Fondazione One Ocean

What Fondazione One Ocean does

Fondazione One Ocean (One Ocean Foundation) is an Italian non-profit foundation headquartered in Milan, established in 2018, that operates as an international convener and program operator for ocean conservation in the Mediterranean. Its work is structured around a three-phase approach (Awareness, Definition, Activation) and delivered through three core program families: the Ocean Impact Initiative (OII) — a proprietary science-based framework assessing business impacts on marine ecosystems across 15 industry sectors; the Blue Forest project — a Posidonia oceanica marine reforestation initiative described as the largest of its kind in the Mediterranean; and the M.A.R.E. (Marine Adventure for Research & Education) Mediterranean research expedition, a four-year catamaran-based data collection program that completed basin-wide mapping in 2025.

The underlying technology stack is science- rather than software-centric: ROV deep-sea exploration (Multipluto/Pluto Palla vehicles reaching Caprera Canyon depths), environmental DNA (eDNA) analysis with species-specific primers, citizen science integration, acoustic and zooplankton monitoring, and peer-reviewed publication in journals including Cell Reports Sustainability and Scientific Reports. Supporting projects include the Seahorse Hotel (stone-wool artificial reefs in Taranto's Mar Piccolo), Dune 360° (coastal dune protection), Canyon of Caprera (mammal biodiversity at a Mission Blue-designated Hope Spot), and EFFECTIVE (an EU Horizon project on Marine Protected Area management in Sardinia).

The Foundation has no commercial pricing model; it is funded by corporate partnerships and sponsorships (Pirelli, Smeralda Holding, Intesa Sanpaolo, Rockwool, Shiseido, Deutsche Bank Italia, Electroneum, NIVEA), institutional collaborations with Italian and international universities and research bodies (CNR-IAS, SZN, University of Sassari/Genoa/Bari/Insubria, Dalhousie CERI), and event-driven engagement (One Ocean Week, Blue Economy Summit, One Ocean Summit Young, As Above So Below at the Biennale di Venezia). Its primary customer segments are corporate ESG/sustainability sponsors, students and youth via educational programs, research institutions, and policymakers/public institutions aligned with UN SDGs 13, 14, 15, 17, 4, 8, and 11.

Name

Fondazione One Ocean

Legal name

One Ocean Foundation

Website

https://1ocean.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondazione One Ocean is an Italian non-profit foundation that drives Mediterranean ocean conservation through the Ocean Impact Initiative framework, the Blue Forest marine reforestation project, and the M.A.R.E. research expedition, funded primarily by corporate sponsors and delivered with university and institutional partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Marine Conservation Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Ocean conservation
• Marine reforestation
• Blue economy research
• Environmental education
• Scientific expeditions

Headquarters

HQ city

Milano

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Corporate Partnerships and Sponsorships: The Foundation receives financial and in-kind support from corporate partners (e.g., Pirelli, Smeralda Holding, Rockwool, Intesa Sanpaolo, Shiseido, Deutsche Bank Italia) who sponsor specific projects, research expeditions, and awareness events in exchange for association with the Foundation's marine conservation mission.
2. Event Revenue and Public Engagement: Revenue generated through event participation, educational programs, and community outreach initiatives including One Ocean Week, Blue Economy Summit, and One Ocean Summit Young targeting students and businesses.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fondazione One Ocean is an Italian non-profit foundation that promotes ocean conservation through scientific research, marine reforestation initiatives, and corporate sustainability assessment tools. Its flagship offering, the Ocean Impact Initiative (OII), provides a structured framework for evaluating corporate impact on marine ecosystems, while the M.A.R.E. (Marine Adventure for Research and Education) expedition enables applied marine research. The foundation also organizes the annual One Ocean Week and Blue Economy Summit events in Milan to convene corporate partners, researchers, and policymakers around ocean stewardship.

