Applications for The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021 are now closed and Winners announced!
After a thrilling 7-week campaign the results are in and we couldn't be happier. We received a total of 215 incredible applications from 45 countries.
12 shortlisted Finalists were announced on 12 October 2021, before being assessed by an expert judging panel with the Winner, Runners Up and Spotlight Award recipients revealed on the 4 November 2021.
This year, HP and OIO launched Generation Impact – a new program to find, empower and enable Australia’s young innovators who can help transform the future of ocean health.
$50,000 in cash prizes, including $40,000 for the Generation Impact Winner, HP technology and expert mentorship from HP Australia and OIO to help bring your ocean impact innovation to life.
Winners were announced on 4 November 2021.
Proudly Presented by HP Australia.
what Is The Ocean Impact Pitchfest?
The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021 was a completely virtual, global initiative to find, support and accelerate innovative solutions that can transform the health of the ocean.
With over $150,000 in cash prizes and $150,000 of additional products and support available, this year’s Pitchfest was bigger and better than ever.
Presented by Bank Australia and HP Australia, Pitchfest 2021 also included additional Spotlight Award categories for innovative solutions to key ocean challenge areas including: Sustainable Ocean Harvesting, Plastic Pollution and Climate Change.
Learn more by checking out the results of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2020 here.
Presenting THe Winners of The Ocean Impact PItchfest 2021
THE OCEAN IMPACT PITCHFEST 2021 WINNER
From Triabunna, Australia, Sea Forest is pioneering the cultivation of a natural solution to climate change. Sea Forest has developed the technology required to cultivate asparagopsis seaweed at scale, which when fed to livestock reduces methane emissions by 90%. Sea Forest's sustainable cultivation technology unlocks the capacity to reduce global emissions by up to 15%, whilst pioneering the development of a new and environmentally positive Seaweed industry for Australia.
Sam Elsom, Co-founder and CEO of Sea Forest said, “It is such a great honour for a startup like Sea Forest to be named Winner of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021. Our goal has always been to make rapid progress and meaningful impact on climate change through emissions reduction. We have a long way to go but the support provided to the company through Ocean Impact Organisation will assist in driving Sea Forest to scale its IP in science and engineering to deliver a sustainable seaweed aquaculture industry, regional employment and educational opportunities and positive environmental outcomes for Planet Ocean”.
THE OCEAN IMPACT PITCHFEST 2021 Runners Up
SAATHI
Saathi is the First Runner Up of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 2021, and is on a mission is to create hygienic products that are good for the body, community and environment in a sustainable and responsible way.
Saathi is preventing conventional plastic-based sanitary pads from entering the ocean. Conventional pads take around 600 years to degrade and contribute to the approx. 8 million tons of plastic entering the ocean each year. Saathi has developed a range of sustainable menstrual products that are made from renewable materials, such as banana fibre.
GREAT WRAP.
Great Wrap. is the Second Runner Up of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest 202, and is on a mission to put an end to petroleum based plastics. Great Wrap. manufacture compostable stretch wrap using mainly food waste.
Great Wrap. are inventing biomaterials that will allow future polymers to be marine degradable. They are working with major Australian supermarkets to make this a commercially viable option too. So far we have removed nearly 2+ million metres from landfill. They take food waste that would go to landfill and create methane and turn that into a plastic alternative.
PITCHFEST 2021 SPOTLIGHT AWARD WINNERS
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WINNER OF THE PLASTIC POLLUTION SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTED BY ZIP WATER
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WINNER OF THE HARVESTING SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTED BY AUSTRAL FISHERIES
The Sustainable Ocean Harvesting Spotlight Award presented by Austral Fisheries rewards a high quality Pitchfest 2021 submission working on an innovative solution to ocean harvesting with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network.
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WINNER OF THE CLIMATE SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTED BY OIO
The Climate Solution Spotlight Award presented by Ocean Impact Organisation’s philanthropic community rewards a high quality Pitchfest 2021 submission working on an innovative solution to climate change with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network.
