Description
MOANA’s (Maritime, Ocean Angel Network Alliance) goal, is to ensure a smooth transition for fundraising in the deeptech, bluetech, oceantech and climatetech landscape. Our goal is to push new investment opportunities to our investor network. Braid Theory has launched this MOANA investor network which will plug the gaps in funding from angel to seed in oceans and maritime.
To this end, the MOANA will drive dealflow to interested investors looking to find both greenfield and blue sky opportunities. Our goal is to drive ROI, and to make an environmental impact.
Investors in this network should be interested in advancing the interests of ocean, marine and maritime related technologies. Our network has an interest in scaling startups through smaller investments, particularly through the applicants in the Braid Theory cohorts, programs, and deal flow.
The MOANA network is an alliance of investors that have an interest in commercialization of ocean technology, and its adjacencies (cleantech, biotech, agriculture, energy, water, life sciences, software and AI, chemistry and materials, food supply, logistics and shipping). Applicants to the network should have, although not essential, some experience in investing in several of the aforementioned areas and be an active investor.
Braid Theory’s unique pedagogy focuses on strong defensible IP, well validated technology, and robust business models. Braid Theory’s focus is on commercialization pathways by building capability, capacity and capital (both intellectual capital and deployment of working capital) that drives innovation and compresses the pathway to market demand.
Current Status of the Blue Economy:
Bluetech investment has exploded in the last 5-7 years, with growth from 2015-2020 at 450% year-on-year. Governments and technology clusters around the world are now finalizing their Blue Economy strategies, and this may lead to an increase in permitting, unfair advantage, and sources of grants and non dilutive capital outlays, which will enhance capital investment intensity.
About Us:
Our Pedagogy:
Braid Theory is a vertically integrated venture advisory, which specializes in the commercialization of early-stage science and engineering-led startups, and enabling technologies, in the ocean, marine and maritime space, and its adjacencies.
Our focus is on building strong startups through our intensive syllabus based programming, building a strong foundation in a startup’s data room, de-risking through pilots or customer validation, supplementing investment capital with project based non-dilutive funding, our deep domain expertise and extensive contacts in the sectors (ocean, maritime, energy, climate, and cleantech).
We assist companies with events, a unique incubator space, extensive connections and contacts across multiple ecosystems. Our domain expertise in finding use-cases and business models that will fit the startups
We are cross- and multi-disciplinary, therefore the industry sectors we cover will be broad.
Our Partnerships:
We have developed partnerships in a variety of industries, and with government and research institutions, including NREL, NOAA, PNNL, USDA, dozens of Ports, and more. A full scope of our partnerships is available online at our website.
Our Dealflow:
Braid Theory routinely sees between 60-100 startups per year across all of our programs, including Ocean Exchange, our Federal Government partnerships, our Canadian Cohorts, and our own Accelerator programs, Celsius, LABlue, and Blue+. The top of our funnel is in excess of 1000+ startups.
Our Success:
Since Braid Theory’s establishment in 2016, we have seen companies like our early alumni, Comfreight, Basepaws, and FredSense go from early-stage startups with a small amount of friends and family funding, to mergers, exits, and high growth partnerships with large players in the consumer, logistics, and biotech spaces.
At least 20 of our companies have received funding upon completion of our programming, and several more are currently in discussions. We have helped train and coach finalists and winners of the Ocean Exchange awards, $700,000 to date. Many of our teams have received SBIR funding.
