Urban Ocean Lab
Urban Ocean Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded in 2018 that develops equitable climate and ocean policy for U.S. coastal cities, producing open-access publications, policy frameworks, and community-of-practice convenings for policymakers, community organizations, and climate practitioners.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersSan Francisco, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Urban Ocean Lab does
Urban Ocean Lab is a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded in 2018 and headquartered in Brooklyn, NY, that develops equitable climate and ocean policy for U.S. coastal cities. The organization was founded by marine biologist and climate leader Ayana Elizabeth Johnson and operates as a project of Multiplier, a tax-exempt 501(c)(3) umbrella organization that serves as its fiscal sponsor and handles administrative functions including donation processing.
The organization's offerings are organized around three core service areas: Policy Ideals & Tools (research and development of policy solutions for climate-ready coastal cities), Collaborative Platforms (community-of-practice initiatives that scale climate action among practitioners), and a Resource Hub (open-access curated information repository currently undergoing redesign). It produces an extensive body of publications — policy memos, reports, factsheets, case studies, and frameworks — covering climate-driven relocation, regenerative ocean farming, offshore wind, nature-based solutions, coastal ecosystems, and a five-theme Climate Readiness Framework for Coastal Cities. Notable outputs include the Sea Level Rise Factsheet, Coastal Ecosystems Factsheet, a Sandy 10-year retrospective with the NYC Comptroller, and topic hubs on climate-driven relocation and regenerative ocean farming.
The organization is funded entirely through donations and charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners, with all publications and resources distributed free of charge via its website, Substack newsletter, social media, and convened events such as Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice. It maintains a small team of 6 employees and works through collaborative partnerships with institutions including the Center for American Progress, Green Two Point Zero, Columbia University's Sabin Center for Climate Change Law, Stone Living Lab, Evergreen Action, and the Office of the New York City Comptroller. Geographic focus is exclusively the United States, with a target beneficiary base of the 47+ million people living in U.S. coastal cities.
Urban Ocean Lab firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Urban Ocean Lab
- Legal name
- Urban Ocean Lab
- Website
- https://urbanoceanlab.org
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Urban Ocean Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank founded in 2018 that develops equitable climate and ocean policy for U.S. coastal cities, producing open-access publications, policy frameworks, and community-of-practice convenings for policymakers, community organizations, and climate practitioners.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Urban Ocean Lab industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Climate Policy Research
- NAICS
- Environmental Consulting Services (54162), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)
Keywords
Where Urban Ocean Lab is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- San Francisco
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
Urban Ocean Lab business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Donations and Charitable Contributions: As a registered 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization, Urban Ocean Lab operates primarily through donations and charitable contributions from individuals, foundations, and corporate partners who support equitable climate and ocean policy development.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Urban Ocean Lab product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Urban Ocean Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank that develops equitable climate and ocean policy solutions for U.S. coastal cities. It produces an open-access Resource Hub of factsheets, policy memos, frameworks, and case studies, and runs community-of-practice initiatives to scale up climate action. All resources are distributed free of charge to policymakers, community organizations, and practitioners.
Product overview
Urban Ocean Lab is a nonprofit think tank (registered 501(c)(3)) that functions as a policy research organization, not a software technology company. The organization operates as a single unified offering focused on developing equitable climate and ocean policy solutions for coastal cities. Its core services include: a Resource Hub (open-access information repository), Policy Ideals & Tools (research and policy development), and Collaborative Platforms (community of practice). The organization produces publications including policy memos, reports, factsheets, case studies, and frameworks covering topics such as climate-driven relocation, coastal ecosystems, community resilience, infrastructure, offshore renewable energy, and regenerative ocean farming. All offerings are public goods distributed through the website, Substack newsletter, and public events—no commercial software products or modules exist.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Resource Hub
Quantifiable outcome
- Serves 47+ million people in U.S. coastal cities
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Urban Ocean Lab
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Urban Ocean Lab technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Urban Ocean Lab partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- Green Two Point ZerominorPartnered with Green Two Point Zero to host Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice event in June 2025, bringing together climate and ocean justice advocates.
- Center for American ProgressminorPartnered with Center for American Progress to host Upwell: A Wave of Ocean Justice Online event in June 2024, a virtual convening on ocean justice topics.
- Columbia UniversityminorPresented a panel on climate-driven relocation funding sources in partnership with Columbia University as part of their 2023 conference 'At What Point Managed Retreat?: Habitability and Mobility in an Era of Climate Change'.
- Office of the New York City ComptrollerminorPartnered with the Office of the New York City Comptroller for the 10-year anniversary assessment of Superstorm Sandy, examining community-led response, recovery, and resilience efforts.
- Sabin Center for Climate Change Law at Columbia UniversityminorDeveloped a resource bank with the Sabin Center for Climate Change Law to address common concerns and misinformation about offshore wind facilities, providing up-to-date research and support for informed decision-making.
- Multiplier (Fiscal Sponsor)coreMultiplier serves as the tax-exempt nonprofit 501(c)(3) umbrella organization and fiscal sponsor for Urban Ocean Lab. Urban Ocean Lab is a project of Multiplier, which handles administrative functions including donation processing. Tax-deductible donations can be made to Multiplier with Urban Ocean Lab noted in the memo.
- Stone Living LabminorParticipated in Stone Living Lab Conference on Nature-Based Coastal Resilience in Urban Settings in April 2023, contributing to discussions on coastal resilience solutions.
- Evergreen ActionminorCo-authored policy memo on Advancing Offshore Wind Energy in the U.S. with Evergreen Action, providing recommendations for the next presidential administration.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Urban Ocean Lab competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Urban Ocean Lab social profiles
Digital presenceUrban Ocean Lab financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Urban Ocean Lab leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
Urban Ocean Lab funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Urban Ocean Lab 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 Urban Ocean Lab
What does Urban Ocean Lab do?
Urban Ocean Lab is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit think tank that develops equitable climate and ocean policy solutions for U.S. coastal cities. It produces an open-access Resource Hub of factsheets, policy memos, frameworks, and case studies, and runs community-of-practice initiatives to scale up climate action. All resources are distributed free of charge to policymakers, community organizations, and practitioners.
Is Urban Ocean Lab a public or private company?
Urban Ocean Lab is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Urban Ocean Lab founded?
Urban Ocean Lab was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Urban Ocean Lab based?
Urban Ocean Lab is headquartered in San Francisco, United States, in the North America region.
How does Urban Ocean Lab make money?
One revenue line is on record: donations and Charitable Contributions.
Does Urban Ocean Lab have an API?
No public API is recorded for Urban Ocean Lab.
What industry is Urban Ocean Lab in?
Urban Ocean Lab's product category is Climate Policy Research. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAGAE, Marine & Freshwater Conservation. Its NAICS code is 54162 and its SIC code is 8731.