Projet Startup des Océans unveils the first winners of the Amplifier program and welcomes a new partner

The Ocean Startup Project (OSP) today announced the first cohort of startups selected for funding under Amplifier, a collaborative program designed to help high-potential Canadian ocean technology companies accelerate their commercialization.

Launched this summer, Amplifier offers up to $25,000 per company to support pilot projects, customer demonstrations and technology rollouts. As part of this initial pilot program, $100,000 in funding is available to help ocean startups bridge the gap between creating innovative solutions and acquiring their first customers.

After a competitive evaluation process, the following companies were selected as Amplifier's first winners:

• Tydra Labs (British Columbia) transforms shellfish waste into biodegradable materials thanks to an original, zero-waste bioprocess.
• PhyCo Technologies (British Columbia/Prince Edward Island) develops biodegradable, non-toxic algae-based alternative bioplastics for use in agricultural films, packaging and coatings.
• Aquarius Fishing Technologies (Quebec) is developing a revolutionary technology to control the depth of fishing nets on trawlers, thereby reducing environmental impact and improving trawler efficiency.

"Commercial traction is one of the biggest hurdles facing ocean startups, and Amplifier was designed to bridge this gap," said Paula Mendonça, Executive Director of the Ocean Startup Project. "Working hand-in-hand with our partners, we're building a robust ecosystem of support that helps ocean startups move from pilot projects to commercialization, and from promising ideas to real impact."

Through Amplifier, winning startups will work with program partners to achieve crucial commercialization milestones. With the expansion of the Amplifier program, the PSO recently welcomed the Quebec-based organization 2 Degrés as a new program partner. Specializing in cleantech and the accompaniment of innovative impact startups, 2 Degrés strengthens Amplifier's reach in Quebec and opens up new opportunities for the province's oceanic startups to progress towards commercialization.

"We've been supporting the development of technological innovations in the maritime sector for many years, so it was a natural step for us to become PSO's Quebec partner for the Amplify program," says Rosalie Simard, Director - Projects and Partnerships, 2 Degrés. "We're very excited about this collaboration,

which is fully in line with our commitment to helping clean technology start-ups connect with potential industrial customers to generate initial use cases and accelerate their transition to the market

This announcement marks the latest milestone in the five-year history of the OSP's startup support program, designed to strengthen Canada's position as a global leader in ocean innovation. Through collaborative initiatives with its partners, the OSP is accelerating new pathways to revenue generation, procurement and investment for ocean startups across the country.

Find out more about Amplifier and future funding opportunities:

https://oceanstartupproject.ca/amplify

About the Ocean Startup Project

The Ocean Startup Project positions Canada as a world leader in ocean entrepreneurship by stimulating innovation in the blue economy. Our mission is to make Canada a magnet for ocean startups, from inception to international expansion. Through partnerships with Canada's Oceans Supercluster, the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency and regional organizations such as Genesis, Springboard Atlantic, PEI BioAlliance, New Brunswick Innovation Foundation (NBIF), Invest Nova Scotia, Creative Destruction Lab (CDL), the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technologies (COAST) and V1 Studio, we are strengthening Canada's ocean innovation ecosystem.

Recognized by Startup Genome as one of the top 5 gas pedals in North America and among the top 10 in the world in the blue economy sector, we accelerate the success of ocean startups and place Canada at the forefront of the global blue economy

About 2 Degrés

2 Degrés is an impact incubator dedicated to cleantech startups and innovation projects in Quebec. Through its programs, it accompanies, supports and propels cleantech startups to the pre-launch stage. Thanks to a dedicated team, a network of partners and committed collaborators, 2 Degrés has supported more than 80 innovative companies demonstrating strong potential for growth and impact since 2021.