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WINNER OF THE Monitoring Award Presented by Dicker Data
The Monitoring Spotlight Award presented by Dicker Data will reward a high quality Pitchfest 2021 submission working on an innovative solution to improve ocean monitoring with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network..
Shortlisted Finalists
WATCH THE PITCHFEST 2021 LAUNCH VIDEO
Winner
$50,000 cash prize
OIO Support Package worth over $50,000
Two HP Laptops
Access to key business and science mentors
OIO Communications Boost
Free membership to the OIO Virtual Startup Community
Two RUNNERS UP
$10,000 cash prize
OIO Support Package worth over $30,000 each
Two HP Laptops
Access to key business and science mentors
OIO Communications Boost
Free membership to the OIO Virtual Startup Community
NINE finalists
Share in over $50,000 worth of support from OIO and our Partner Network
OIO Communications Boost
Free membership to the OIO Virtual Startup Community
PITCHFEST 2021 SPOTLIGHT AWARDS
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PLASTIC POLLUTION SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTED BY ZIP WATER
The Plastic Pollution Solution Spotlight Award presented by Zip Water will reward a high quality Pitchfest 2021 applicant working on an innovative solution to reduce ocean plastic pollution with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network.
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HARVESTING SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTED BY AUSTRAL FISHERIES
The Sustainable Ocean Harvesting Spotlight Award presented by Austral Fisheries will reward a high quality Pitchfest 2021 submission working on an innovative solution to ocean harvesting with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network.
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CLIMATE SPOTLIGHT AWARD PRESENTED BY OIO
The Climate Solution Spotlight Award presented by Ocean Impact Organisation’s philanthropic community will reward a high quality Pitchfest 2021 submission working on an innovative solution to climate change with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network.
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Monitoring Award Presented by Dicker Data
The Monitoring Spotlight Award presented by Dicker Data will reward a high quality Pitchfest 2021 submission working on an innovative solution to improve ocean monitoring with $10,000 cash and extensive exposure through OIO and our Partner Network..
pitchfest Application Criteria
Impact
Entrants must have the potential to significantly improve ocean health through their business model.
Scaleability
Entrants must have the potential to grow rapidly.
Startup stage
Entrants are expected to have a refined business idea with some level of customer validation and annual turnover of less than $5millUSD.
Structure
Entrants must be pursuing a profit motive business model. Entry is not open to not-for-profits.
ocean impact Themes
Ocean Health
Eg. Ecosystem protection and restoration,Waste management & recycling, Circular economy, Alternative materials, Agricultural practices, Urban development, Blue financing, Sustainable tourism, Ocean sports & activities
Sustainable Ocean
Harvesting
Eg. Traditional fisheries & aquaculture, Smart fishing gear, Supply chain digitisation, Regenerative aquaculture, Aquaculture digitisation, Waste reduction, Fish feed replacements, Ocean farming, Lab grown seafood
Transport
& Security
Eg. Alternative fuels & ship design, Electrification of boats, Increased ports efficiency, Improved security & goods transparency, Container digitisation, Decarbonisation of vessels
Ocean
Energy
Eg. Harnessing renewable energy from the ocean to reduce reliance on fossil fuels. Wave energy, Tidal energy from currents or ranges, Ocean thermal energy using temperature variations to create energy, Solutions to increase the supply and demand for ocean energy
New
Frontiers
Eg. Large scale seaweed farming, Marine bio solutions and products, Marine biomimicry, Ocean exploration, Underwater robotics, IOT for oceans, Offshore renewable energy aquaculture, Floating cities
Inspiration & Leisure
Eg. Increasing ocean literacy, Virtual and augmented reality, Sustainable tourism, Ocean accessibility, Mainstream media projects, Improving impacts of sports and leisure
Judging criteria
1. Potential for impact
Your solution must have the potential to significantly improve ocean health.
2. Innovation
Your solution should be highly novel or unique.
3. Product market fit
You must demonstrate a good level of product/market fit i.e. customers need your solution and your number of customers and/or customer pipeline is growing fast.
