the S.I.L.B.A. eco-island initiative. The organization operates using chartered vessels including the 26-meter Fantastiko ketch, the Lauwerszee clipper, and Store Baelt. The Windseeker Youth Exchange partnership extends their reach to sustainable sailing trips across Europe. All programs combine scientific research, awareness creation, and behavioral activation to prevent plastic from entering oceans.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Major Expedition

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 billion kg of plastics enter oceans annually - the scale of the problem the organization addresses
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plastic Soup FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization focused on plastic pollution, listed as a partner on the BTOWU partners page, sharing knowledge and contacts to maximize positive impact
• The Ocean CleanupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading ocean cleanup initiative, listed as partner collaborating on solutions for marine plastic pollution
• Searious BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization helping businesses address plastic use, offers Plastic Scan tool for organizations to assess plastic usage
• Lauwerszee (Aart Puper & Anna Hagemann)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSailing passenger ship operated by Aart Puper and Anna Hagemann, chartered for mini expeditions in Dutch waters including Wadden Sea UNESCO World Heritage site
• Fantastiko (Huub Veeneman)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor26-meter two-master ketch sailing ship owned by Captain Huub Veeneman, chartered for major sea expeditions, serves as floating hotel in Rotterdam when not at sea
• Wageningen University & Research (WUR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch university listed as research partner for collecting, analyzing, and sharing data on marine plastic pollution
• Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMarine research institute collaborating as research partner for scientific data on plastic pollution
• University of BergencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwegian university collaborating on marine plastic pollution research expeditions
• IRIS (Environmental Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute listed as research partner for marine plastic pollution studies
• National GeographiccoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMedia partnership for 'Plastic Sailors' video series documenting Expedition Denmark 2018, featuring filmmaker Hanna Verboom
• Windseeker Youth ExchangeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable sailing trips partner offering youth exchange experiences across Europe
• Stockholm Resilience CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on organizing 'An Ocean of Opportunities' symposium in March 2017
• 5 Gyres InstituteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental organization focused on plastic pollution, featured through Trawlshare Map collaboration for microplastic research data
• NudgeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch sustainability organization, featured in press coverage about BTOWU expeditions
• Hogeschool Rotterdam (Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution listed as supporting partner providing manpower and services

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise addressing ocean plastic through collection incentives in coastal communities. Operates in the same marine plastic mission space but with a different revenue/intervention model.
• Searious Business: Dutch partner helping organizations assess and reduce plastic usage via its Plastic Scan tool. Adjacent plastic-pollution solutions provider with B2B focus rather than sailing-based citizen science.

Broad incumbents

• Ocean Conservancy: Large established US marine conservation organization running the International Coastal Cleanup. Comparable in mission around ocean plastic pollution awareness and citizen engagement.
• Sea Shepherd Global: Larger established marine conservation nonprofit that also operates vessels for ocean protection missions. Comparable mission and vessel-based operations but with far greater scale and broader remit.

Direct peers

• Waste Free Oceans: European foundation focused on removing marine plastic and engaging citizens. Comparable European non-profit operating in the same marine plastic cleanup and awareness space.
• Surfrider Foundation Europe: European non-profit focused on ocean and beach protection, including beach cleanups and plastic pollution campaigns. Directly comparable mission and European footprint to BTOWU.
• Lonely Whale Foundation: Non-profit focused on ocean health awareness with high-profile celebrity-driven campaigns. Comparable awareness-creation function but operates primarily in the US.
• 5 Gyres Institute: US-based nonprofit running citizen-science microplastic research and the Trawlshare Map that BTOWU contributes data to. Directly comparable as a marine plastic research and awareness organization.
• Plastic Soup Foundation: Dutch non-profit focused on plastic pollution awareness and advocacy. Listed as a core BTOWU partner and shares the same Dutch foundation model and target audience, making it the closest operational peer.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Leading ocean plastic cleanup initiative listed as a BTOWU partner. Operates in the same marine plastic mission space with far larger scale; competes for philanthropic and corporate attention.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/BytheOceanweUnite
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/by-the-ocean-we-unite

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 By the Ocean we Unite