South Florida, Tampa Bay nonprofits join blue tech accelerator program with $14M federal earmark

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Five nonprofits in Florida are joining forces with two organizations from California and Spain to support and expedite sea-focused tech and innovation with a big funding boost from the federal government.

It’s called The Continuum, and it’s launching with $13.9 million from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) Ocean Entrepreneur Accelerators program.

Sunshine State organizations engaged in the effort include the Miami-based Seaworthy Collective, Fort Lauderdale-based Ocean Exchange, Tampa Bay Wave, St. Pete Innovation District and University of South Florida (USF).

Also involved: Los Angeles-based venture advisory Braid Theory and the World Ocean Council, headquartered in Barcelona, Spain.

There are also “partner nodes” with which the organizations will work in California, New Jersey and the Chesapeake, Great Lakes and Gulf Coast areas, a press note said.

Their joint goal is to fast-track “BlueTech” innovation with an emphasis on sustainable development and economic growth, so that by 2028, hundreds of U.S. and Florida startups — energy, shipping and fishery companies among them — are industry leaders.

“NOAA is proud to support The Continuum as a partner in our mission to harness the innovation and entrepreneurship of the private sector for Ocean Enterprise,” said Carl Gouldman, Director of the NOAA’s U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System Office, in a prepared statement.

“By empowering startups to develop and commercialize groundbreaking products and services, this initiative reflects the critical role of collaboration between industry, government, and academia in pursuing the emerging opportunities presented by the growing blue economy.”

The Continuum’s launch comes less than eight months after Gov. Ron DeSantis signed legislation to create a new Office of Ocean Economy in Florida, responsible for developing and supporting research, innovation and strategies for expanding the state’s seaside industries.

Among other things, the Office will study how to help oceanic operations boost their profits while considering their environmental impacts, promote Florida as the premier destination for ocean-related economic and educational interests, and coordinate with colleges and universities on academic research.

A report on the Office’s findings is due Aug. 1, 2025.

Whether or not Florida’s Office of Ocean Economy and The Continuum collaborate remains to be seen. But Dr. Syliva Thomas, Senior Vice President for Research and Innovation at USF, believes The Continuum is a “transformative collaboration” on its own.

“The Continuum represents a pivotal moment for BlueTech innovation, bringing together a network of visionaries to tackle some of the most pressing environmental and economic challenges of our time,” she said.

U.S. Rep. Kathy Castor said in a prepared statement that she is “thrilled” to see more federal funding go toward helping coastal communities prepare for and shore up their defenses against “escalating environmental impacts.”

“As recent hurricanes demonstrated,” she said, “communities across the Tampa Bay area must be better prepared for and adapt to costly and extreme events.”