The Ocean Movement
The Ocean Movement is a Dutch ANBI-registered non-profit foundation that runs citizen science sailing expeditions and school programs to research and raise awareness of marine plastic pollution in North-West European waters, serving students, businesses, municipalities, and individual supporters.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2016
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What The Ocean Movement does
Stichting The Ocean Movement is a Dutch non-profit foundation (ANBI-registered) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Amsterdam, operating with approximately 11 employees and a heavy volunteer base. Its mission is to educate and activate individuals, organizations, and governments around marine plastic pollution through sailing-based citizen science expeditions, school programs, corporate team-building events, lectures, and documentary screenings. The organization rebranded from "By the Ocean we Unite" to its current name in May 2021 following trademark pressure from Richard Branson's "Ocean Unite."
The core technical activity is citizen science microplastic sampling using Manta Trawl methodology (300-micrometer mesh, 30-minute surface trawls at up to 3 knots) following protocols designed by the 5Gyres Institute. Since 2016 it has collected more than 110 water samples across the North Sea, Wadden Sea, Baltic Sea, and Zeeuwse Delta, with 94% containing plastic and an average of 13,680 particles per km². Programs are delivered through partner vessels (Vrijbuiter, Morgana, Lauwerszee, Eendracht) and partners including We Are Nature (school programs), Windseeker and Erasmus+ (European youth exchanges), Nikon (microscopy), the Fair Winds Collective (SAIL Amsterdam 2025), and research stations VLIZ and Helmholtz Hereon.
Revenue is diversified across donations (preset amounts €5–€100, recurring monthly/quarterly/annual), expedition fees (e.g., Team Day from €3,000 all-inclusive for 20–35 people, Leadership Voyage from €4,000 for weekends up to 16 people, individual weekend at €275 per person), corporate partnerships and CSR contributions, and merchandise sales. The customer base spans four primary segments: young people and students (primary), businesses and organizations (primary), municipalities, and individual supporters. Governance is handled by a board comprising President Maarten Erich, Treasurer Fabiënne Doveren, and Secretary Josien Hendricksen after founder Thomas van Thiel's 2019 departure.
The Ocean Movement firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- The Ocean Movement
- Legal name
- Stichting The Ocean Movement
- Website
- https://theoceanmovement.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2016
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- The Ocean Movement is a Dutch ANBI-registered non-profit foundation that runs citizen science sailing expeditions and school programs to research and raise awareness of marine plastic pollution in North-West European waters, serving students, businesses, municipalities, and individual supporters.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where The Ocean Movement is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
The Ocean Movement business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations: The organization relies on charitable donations from individuals and organizations. Recognized as ANBI (Dutch Public Benefit Organization), allowing tax-deductible donations for qualifying donors.
- Expedition Fees: Revenue from selling expedition experiences including corporate team days, leadership voyages, and individual/group sailing trips. Pricing from €150 per person for team expeditions.
- Corporate Partnerships: Annual contributions from companies seeking CSR goals alignment, including customized corporate expeditions and team-building activities.
- Merchandise Sales: Sale of branded merchandise including clothing and promotional items at events and online.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | One time | Team Day corporate expedition |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Leadership Voyage corporate expedition |
| Unit Pricing | One time | Individual weekend expedition on Vrijbuiter |
| Other | Monthly | Donation amounts |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels6 records
The Ocean Movement product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The Ocean Movement organizes sailing-based citizen science expeditions aboard partner vessels (Vrijbuiter, Morgana, Lauwerszee, Eendracht) where participants collect microplastic samples in European waters using Manta Trawl methodology. The organization also offers corporate team-building expeditions, school programs in partnership with We Are Nature, European youth exchange expeditions, beach cleanup campaigns, and educational lectures and documentary screenings.
