What Sea Hugger does

Sea Hugger is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization (Tax ID #83-1463002) headquartered in Half Moon Bay, California, founded in 2018 by Shell Cleave, who closed a prior technology business to start the organization after observing ocean plastic pollution during family surf travels. The organization's mission is to combat marine plastic pollution through education and direct action, with a stated emphasis on youth stewardship. It operates a portfolio of programs covering beach cleanups, youth field trips, at-home learning, DIY cleanup guides, a specialized cigarette butt recycling initiative, volunteer engagement, corporate outings, advocacy petitions, an online merchandise shop, and tax-deductible donations.

The underlying technology stack is a standard, non-proprietary Squarespace website used for program delivery, donation processing, e-commerce storefront, and volunteer coordination; there is no custom platform, no mobile app, no disclosed API, and no AI/ML components. Distribution and go-to-market are community-led: the organization reaches youth and families as its primary segment, with secondary segments in schools, corporate groups seeking CSR/team-building programming, and individual volunteers. Marketing is conducted through website content, an email newsletter, organic social media, in-person events, and community partnerships.

Revenue is generated from three streams: tax-deductible individual donations, program fees (field trips, at-home learning materials, corporate outings), and merchandise sales through an online shop. No pricing, revenue, or financials are publicly disclosed. The organization holds a registered Sea Hugger® trademark, has earned a GuideStar Transparency Award, and maintains mutual memberships or affiliations with Plastic Pollution Coalition, Break Free From Plastic, National Reuse Network, BYO Bottle, and NS Action. Operations are concentrated in California with 1-10 employees.

Name

Sea Hugger

Legal name

Sea Hugger

Website

https://seahugger.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Sea Hugger is a Half Moon Bay-based 501(c)(3) nonprofit, founded in 2018, that combats marine plastic pollution through education and direct action, delivering beach cleanups, youth field trips, at-home learning, volunteer programs, corporate outings, and advocacy petitions to youth, families, schools, and corporate groups.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Half Moon Bay

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Tax-deductible donations from individuals supporting marine conservation and plastic pollution prevention. Sea Hugger is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization.
2. Program Fees: Revenue from educational programs including field trips, at-home learning materials, and corporate outing programs.
3. Shop Sales: Sales from merchandise and products through the organization's e-commerce storefront.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sea Hugger is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that delivers marine conservation programs including community beach cleanups, youth field trips, at-home educational resources, a cigarette butt recycling initiative, DIY cleanup guides, and corporate team-building outings. The organization combines direct-action volunteer programs with educational content and sells supporting merchandise through an online shop, funding its work primarily through tax-deductible donations.

Product overview

Sea Hugger is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization that operates as a unified set of marine conservation programs rather than a technology product platform. The organization offers a portfolio of environmental programs including beach cleanups, youth education (field trips and at-home learning), cigarette butt recycling, volunteer opportunities, corporate outings, petitions, and an online shop. These programs work together to combat marine plastic pollution through education and direct action, with the goal of transitioning communities from linear wasteful lifestyles to circular sustainable practices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• School Field Trips Hands-on, in-person educational field trips for youth and schools that teach marine conservation, ocean stewardship, and the impacts of plastic pollution through experiential learning at coastal sites.
• At-Home Learning

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• National Reuse NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember of the National Reuse Network, demonstrating commitment to reuse and recycling solutions for plastic pollution prevention.
• BYO BottlecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMember organization supporting bring-your-own-bottle initiatives to reduce single-use plastic consumption.
• Plastic Pollution CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition member working to end plastic pollution through collaborative advocacy and education efforts.
• Break Free From PlasticcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate member of global movement working to stop plastic pollution through reducing production and pushing for corporate accountability.
• NS ActionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGO Collaborator partner through NS Action organization supporting environmental initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Lonely Whale Foundation: Nonprofit focused on ocean conservation with emphasis on plastic reduction initiatives (e.g., campaigns to reduce single-use plastics). Comparable mission around plastic pollution prevention and corporate partnership-driven advocacy model.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Nonprofit focused on developing technology to clean up ocean plastic pollution. Comparable overarching mission to remove ocean plastic, but differentiated by a technology/R&D-driven approach versus Sea Hugger's community-education model.

Direct peers

• Ocean Conservancy: National nonprofit tackling ocean health issues including plastic pollution, with strong advocacy and volunteer engagement programs (e.g., International Coastal Cleanup). Comparable mission, advocacy approach, and donor-supported nonprofit model.
• Mission Blue / Sylvia Earle Alliance: Marine conservation organization focused on ocean protection through advocacy and education. Comparable mission, education emphasis, and nonprofit model, though at larger scale with global marine protected area focus.
• Surfrider Foundation: Large US marine conservation nonprofit focused on beach cleanups, plastic pollution prevention, and coastal protection. Directly comparable in mission (combating marine plastic pollution through community action and education) and target audiences (volunteers, youth, coastal communities), though at significantly larger scale.
• 5 Gyres: Nonprofit focused on plastic pollution research and education, particularly microplastics. Comparable in mission around marine plastic pollution, with similar reliance on community engagement and education programming.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Coalition of organizations and individuals working to end plastic pollution through education and advocacy. Sea Hugger is already a member. Comparable in mission and coalition-based approach to plastic pollution prevention.
• Algalita Marine Research Foundation: California-based nonprofit focused on marine plastic pollution research, education, and solutions. Comparable regional scope, mission around plastic pollution, and education/outreach approach.

Regional players

• Heal the Bay: California-based marine conservation nonprofit focused on coastal protection, pollution reduction, and education. Comparable regional scope (California), community-driven programming, and youth education focus, though based in Santa Monica rather than Northern California.
• Save the Sound: Regional environmental nonprofit focused on coastal and waterway protection in the Long Island Sound region. Comparable community engagement and volunteer-driven cleanups model, but geographically distinct from Sea Hugger's California base.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sea-hugger

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 Sea Hugger