Ocean Ecostructure: promoting biodiversity with BlueInvest

Ocean Ecostructure’s smart panels offer a habitat for many species. Copyright: Ocean Ecostructure

Ocean Ecostructure, a Spanish company from Barcelona, is addressing pressing environmental challenges related to the loss of biomass and biodiversity.

The company creates panels that facilitate marine life growth, creating micro-reefs and enhancing biodiversity in ports, on oil platforms, and other offshore structures.

Their participation in the BlueInvest Readiness Assistance Programme in 2023 has helped them to grow.

Ignasi Ferrer, Co-Founder of Ocean Ecostructure, states: "We are very grateful for the invaluable coaching provided by BlueInvest, which proved instrumental in closing our inaugural round of investments."

Smart panels that promote biodiversity

Ocean Ecostructure's innovation is threefold and comprehensive:

a calcium carbonate-based panel
a robotic data gathering element, and
a commitment to social engagement as the data is publicly accessible.

This ensures not only the creation of artificial marine habitats but also the accessibility of crucial data to the public for informed conservation efforts.

Ignasi Ferrer, Co-Founder of Ocean Ecostructure: “It is fascinating to see how you only need to give the ocean an opportunity and then it multiplies it.”

Ocean Ecostructure's innovative technology is inspired by biomimicry, replicating the surfaces where marine organisms naturally attach and thrive, such as coral reefs and rocky shores. By emulating these natural habitats, the panels encourage the settlement and growth of marine species, promoting biodiversity and biomass creation.

Each live posting unit is uniquely coded and geolocalised, allowing for precise monitoring. These panels collect a diverse range of data, including CO2 levels, oxygen levels, acidity, levels of chlorophyll, and water temperature.

This data is stored in the cloud and accessible via a platform called iOceans. This enables customers to monitor the evolution of marine environments over time. Predictive models offer insights into future trends, empowering proactive decision-making.

Moreover, the data is made accessible to the public through Ocean Ecostructure's app, fostering transparency and social engagement in marine conservation efforts.

Ocean Ecostructure's smart panels offer the users a wide range of data, accessible through their website and app.
Copyright: Ocean Ecostructure

From ports to the deep sea

Initially targeting ports, marinas, offshore wind, and oil platforms, Ocean Ecostructure's market has expanded rapidly. The company's innovative approach has garnered attention, leading to significant market growth projections, estimated at €5 million by 2026.

Ocean Ecostructure plans to scale their operations and product offerings.

Currently, they are deploying 150 units, with 700 in the pipeline with new worldwide clients.

With ongoing R&D efforts, they are developing new products targeting further market diversification and growth. For 2025, they are planning on launching new coastal protection systems and deep seabed solutions.

BlueInvest in action

BlueInvest has been crucial for Ocean Ecostructure's journey. Their participation in the Readiness Assistance Programme in 2023 served as a cornerstone. It provided them invaluable guidance, opening doors to prestigious affiliations with entities like the Spanish Port Authorities, Norrsken, and Repsol Foundation. These partnerships not only enhanced the company’s profile but also expanded their operational horizons.

With a seed investment round of 1.6 million successfully secured by year-end, the company attributes much of this achievement to the insights garnered from BlueInvest.

About BlueInvest

BlueInvest is an EU initiative that aims to boost innovation and investment in sustainable technologies for the blue economy. It offers assistance to access financing for early-stage businesses, SMEs and scale-ups. BlueInvest is enabled by the European Maritime and Fisheries Fund.

BlueInvest Readiness Assistance is an exclusive coaching programme. It targets high potential EU startups and SMEs with innovative and sustainable products and solutions for the blue economy. Businesses and projects selected for investment readiness assistance will receive coaching packages tailored to their readiness levels and business objectives. The programme is impact-driven, with a clear focus on providing business support to help startups and SMEs build capacities for growth and attract investment.

More mature SMEs can also apply to the BlueInvest fundraising assistance, that aims to support equity round closures through coaching.

For any questions, reach out to us at lu-blueinvestpwc [dot] lu (lu-blueinvest[at]pwc[dot]lu).