Product overview
The Ocean Movement offers a portfolio of sailing-based citizen science programs centered around plastic pollution research and education. The core offering consists of Plastic-Soup Expeditions aboard partner sailing vessels (Vrijbuiter, Morgana, Lauwerszee, Eendracht, and others) where participants collect microplastic samples using standardized Manta Trawl methodology. These expeditions range from single-day programs to multi-day voyages across the Wadden Sea, Zeeuwse Delta, and broader North-West European waters. The organization complements its expeditions with school programs developed with partner We Are Nature, corporate team-building expeditions, and public education through lectures and documentary screenings. All research data feeds into a long-term citizen science database tracking plastic pollution in European waters since 2016.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Plastic-Soup Expeditions Sailing expeditions where participants join partner sailing vessels to collect microplastic samples using a Manta Trawl net while learning about plastic pollution in European waters including the Wadden Sea, Zeeuwse Delta, and North Sea.
- One-Day Plastic Expeditions Day-long sailing expeditions departing from Harlingen aboard the Lauwerszee, offering participants the opportunity to conduct microplastic research using Manta Trawl methodology while sailing the Wadden Sea.
- Corporate Expeditions Team-building expeditions for businesses and organizations, including The Team Day (€3,000 all-inclusive for 20-35 people) and Leadership Voyage (€4,000 all-inclusive for up to 16 people for a weekend), combining sailing, microplastic research, and sustainability workshops.
- European Exchange Expeditions International sailing expeditions organized in partnership with Windseeker and Erasmus+, taking participants across multiple European countries while conducting plastic research and cultural exchange aboard historic tall ships.
- School Projects Educational programs for high school and primary school students developed in partnership with We Are Nature, where students work as researchers and advisors for their municipalities on litter and plastic pollution challenges.
- Citizen Science Research Program Water sampling and microplastic analysis program using standardized Manta Trawl protocols designed by 5Gyres Institute, collecting data on plastic pollution in North-West European waters since 2016.
- Lectures and Documentary Screenings Educational presentations and film screenings, including the documentary 'An Ocean Story' by Sander van Weert, with Q&A sessions with marine biologists available for companies, museums, or other venues.
- Beach Clean-up Campaigns Organized beach and coastal cleanup activities, including the Plastic Cigarette Butt action which collected 142,000 cigarette butts across 18 Dutch cities in September 2020.
Quantifiable outcome
- 94% of water samples collected contain plastic particles
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use The Ocean Movement
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
The Ocean Movement technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
The Ocean Movement partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- NikoncoreMicroscopy collaboration for the 'Zooming in on Microplastic Pollution' project. Organization visited Nikon's laboratory to examine microplastic samples under advanced microscopes, with resulting images used for educational banners.
- ZustainaBoxminorPartner offering the Expeditie Box, a small but impactful educational package. Joint forces to support ocean conservation.
- IgloominorCampaign partner for 'A Cleaner Sea' initiative. Joint PR event 'Fishing for plastic' reached half a million consumers with 1.4 million promo packs.
- MSC (Marine Stewardship Council)minorCo-founded by Igloo and WWF 20 years ago. Collaborated on campaign for sustainable fishing and ocean protection.
- We Are NaturecorePartnership for youth participation projects where students work as researchers and advisors for municipalities on litter and plastic pollution. Together they developed an extensive program engaging young people in environmental research.
- Fair Winds CollectivecoreNetwork of sustainable sailing initiatives working together to redefine cargo movement, research, and connection across oceans. Shared exhibition space at SAIL Amsterdam 2025.
- WindseekercoreOrganization that organizes international sailing expeditions for youth. Partners on Sustainable Exchange@Sea expeditions combining sailing with plastic research and cultural exchange across European countries.
- Statiegeld Alliantie (Deposit Alliance)minorCampaign partner advocating for deposit systems on cans. The organization participated in the Yes We Can campaign for quick implementation of deposits on cans.
- Break Free From PlasticminorGlobal movement with over 11,000 organizations demanding massive reductions in single-use plastics. The Ocean Movement is a member.
- MapoticminorCommunity mapping platform helping local communities and nonprofits engage members and share knowledge.