Product overview

One Ocean Foundation operates as a non-profit organization focused on ocean conservation through a portfolio of interconnected programs. The core offerings include the Ocean Impact Initiative (OII) - a science-based framework for assessing business impacts on marine ecosystems - alongside hands-on restoration projects like Blue Forest (marine reforestation with Posidonia oceanica) and M.A.R.E. (Mediterranean research expeditions). The Foundation runs event platforms including One Ocean Week, Blue Economy Summit, and One Ocean Summit Young for awareness and education. Technical initiatives include the Electroneum blockchain partnership for transparent donations, the EFFECTIVE EU Horizon project for Marine Protected Area management, and various conservation projects (Seahorse Hotel, Dune 360°, Canyon of Caprera). Scientific outputs include industry reviews, publications on blue natural capital, and educational programs like Blue Agents Challenge.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Ocean Impact Initiative: Science-based framework designed to address direct and indirect impacts of various business sectors on marine ecosystems
• Blue Forest
• M.A.R.E.
• One Ocean Week
• One Ocean Summit Young
• Blue Economy Summit
• More Miles Less Plastic

Products and services

• Ocean Impact Initiative (OII)
• EFFECTIVE
• Blue Forest
• M.A.R.E. (Marine Adventure for Research and Education)
• Dune 360°
• Canyon of Caprera
• Seahorse Hotel

Quantifiable outcome

• 507 projects and activities delivered; 163 tons of plastic removed; 1,535 m² of marine forests restored; 37.6k people directly engaged; 33 scientific publications produced
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• ElectroneumcoreTechnology or Integration · 8 October 2025One Ocean Foundation partnered with Electroneum to leverage its ultra-low-energy blockchain for verifiable donation tracking and tokenized sustainable practice monitoring. The partnership enables donors to track contributions in real time and creates a framework for tokenizing sustainable practices as part of a nature-positive blue economy.
• Intesa SanpaolocoreGTM or Marketing Partner · 24 July 2025Intesa Sanpaolo partners with One Ocean Foundation on the One Ocean Summit Young and Blue Agents Challenge educational program, bringing the Blue Economy to Italian high school students. The initiative, designed by Elisa Zambito Marsala's Education Ecosystem team, combines financial literacy, sustainability, and creative communication through the Giffoni Film Festival.
• PirellicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2025Pirelli serves as a key corporate partner enabling the launch and expansion of the Blue Forest marine reforestation project in Cala di Volpe, Sardinia — the largest marine reforestation initiative in the Mediterranean. Pirelli's Senior Advisor for Sustainability Filippo Bettini has stated the company's commitment to biodiversity protection as part of its broader ESG strategy.
• Smeralda HoldingcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2025Smeralda Holding is a long-term strategic partner for marine conservation in Costa Smeralda, co-funding the Blue Forest project in Cala di Volpe and the dune protection initiative at Grande Pevero Beach. The partnership builds on Smeralda Holding's 20-year history of marine protection through regulated mooring fields.
• RockwoolcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2024Rockwool, a Danish manufacturer of stone wool insulation, partners with One Ocean Foundation on the Seahorse Hotel project in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto, providing stone wool material for innovative artificial reef structures. Rockwool won its first SailGP Grand Prix victory while serving as a partner of the Foundation.
• Fondazione Centro Velico CapreracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023The Fondazione Centro Velico Caprera is the promoter of the M.A.R.E. project and serves as the scientific partner and vessel operator for One Ocean Foundation's Mediterranean research expeditions aboard the catamaran Caprera.
• ZEITGEIST19coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZEITGEIST19 co-develops the As Above, So Below artistic project with One Ocean Foundation, an interdisciplinary initiative exploring the relationship between ocean, technology, ecology, and human perception through immersive installations. The project was presented as a Collateral Event of the 61st Biennale di Venezia.
• EU Horizon Project EFFECTIVE ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne Ocean Foundation participates in the EU Horizon EFFECTIVE project alongside the 'Penisola del Sinis – Isola di Mal di Ventre' Marine Protected Area and La Maddalena Archipelago National Park, developing local Good Environmental Status indicators and ecosystem-based management methodologies for Mediterranean MPAs.
• University of SassaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Sassari leads the scientific research for the Blue Forest project in Sardinia under Dr. Giulia Ceccherelli, providing academic rigor and PhD program funding for Posidonia oceanica restoration research.
• University of Genoa (DiSTAV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDiSTAV (Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences) at the University of Genoa provides scientific and technical support for Blue Forest restoration activities in Liguria and Portofino, including Side Scan Sonar mapping and ROV surveys.
• CNR-IAS PalermocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNR-IAS (Institute for Marine Anthropogenic Impact) in Palermo collaborates on the Seahorse Hotel project and M.A.R.E. expedition, contributing marine research expertise and monitoring capabilities.
• University of BaricoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Bari leads scientific coordination of the Seahorse Hotel project, conducting monthly monitoring through visual census and ROV surveys to assess the effectiveness of stone wool artificial structures for seahorse population recovery in the Mar Piccolo of Taranto.
• Stazione Zoologica Anton Dohrn (SZN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSZN provides scientific contribution to the Blue Forest project in Torre Guaceto, contributing expertise in seagrass restoration and participating in the National Biodiversity Future Centre (NBFC) Spoke 2 initiative.
• SailGP (Danish Team)supportingGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Danish SailGP team partners with One Ocean Foundation as a sustainability partner, presenting impact league projects and sharing experiences at events. The partnership also includes initiatives like giving sails a second life with pioneering on-water waste bags.
• Mission BluecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMission Blue designated the Caprera Canyon as a Hope Spot in 2024, supporting One Ocean Foundation's scientific efforts and advocacy for the area's protection as a Fisheries Restricted Area and marine protected area by 2030.
• Dalhousie University / CERIsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerDalhousie University's Community Eelgrass Restoration Initiative (CERI) collaborates with One Ocean Foundation on marine plant research, providing international scientific scope to the Blue Forest project's conservation approach.
• SerenDPT / H3 FactorysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerSerenDPT (Serenissima Development and Preservation Through Technology) hosts artist Antoine Bertin's residency at H3 Factory on Giudecca island in the Venetian lagoon, providing an innovation hub where scientific research, performance art, and blue economy start-ups converge.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Mission Blue / Sylvia Earle Alliance: Marine conservation network led by Dr. Sylvia Earle that designates Hope Spots (including Caprera Canyon, where One Ocean is a partner); directly comparable in marine advocacy and partnership-driven conservation, though Mission Blue is more network/advocacy and One Ocean more project delivery.
• WWF Oceans (World Wildlife Fund): Global conservation organization with a large oceans program covering marine protected areas, sustainable fisheries, and corporate partnerships; overlaps with One Ocean on Mediterranean conservation, blue economy, and corporate ESG engagement, but at significantly greater scale.
• Marine Stewardship Council (MSC): International non-profit setting standards for sustainable fishing and seafood traceability; comparable in working with corporates on ocean impact frameworks, but focuses on fisheries certification rather than conservation project delivery.

