The world needs more new business opportunities from the sea. Are you a sea hero we can help?

What is FutureSea?

FutureSea is a gathering-based program for growth companies and spin-outs from established businesses where the purpose is to promote new innovative sea-based ideas.

Through a collection-based programme, we will help the companies grow in the market. FutureSea will give them a unique opportunity to gain access to relevant resources and key people and give them extra momentum.

We are looking for innovative companies with growth potential and with global ambitions that operate within the ocean-related sectors such as; automation, IoT, sensors and high-value products from marine raw materials.

Meet the FutureSea expert panel

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Andreas Fasting Østern
Head of Energy Transition Solutions at DNB Ocean Industries. Andreas has more than 20 years of experience from the maritime, energy and renewable sectors. He is a seasoned strategist with an international leadership background and a deep understanding of innovation in the ocean industries.
Kathrine
Kathrine Myhre
Director at the Norwegian Industrial Property Office and Deputy Chairman of the Norwegian Export Council. Kathrine has extensive experience in innovation, business and export strategy, public and private financing, as well as establishing and scaling companies.
Ragnhild Dragøy
Ragnhild Dragøy
VP product management and sustainability, Aker BioMarine. Ragnhild has worked in the entire value chain of innovation with a focus on food, feed and health applications. She uses her experience from research, funding and commercial entities to evaluate the scalability and commercial attractiveness of a new business or new idea.
Kelly Moulton
Kelly Moulton
Software entrepreneur. Kelly is American, but has been living in Bergen since 2007. He helps entrepreneurs raise VC funding (recently €7.2m for Evoy). Today he works with GreenPowerHub and BlueNav. Recently he was appointed advisor to National Grid Partners.
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Inge André Sandvik
CTO, Vesterålen Havbruk. Former Chief Product Officer at HUB Ocean, Chief Digital Officer at Wilhelmsen. Background as an entrepreneur and CEO in venture capital backed technology startups with global focus. Worked in Opera Software, HP, PwC and Telenor.
Stine Svanevik
Stine Svanevik
CEO Olaisen Blue. Through Olaisen Blue, Stine works to make Norwegian aquaculture more sustainable. She does this by giving entrepreneurs access to the necessary knowledge and networks rooted in the local industry, proximity to the sea and test facilities.
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Peter Lindström
Head of Research, Torvald Klaveness. Peter has built up the research function in Klaveness from scratch. The research team creates value by combining in-depth domain knowledge with state-of-the-art data analysis and data science skills.
NEW VENTURE: Morten Lind-Olsen and Dualog are investing in developing programmes for the tourist fishing industry to improve catch reporting and safety. PHOTO: Torje Dønnestad JohansenLNNR: 3920230209065914002Nordlys horizontal DPI_300x300 Morten and co on growth in n NLY_Fra Nett Edda Media × 20230209 × NLY_Fra Nett × 0 × Version2 × × × × 2015-1sr3_4080 × Nordlys_upub_billeder_595784624
Morten Lind-Olsen
CEO Dualog. Dualog is a Tromsø-based IT company that has grown from a clever research-based product idea about resource management at sea, to now being a global player offering solutions to the world's leading shipping companies as well as Norwegian fishing vessels of all sizes.
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Ola Smeby
Investment Director at Investinor. Ola has previously been Investment Director at Innovation Norway and Investment Manager at Energy Future Invest. At Investinor, he focuses primarily on investments in venture funds. As a venture investor, you are in it "for the long run", let's do it together, then it will be a "home run" faster.
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Audun Wickstrand Iversen
Portfolio manager for DNB Disruptive Opportunities and DNB FutureSea Waves. Audun analyses and invests in companies that change your world and mine. In that sense, he thinks more about what happens in 2030 than what happens tomorrow.

About the program

We strongly believe in networking meetings, sharing experience and practical guidance. We bring in funding partners, industry partners, academic partners and key people for mentoring, networking, feedback, lectures and workshops.

  • We will select a total of 6 start-up companies and new innovative business ideas in established business, all of which have ambitions and potential for growth. They will have the sea as a common denominator and come from different parts of the country
  • FutureSea is a collection-based program with 6 physical collections over 1 year. The collections will be in Tromsø, Oslo and a collection abroad
  • In addition to thematic gatherings with exciting presenters and experts, between the gatherings you get follow-up from advisers, mentors and personal coaching. We will not only help strengthen your business idea, but also make your team stronger and ready for growth. Here we make use of our national and international contact network and adapt the guidance to the company's needs

We are looking for

  • Companies where the sea creates new business opportunities
  • Innovative companies with growth potential and global ambitions
  • Primarily marine-related companies within the sectors of automation, IoT, sensors, high-value products from marine raw materials
  • The companies should ideally have launched their product, or have plans to launch during 2023
  • Dedicated team of minimum 2 people who are receptive to being challenged

Criteria

  • Start-up companies admitted to the program must have funding for at least 12 months of operation
  • The companies' plans must contribute to fulfilling one or more of the UN's sustainability goals
  • The companies must be registered in Norway
  • The companies must qualify for the program through an application and selection process

Read this before applying:

Application deadline

  • The deadline to apply for this program was 26.02.2023

Criteria

  • The company must be capitalized to operate for a minimum of one year and be registered in Norway
  • Applications are registered in CrowdWorks. Upload your pitch, including your team, sustainability goals and a slide on your motivation to participate in the program

Participation fee

  • NOK 20,000 per company, this does not include travel and accommodation.

Physical lunch-to-lunch gatherings

2023 / 2024

Growth
Ready, Set, Grow
Session 1 | May 8 - 9, 2023
Tromsø
Growth
Group 27
A sustainable plan for the future
Session 2 | August 29 - 30, 2023
Tromsø
Group 27
Money
Capital in various forms
Session 3 | October 10 - 11, 2023
Oslo
Money
Group 22
Rigged for growth
Session 4 | November 21 - 22, 2024 Tromsø
Group 22
Group 19
Market and internationalisation
Session 5 | Week 3 January 2024
TBA
Group 19
Startup
Ready for take off
Session 6 | March 12 - 13, 2024
Tromsø
Startup
Do you want more information about the program?


Consult:
Line Kjelstrup
Program Manager, Norinnova line.kjelstrup@ norinnova .no

Martine Guttormsen
Senior Business Developer, DNB
martine.guttormsen@dnb.no

"Everything is in place for Northern Norway to take an international leadership role in developing the marine industry for the future. DNB is proud to collaborate with Norinnova to continue the investment in sea-based industries. This will contribute to value creation and jobs. We must challenge each other to find the best solutions.”

Kjerstin Braathen, CEO DNB

Participation fee
 NOK 20,000 per company.
The companies cover their own travel and accommodation at the gatherings.

Enrollment requires registration.

Search here

FutureSea is provided by:

norinnova logo. Icon.

Norinnova is one of Northern Norway's most competent and experienced competence environments within the commercialization of research. We connect researchers, start-up environments, companies and commercial actors to develop and utilize the innovation power in the region. By developing new and innovative workplaces, we contribute to creating the business world of the future.

DNB logo

For more than 100 years, DNB has been the bank for the maritime industries. We are proud of our industrial expertise, and are advisers to companies internationally and along the entire coastline of Norway. We at DNB will help contribute to the sustainable development of the entire marine industry, so that future generations can also make a good living from the sea. We will invest in and lend money to companies that are future-oriented and that represent a sustainable perspective.

With support from:

Innovation Norway
Troms and Finnmark County Council

The platform that connects ideas and capital

The platform used for registering applications is provided by CrowdWorks, who are responsible for handling data in the solution.

read more here