4. Competitive advantage
Your business must be able to compete against existing competitors and fend off copycats.
5. Business plan
You must have a realistic business plan and a high likeliness of generating sustainable profits.
6. Team
You have the right balance of skills and experience to build your business.
7. A great pitch video
You must be able to clearly articulate the problem you’re working on, the size of the opportunity & potential for impact, and why you have a great chance of being successful. Extra consideration will be given to applications with an attractive video entry.
DOn’t Forget to check out THE HP Generation Impact INCUBATOR
Winners will also be announced on 4 November 2021.
$50,000 in cash prizes, including $40,000 for the Generation Impact Winner, HP technology and expert mentorship from HP Australia and OIO to help bring your ocean impact innovation to life.
Proudly Presented by HP Australia.
PITCHFEST JUDGING PANEL
Head of Oceans, WWF - Australia
Managing Director, HP Australia and New Zealand
Head of Strategy and Communications, Bank Australia
Managing Director, SWEN Blue Ocean
Principal, Investable Oceans
Prof. of Biology, UNSW; Director Ocean Impact Organisation
Founder & CEO, Circulate Capital
Ocean Advocate; Director; Board Member; Co-Convenor, Ocean Decade Australia
Founder & CEO, Planet Protector Packaging; Inaugural Winner of The Ocean Impact Pitchfest.
more information and faqS
Are you only accepting applications from Australia?
Pitchfest is open to applications from all over the world.
Are the cash prizes grants or investment?
Neither! The cash prizes are completely unencumbered prizes with no strings attached.
What are the key dates?
Applications close on Tuesday 28 September 2021, meaning both your written form and pitch video entries will need to be submitted by this time. Finalists will be announced on 12 October 2021 and the Winners and Runners Up will be announced 4 November 2021.
How does the application process work?
Applying to Pitchfest is a two step process:
STEP 1
A simple online application form.
STEP 2
Successful applications will be invited to submit an up to three minute pitch video.
OIO will contact applicants within 3 business days to inform them if they have been successful in proceeding to Step 2.
How does the judging process work?
Applicants will be notified prior to 12 Oct 2021 notifying them if they have been shortlisted as a Finalist.
Between 12 Oct and 3 Nov the Pitchfest external judging panel will assess the online applications and pitch videos of each of the Finalists and will prepare a short number of questions to ask each Finalist. Finalists will be required to submit a short video submission answering the judges questions. Judges will then use a combination of online applications, pitch videos, video answers and publicly available information to submit their votes for each Finalist.
Am I eligible to enter?
You can find the Pitchfest eligibility criteria here.
can I enter if I entered The Ocean Impact Pitchfest in a previous year?
Yes you absolutely can, and we encourage you to do so.
can not-for-profits or charities apply?
No. Applications can only be from organisations pursuing a profit motive business model.
Can I enter both Pitchfest and the HP Generation Impact Incubator?
Yes as long as you fit the eligibility criteria for both. You can find the Pitchfest eligibility criteria here and the HP Generation Impact Incubator criteria here.
What makes a great pitch video?
The stylistic approach you take to creating your pitch video is completely up to you but we have provided a number of useful resources in this document. It’s also recommended that you review the Pitchfest 2020 pitch videos here.
What's an OIO Communications Boost?
The OIO Communications Boost includes;
- coverage of your video pitch and your startup through OIO, and select partner, channels including social media, website and email, and
- an opportunity to participate in an episode of The Ocean Impact Podcast.
pitchfest Presenting Partners
Pitchfest Cash Prize Sponsors
Spotlight award sponsors
OIO Partners and Official supporters
Pitchfest Partner Network
Associations
DOn’t Forget to check out THE HP Generation Impact INCUBATOR
Winners will be announced on 4 November 2021
$50,000 in cash prizes, including $40,000 for the Generation Impact Winner, HP technology and expert mentorship from HP Australia and OIO to help bring your ocean impact innovation to life.
Proudly Presented by HP Australia.