Direct peers

• Oceana: International ocean advocacy organization focused on policy and corporate accountability for marine ecosystems; comparable to One Ocean's blend of scientific assessment (OII) and corporate engagement, with a stronger policy-advocacy orientation.
• Ocean Conservancy: Large international ocean conservation nonprofit running science-based advocacy, research, and corporate partnership programs; directly comparable as a science-driven ocean NGO that engages corporates on marine impact, though operating at much greater scale and primarily US-based.
• Sea Shepherd Conservation Society: International marine conservation nonprofit running direct-action campaigns and vessel-based operations to protect marine ecosystems; comparable in marine wildlife advocacy and Mediterranean operations, with a more confrontational advocacy style.
• The Ocean Cleanup: Nonprofit developing and deploying technology to remove plastic from oceans; comparable technology-and-science-driven marine conservation model, with a sharper plastic-pollution focus and a major corporate sponsorship base.

Emerging players

• REV Ocean: Norwegian-founded ocean research foundation operating a research vessel and supporting large-scale marine science and technology initiatives; comparable to One Ocean in combining corporate funding, marine science, and impact project delivery, with greater capital backing.
• 5 Gyres Institute: Nonprofit focused on research and education around plastic pollution in oceans; directly comparable on marine plastic removal and citizen science, though smaller scale and US-centered.
• Plastic Bank: Social enterprise stopping ocean plastic through a blockchain-based collection and tokenization model; comparable to One Ocean's blockchain-for-transparency initiative with Electroneum, though Plastic Bank is commercial and globally scaled.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/OneOceanFound
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCRj5LqQYsILPT4thARV4syA
• Facebookfacebook.com/oneoceanfound
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/one-ocean-foundation
• Instagraminstagram.com/oneoceanfound

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fondazione One Ocean