Underwater Gardens International

What Underwater Gardens International does

Underwater Gardens International SL (UGI) is a Barcelona-based private company founded in 2016 that develops scientific and technological solutions for marine ecosystem regeneration. Its core offering is the Sea Garden modular solution built on Smart Enhanced Reefs (SER®) — engineered reef structures designed via the proprietary reefhopper® software platform, which integrates site-specific environmental variables to configure reef layouts tailored to local conditions. Specialised product variants include Elnida-rif® (eco-compatible structures for Arctic applications) and the Daroc® Reef (an ecosystem-driven design selected by WIPO for its 'Century of Design Registration 1925-2025' publication). The company pairs these technical solutions with continuous scientific monitoring through partners including ICM-CSIC, University of Barcelona, UPC and the Barcelona Zoo Foundation.

UGI serves government and municipal authorities, marina and port operators, and marine research institutions. Its go-to-market is direct institutional field sales: projects are developed collaboratively with cities (e.g., Barcelona City Council at Port Olímpic), port authorities (Puerto Banús, Port Hercule Monaco), island governments (Cabildo de Tenerife) and research bodies (IMR Norway). Revenue is generated through project-based marine regeneration contracts with multi-year billing cycles, supplemented by scientific consulting services and grant/sponsorship funding — notably an 11.4 million euro Horizon Europe allocation via the OCEAN CITIZEN consortium and a three-year BNP Paribas sponsorship. The company also operates the Blue Innovation Hub and Underwater Gardens Regenerative Hubs, educational and ocean-engagement initiatives that extend the platform into citizen science and regenerative tourism.

UGI is recognised by UNESCO under the UN Decade of Ocean Science (2021-2030), accepted into the EU Mission 'Restore our Ocean and Waters' Charter, and is a member of UN Global Compact and the AIR Centre network. The team is led by founder and Executive President Marc García-Durán Huet, with key executives including CFO Silvia Cartañá, biology lead Dr. Sergio Rossi, institutional relations lead Puri Canals, and strategy/shareholder Alex Ruiz-Busquets. Headcount sits in the 11-50 band, with operations spanning Spain, Norway, France, Monaco, Italy, Croatia and Cyprus, plus Macaronesia through Horizon Europe projects.

Name

Underwater Gardens International

Legal name

Underwater Gardens International SL

Website

https://underwatergardens.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Underwater Gardens International is a Barcelona-based marine regeneration company that designs and deploys engineered artificial reefs (SER®, Elnida-rif®, Daroc®) and the proprietary reefhopper® software platform for governments, port authorities and research institutions seeking biodiversity recovery and coastal resilience.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Ecosystem Regeneration Services

NAICS

Zoos and Botanical Gardens (71213)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI), Stock Enhancement & Restocking / Conservation Aquaculture (AFAEAAAO), Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH)

Keywords

• Marine regeneration solutions
• Artificial reef construction
• Marine biodiversity enhancement
• Blue economy consulting
• Underwater ecological monitoring

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Marine Regeneration Projects: Project-based revenue from designing and implementing marine regeneration solutions tailored to specific locations. Includes collaborative funding and financing models designed to support maintenance, monitoring and local participation activities.
2. Scientific Consulting: Technical and scientific monitoring services to assess project development and optimise ecological performance. Digital monitoring systems and underwater gardening programs.
3. Sponsorships and Grants: Three-year sponsorship from BNP Paribas for advancing scientific knowledge of marine forest regeneration, ocean food sustainability and marine biotechnology. Participation in EU Horizon Europe programmes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Underwater Gardens International develops scientific and technological marine regeneration solutions tailored to the specific conditions of each site. Its core offering combines engineered reef structures (Smart Enhanced Reefs and Elnida-rif®), proprietary reefhopper® design software, scientific monitoring and citizen science engagement to deliver biodiversity and ecological resilience outcomes for coastal and marine clients.

Product overview

Underwater Gardens International offers a portfolio of marine regeneration solutions organized around two core products: Sea Garden (a modular marine regeneration solution combining design, biotechnology, and scientific monitoring) and Blue Innovation Hub (an educational and ocean engagement initiative). The company also provides proprietary technologies including reefhopper® software for designing Smart Enhanced Reefs (SER®), along with specialized reef structures such as Daroc® Reef (WIPO-recognized ecosystem-driven design) and Elnida-rif® (eco-compatible regenerative reefs). Underwater Gardens Regenerative Hubs serve as interactive platforms combining biotechnology, ecological restoration, and eco-entertainment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sea Garden: A modular marine regeneration solution combining design, biotechnology and scientific monitoring, tailored to specific location characteristics
• Blue Innovation Hub
• reefhopper®
• Smart Enhanced Reefs (SER®)
• Daroc® Reef
• Elnida-rif®

Products and services

• Sea Garden
• Blue Innovation Hub
• Smart Enhanced Reefs (SER®)
• Elnida-rif®
• Daroc® Reef
• Underwater Gardens Regenerative Hubs
• Scientific Monitoring and Consulting Services

Quantifiable outcome

• 100+ native species colonised artificial reef structures at Barcelona Port Olímpic within one year
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core, major and minor.

