Blue bioeconomy The blue bioeconomy is emerging as a practical engine of economic resilience, converting renewable aquatic resources into higher-value products spanning pharmaceuticals, nutraceuticals, biomaterials and bioenergy.69 National strategies are already leaning into this potential; for example, Canada’s ambition to grow its ocean economy fivefold to $220 billion by 2035, and subsectors such as macroalgae cultivation are increasingly framed as major growth frontiers, with the global seaweed industry expected to generate $28 billion annually by 2050.70 In the EU, the sector already supports 4.45 million jobs, with efforts focused on developing higher- value local value chains rather than commodity dependence.71,72,73,74 A parallel shift towards a circular bioeconomy is also taking place.75 Tidal Vision, a start-up that upcycles crustacean shell by-products into chitosan-based materials used in industrial applications, including water-related uses, recently completed a $140 million Series B investment round demonstrating how circular marine feedstocks can underpin commercially viable, high-margin bio-based chemistry platforms. Ocean-based energy Ocean-based energy – especially tidal stream, wave and longer-horizon options such as ocean thermal energy conversion (OTEC) – remains earlier-stage than offshore wind, but it offers a distinct strategic value: predictable generation profiles in some resources (notably tidal), relevance for islands and remote coastal grids, and the potential to integrate into hybrid offshore systems that share infrastructure and grid connections. Cumulative early-stage enterprise value of emerging ocean opportunities FIGURE 5 2010 2022 2023 2024 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021 2025Seed, early and late growth ventures (excluding mature companies) Blue bioeconomy Ocean-based energy Pollution-mitigating technology Restoration and nature markets$0b$3b$6b$9b$12b$15b$18b$21b$24b$27b$30b Methodology: Cumulative enterprise value of 944 seed, early and late growth ventures across four emerging ocean opportunity areas, 2010–2025 (excluding mature companies). Categories were defined using Dealroom.co’s tagging taxonomy, with each venture assigned to a single primary opportunity area to avoid double-counting. Values reflect only ventures with Dealroom-reported valuations. Total enterprise value across these opportunity areas is therefore likely higher Source: Data from Dealroom.co and 1000 Ocean Startups. The Ocean Economy Imperative: Defining Value, Managing Risk and Mobilizing Investment 13

Ocean Economy Imperative 2026