The Continuum Awards $1.2 Million in NOAA-Backed TDC Funding to 14 Ocean Enterprise Startups
Los Angeles, CA — Braid Theory, a venture advisory and accelerator supporting science- and engineering-led companies in the sustainable blue economy, today announced the award of $1.2 million in non-dilutive funding via the Technology Development and Commercialization (TDC) awards to 14 ocean enterprise startups. Through The Continuum Ocean Enterprise Accelerator, a $13.9 million backed initiative by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), these non-dilutive awards will accelerate commercialization, support pilot deployments, and advance technologies strengthening U.S. ocean enterprise initiatives.
The funding is delivered through The Continuum, a national network of ocean enterprise accelerators established to bring ocean intelligence, data, and marine technology innovations to market. Braid Theory is one of seven Continuum partners, alongside Tampa Bay Wave, Seaworthy Collective, Ocean Exchange, St. Pete Innovation District, University of South Florida, and the World Ocean Council.
Through The Continuum, Braid Theory runs the Ocean Enterprise Accelerator and Commercialization Prep Program, where founders receive hands-on support in customer discovery, go-to-market strategy, and commercialization strategies. Companies that successfully complete the program and prove commercial viability are then selected for TDC awards to advance commercialization milestones.
The Technology Development and Commercialization (TDC) awards are designed to bridge the gap between technology validation and market adoption. Awardees will use the funding to support activities such as pilot projects, ocean data validation, customer discovery, and partnerships with commercial end-users across sectors including offshore energy, coastal management, marine carbon, water quality, aquaculture, ports, and shipping.
“NOAA’s Ocean Enterprise program is building the backbone of the future blue economy, and these companies are delivering the data, platforms, and infrastructure that will power it,” said Ann Carpenter, CEO of Braid Theory. “This $1.2 million in TDC funding enables founders to scale into real-world deployment, helping ensure that ocean innovation translates into lasting commercial and societal impact.”
The fourteen companies receiving TDC funding include:
Actea, Inc. — AI-powered decision-making using ocean data
Bluesonde Technologies — Scalable, real-time water quality sensing
Clean Earth Rovers — Coastal monitoring using IoT and autonomous vessels
Coral X Foundation — AI-enabled coral reef preservation and reporting
Dottir Labs — Raman spectroscopy for real-time ocean monitoring
Fleet Robotics — Autonomous climbing robots for hull maintenance and inspection
Hawaii Ocean Power Solutions — Wave-powered data collection and ROVs
HydrokinetX — Regenerative-power ocean monitoring buoys
NeuralX — AI-enabled aquaculture productivity insights
Oceanfarmr — Capital enablement for sustainable oyster farming
Robobuoy — Autonomous buoy platform for water safety and monitoring
SeaWARRDD Technologies— AI-enabled ocean monitoring systems
Tampa Deep Sea Xplorers — Unmanned underwater vehicles
Tini Scientific — Hyperlocal ocean forecasting from crowdsourced data
Applications for the upcoming Ocean Enterprise Accelerator are live and due March 3rd. See application information below: https://www.f6s.com/ocean-enterprise-accelerator-2026