On 11 and 12 November, during the Maritime Blue Growth (MBG’25) conference, Blue Ocean Leading Drivers (Bold) organised two meetings with start-ups in the maritime sector. The meeting was sponsored by the Cádiz Provincial Council, the Regional Government of Andalusia (Department of Agriculture, Fisheries, Water and Rural Development) and Cádiz City Council.
On the 11th, the presentations focused on business development. Three international startups that have experienced considerable business growth shared their experiences and latest projects. The session was moderated by Javier Llompart Burgos from Bold.
Bernardino Couñago, from Bluenewables, presented his company’s new spin-off, Ocean Fotovoltaics. This spin-off is responsible for the PV-bos project, for which a demonstrator is being built in the port of Valencia. PV-bos technology is an innovative solution that will provide the market with a structure capable of offering a competitive marine photovoltaic solution. Its simplicity is key to ensuring a reduction in LCOE (Levelised Cost of Energy). In addition, an increase in energy production is expected thanks to improved cooling and reflection of marine light, together with the new generation of bifacial solar panels.
Juan Herrero Valero spoke about Hyarks, a pioneering offshore wind service provider founded in July 2023 and based in the vibrant city of Kaohsiung, Taiwan. They are committed to driving the growth of the offshore wind industry worldwide by facilitating the development of offshore wind farms through customisable solutions.
Iñigo Palomo Inchausti, from Titanium Tech, provides a solution to prevent the accumulation of unwanted microorganisms, plants, algae and small animals that leaves no ecological footprint. They offer clean technology against unwanted biological fouling over time that reduces maintenance costs, without the need for biocides, chemical dosing or any other solution that currently causes damage to the environment.
On the 12th, the event was dedicated to the Start-up Competition. During the competition, six proposals with very different applications gave a five-minute pitch and then, for another five minutes, answered questions from the audience and the jury.
The jury was composed of Emilio Costoso (Wiresa), Íñigo Arbulu (Arbulu Group) and Público Beltrán (TSI); Jesús Querol (BOld) acted as secretary and Belén García (Bold) presented the startups and kept track of the time.
The six companies that competed were as follows:
On behalf of In-sail, Mercedes García Martearena pitched this startup, which proposes the use of sailing catamarans for passenger transport in the Canary Islands. These are a new generation of vessels powered mainly by automated wind energy, combined with hybrid systems and circular economy principles.
Redget.io, presented by Danail Marinov, offers a software solution to facilitate compliance by port facilities in terms of greenhouse gas emissions.
Isabel Muñoz García presented Laser Maintenance Solutions. The company uses lasers to clean rust from various metals, highlighting that this application can be carried out on site, regardless of the size of the parts to be treated.
David Pinto Fernández pitched EONSEA. The start-up provides inspection, monitoring, and data processing services. Its operations integrate ROV, vision and artificial intelligence, facilitating the early detection of anomalies in submerged infrastructure. They provide a safe solution with lower operating costs than the use of divers.
David Rodés, from Ocean Ecostructures, presented the work they are doing to combat the loss of marine biodiversity with their multi-technology solutions that regenerate, restore and protect the ocean. They combine state-of-the-art micro-reefs with advanced monitoring and results analysis systems.
Siverus, through Juan Felipe Cifuentes Sierra, presented a safety solution for personnel, with IoT devices that adapt to traditional PPE (helmets, gloves, vests, boots, etc.), transforming them into smart devices with advanced functionalities aimed at real-time occupational safety.
Due to the quality of the proposals presented, the jury’s decision was very close, and at the Afterwork event it was announced that the winning start-up was Laser Maintenance Solutions.
Blue Ocean leading drivers (BOld) leads the creation of market-oriented ecosystems with the active participation of large companies, innovative SMEs, disruptive technology startups and investors, all aligned with the creation of large-scale sustainable business models in areas such as biofuels, hydrogen, artificial intelligence and others.