- Community of Practice - Plastic (Rhine-Meuse Delta)minorOrganizations joining forces to monitor, remove and reuse plastic from the river Rhine-Meuse Delta, setting an example for other river systems.
- KlimatoriumminorPartner for Exchange@Sea 2025, providing guidance on hands-on citizen science and ocean protection education.
- VLIZ Marine Research Station (Marine Station Ostend)minorResearch station visited during Exchange@Sea 2025 for lab tours and sample analysis under stereomicroscope.
- Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon / SOOP NetworkminorNetwork organizing citizen science workshops aboard sailing vessels. Learned about Planktonscope for onboard plankton sampling and research.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights10 records
The Ocean Movement competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- The Ocean Cleanup: Larger, well-funded Dutch non-profit developing technology to remove ocean plastic. Operates in the same marine-plastic-pollution mission space but focuses on cleanup engineering rather than sailing-based citizen science and education.
- Oceana: Largest international ocean advocacy non-profit, focused on policy and fisheries. Competes for the same donor and corporate-CSR attention around ocean health, though it operates at a global advocacy scale far beyond The Ocean Movement's regional sailing base.
- Plastic Bank: Global social enterprise addressing ocean plastic through collection and recycling incentives. Adjacent mission (stopping ocean plastic) but with a for-revenue, infrastructure-heavy model rather than sailing expeditions.
- Sail Training International: International umbrella organization supporting tall-ship sail training and youth personal development. Directly comparable in operating model (sailing vessels for youth education/experience) and overlaps with The Ocean Movement's European Exchange programs.
- Surfrider Foundation: International NGO protecting oceans and beaches through advocacy, education and cleanups. Comparable citizen-engagement and beach-cleanup programming but with a much larger global footprint and US/European beach-surf identity.
- Sea Shepherd Global: Marine conservation organization running ship-based campaigns. Comparable in combining vessel operations with advocacy, but focused on marine wildlife protection rather than plastic pollution.
Emerging players
- Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global alliance of organizations working to end plastic pollution — a thematic coalition peer. The Ocean Movement is adjacent through its Break Free From Plastic membership, sharing advocacy goals without direct operational overlap.
Direct peers
- Plastic Soup Foundation: Dutch non-profit focused on plastic pollution awareness, education and advocacy. Closest direct peer in mission and geography, also operating citizen-science-adjacent programs from the Netherlands.
- 5 Gyres Institute: US-based non-profit whose Manta Trawl sampling protocol The Ocean Movement explicitly uses. Direct peer in citizen-science microplastic research methodology and global plastic-pollution education.
- Windseeker: European organization coordinating international sailing expeditions for youth — The Ocean Movement's core European Exchange partner and a directly comparable operator for sail-based youth programs.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
The Ocean Movement social profiles
Digital presenceThe Ocean Movement compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
The Ocean Movement financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
The Ocean Movement leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
The Ocean Movement funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
The Ocean Movement 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 The Ocean Movement
What does The Ocean Movement do?
The Ocean Movement organizes sailing-based citizen science expeditions aboard partner vessels (Vrijbuiter, Morgana, Lauwerszee, Eendracht) where participants collect microplastic samples in European waters using Manta Trawl methodology. The organization also offers corporate team-building expeditions, school programs in partnership with We Are Nature, European youth exchange expeditions, beach cleanup campaigns, and educational lectures and documentary screenings.
Is The Ocean Movement a public or private company?
The Ocean Movement is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was The Ocean Movement founded?
The Ocean Movement was founded in 2016. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is The Ocean Movement based?
The Ocean Movement is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does The Ocean Movement make money?
Four revenue lines are on record. Donations are the primary driver. The others are expedition Fees, corporate Partnerships and merchandise Sales.
Who are The Ocean Movement's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are The Ocean Cleanup, Oceana, Plastic Bank, Sail Training International, Surfrider Foundation and Sea Shepherd Global. Plastic Pollution Coalition is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are Plastic Soup Foundation, 5 Gyres Institute and Windseeker.
Does The Ocean Movement have an API?
No public API is recorded for The Ocean Movement.