• OCEAN CITIZEN Consortium (Horizon Europe)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU-funded consortium with 11.4 million euros funding, 21 partners from 7 EU countries plus Israel. UGI leads Work Packages on Sea Garden development in Macaronesia. Coordinated by Università del Salento. Part of Mission Blue Horizon Europe Programme.
• Institute of Marine Research (IMR) NorwaycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on installation of 30 Elnida-rif® reefs in Porsanger Fjord, Norway for Arctic ecosystem regeneration targeting juvenile Atlantic cod shelter and kelp forest recovery.
• Barcelona City Council / BSMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort Olímpic marine regeneration project with 50 artificial reef structures installed. Scientific monitoring by ICM-CSIC, University of Barcelona, UPC, and Barcelona Zoo Foundation.
• Puerto Banús / Port Hercule MonacocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative for marine biodiversity assessment across 10 Mediterranean marinas. Report on ecological status and collaborative governance model aligned with UN 2030 Agenda.
• ICM-CSIC (Institute of Marine Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific monitoring partner for Port Olímpic regeneration project, contributing expertise in marine biodiversity assessment and ecological research.
• University of BarcelonacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing scientific monitoring expertise to Port Olímpic marine regeneration project.
• Polytechnic University of Catalonia (UPC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner contributing acoustic and ecological monitoring to Port Olímpic regeneration project.
• Barcelona Zoo FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoordinates scientific monitoring for Port Olímpic project, conducting detailed biodiversity studies and seabed regeneration assessment.
• PHAROS Consortium (Horizon Europe)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHorizon Europe project under Mission Ocean providing nature-based solutions to restore marine ecosystems in Atlantic and Arctic regions. UGI participates with 24 consortium partners.
• Global Compact NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUGI committed to UN Global Compact objectives implementing sustainable development in business model and company culture.
• Only OneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAction platform membership for ocean health restoration and climate crisis addressing. Contributes to initiatives including mangrove and coral reef restoration.
• Let's Be Nice to the OceanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate member of global movement advocating ocean protection as priority in international governance, led by Rémi Parmentier of The Varda Group.
• AIR Centre (Atlantic International Research Centre)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork focusing on Atlantic Ocean-based collaboration, research and policies. UGI presented through Ocean Citizen project at AIR Centre event.
• Prince Albert II of Monaco FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOcean conservation foundation supporting marine sustainability initiatives. UGI presented at Ocean Innovators Platform within Monaco Ocean Week.
• MAF-WORLD ConsortiummajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsortium supporting development of EcosystemCredits quantitative roadmap combining carbon, biodiversity and biomass credits.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Reef International: Artificial reef design and deployment company with marine restoration projects globally. Comparable peer in the engineered artificial-reef space UGI addresses with its SER® and Elnida-rif® products.
• Coral Vita: Bahamas-based coral restoration company using land- and ocean-based coral farming combined with reef restoration services. Comparable business model of science-driven restoration projects with measurable biodiversity outcomes.
• Reef Renewal International: Nonprofit coordinating large-scale reef restoration globally through coral propagation and outplanting. Comparable peer in marine ecosystem regeneration project delivery and reef restoration science.
• ECOncrete: Israeli company developing bio-enhancing concrete solutions for marine infrastructure (ports, seawalls, coastal developments). Most comparable direct peer to UGI's engineered reef modules for marine biodiversity at port and coastal sites.
• Global Coral Reef Alliance: NGO promoting Biorock mineral accretion technology for coral and marine restoration. Directly comparable as a peer deploying engineered substrates to regenerate marine ecosystems, though focused on tropical reefs.
• Living Seawalls: Project of the Sydney Institute of Marine Science producing modular textured panels designed to enhance marine biodiversity on artificial seawalls. Highly comparable to UGI's modular, site-specific SER® reef installations in urban marine environments.

Broad incumbents

• The Ocean Cleanup: Large-scale foundation focused on plastic pollution removal from oceans and rivers. Adjacent marine-remediation incumbent with significant capital, brand, and EU partnerships relevant to ocean regeneration broadly.
• REV Ocean: Norwegian foundation operating a major ocean research and restoration vessel and programmes. Broader incumbent with overlapping marine regeneration objectives and significant institutional scale.
• The Nature Conservancy: Global conservation organisation running marine and coastal restoration programmes. Functions as a broad incumbent in marine ecosystem regeneration with significant funding, science, and convening capacity.

Emerging players

• Mars Symbiotic: Marine biotech company applying assisted evolution and restoration biology to marine organisms. Comparable as an emerging restoration-biotech peer intersecting marine regeneration and applied science.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/underwatergardens
• Facebookfacebook.com/UnderwaterGardensInternational

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

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 Underwater Gardens International