Hatch Blue announces evolution in accelerator model for startups in aquaculture, alternative seafood, and the blue economy.

KAILUA-KONA, HAWAII, UNITED STATES, April 9, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Hatch Blue has announced the call for applications for the Crest Program. This program is an evolution of its global accelerator and will accept startups with innovations in aquaculture, alternative seafood, marine biotech, and blue carbon.

“We felt that the existing accelerator model of 20 years was outdated and required innovation in itself. As an organization we have also vastly expanded our capabilities and insights, and as such have designed the program to deliver this curated value to companies,” explained Wayne Murphy, Co-Founder and Partner at Hatch Blue.

The Hatch Blue Crest Program delivers concrete outputs for aquaculture startups while building on the benefits of previous programs including industry visits to Hawai’i, Norway, Singapore, and Vietnam. By participating in the program, each company receives an in-depth Market & Competitor Study, a Marketing & Branding Strategy, a Life Cycle Assessment, and an Intellectual Property Strategy. These are business-ready assets that any founder requires to accelerate the growth of their company.

The program also retains its core offering of exposure to Hatch Blue’s global network of investors, industry representatives, farmers, and first adopters. Similarly, the Hatch Blue team and their industry experts will continue to provide input on the go-to-market and fundraising strategy.

“A key feature of our programs is the on-the-ground trips for companies to learn about the industry and develop business relationships. However, we live in a different world post-COVID and it might not always be conducive for CEOs to be away for several weeks on end. With this in mind, we built a more flexible, hybrid program schedule”, added Benedict Tan, Program Director at Hatch Blue.

After the on-site workshop, companies can decide to attend the industry trips to Norway and Southeast Asia when it suits them best. There is an 18-month window for the company to attend these industry trips with a minimum one month notice period.

“This next generation program places Hatch Blue strengths at the core of the program. We are looking for companies who can benefit and thrive while leveraging our program. Our standard investment offering means the investment team can focus on delivering value to the companies throughout the program while assessing the direction of follow-on funding opportunities,” Caitriona Kelleher, Managing Director of Early Stage Investments, Hatch Blue.

Hatch Blue will invest US$75,000 in each successful applicant of Crest, with a possibility of follow-on investments from its funds. The combination of the investment and the exposure to Hatch Blue’s large network of mentors has catalyzed the growth of companies in previous cohorts with more than US$150M in follow-on funding raised by its portfolio to-date.

As Aristobulo Loaiza, CEO and Co-Founder of HEDROS Bio – who took part in the 2023 program – commented: “Get ready to learn a lot. And, get ready to be open-minded about all the possibilities that are out there. I came in here with a very narrow scope - and I know the industry. Being with Hatch has really opened horizons for me and made me aware of needs that I was not aware of before, partners that I didn’t know existed, and new industries, new countries, new cultures.”

Applications are accepted on a rolling basis with limited positions on each on-site workshop and industry trip.

Benedict Tan
Hatch Blue
benedict@hatch.blue
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