Beyond Blue Accelerator

pH3 Capital Ventures

Ocean of Opportunity

The global blue economy is estimated widely to be worth in excess of $5t by 2030, more than doubling in size from now. The ports and maritime sector sits at the nexus of the blue and green economies, and this sector alone contributes over £116bn to the UK economy facilitating over 95% of the UK’s international trade and 90% of trade globally.

Our accelerator taps into this blue and green tech growth opportunity being driven by a sector rapidly shifting to modernise legacy operations through innovation, digital transformation and developing more sustainable products, services, infrastructure and tech solutions which are less carbon intensive.

“The UK’s first blue-green accelerator focused on developing technology and circular economy solutions for the Ports and Maritime sector”

Accelerating the Innovation Ecosystem

Our accelerator presents a pioneering approach to developing an innovation ecosystem within the UK blue green economy. We draw on our experience to support our startups with commercialisation, strategic and operational support in a live customer (port) setting and through direct investment.

At Beyond Blue, our startups receive equity investment on Day 1 and a place on a twelve-month scale-up programme. The first three months of the accelerator is more intensive and cohort based (including some one-to-one sessions) to embed business and investment readiness fundamentals tailored to the blue green economy. There is also emphasis on coaching and skills to support the team and build a culture that encourages ongoing innovation and learning. It doesn’t stop there as we recognise that most startups still need dedicated one-on-one commercialisation support undertaken at their own pace as well as tailored guidance on their fundraising plan (including pitch documentation and preparation). Accordingly, our accelerator is designed to provide continuous support over a twelve month period to ensure all of our startups are fully investment ready and supported through the critical fund raising period.

We understand the challenges of raising funding in a fragmented sector which has been largely overlooked for early stage investment – few investors have the expertise to understand the risks and see the opportunities as we do. We’ve been on the journey with many innovators bringing first-of-kind technologies and capital-intensive deep tech solutions to market, requiring that they successfully cross several chasms (or “valleys of death”) from bench/lab scale to pilot to demonstrator stage to full commercial scale to market expansion and eventual exit.

We leverage our experience to minimise the development risks that are inherent in new technologies and emerging markets and create additional value by providing funding through our Beyond Blue EIS Fund. We seek to not only fill the existing funding gap with more patient capital but to build a dedicated ecosystem that can support ventures operating within the blue green economy at each stage of their development path.

Beyond Blue: Funding the Innovation Ecosystem

Our Sectors include (not limited to):

Ocean energy
Marine biotech
Aquaculture and fisheries
Ocean intelligence
Ports infrastructure and services
Waste recycling and circular economy
Green ship building
Green fuels
Coastal protection
Marine coastal tourism

Live Customer Environment at Shoreham Port

Our accelerator is delivered in a hybrid format with a mix of online sessions and in-person sessions at Shoreham Port, located on the South Coast of the UK close to Brighton. Shoreham Port is one of the largest cargo-handling Trust ports on the South Coast. Our partnership with Shoreham Port (www.shoreham-port.co.uk) has lots of advantages for our startups including access to engineering and commercial experts at the port to share their experience and advice as well as providing a potential partner for live trials of our startups’ innovations.

As a Trust Port that has operated for the benefit of the local community for 260 years, Shoreham Port is aligned with our own values that recognise that sustainable communities are critical to creating a net zero future, and we see technology and investment as key enablers to advance inclusive sustainable growth. We also recognise the port’s strengths as a leading EcoPort and champion of sustainability as well its track record of prioritising diversity in its everyday operations in line with the strategic priorities of Maritime UK.

Triple Wave Programme

All of our successful startups join our Triple Wave Programme. The first three months of the accelerator provide the relevant skills, training and mentoring including hands-on support of the port itself. Start-ups continue to be supported over the next 9 months to ensure they are investment ready with the aim of gaining seed funding through our pioneering Beyond Blue EIS fund once established.

Key Programme Features

Hybrid delivery (1st wave): based online and live at Shoreham Port for first 3 months
Weekly workshops (1st wave): strategy and competitor analysis, value proposition, business model development, customer acquisition, routes to market, partnerships and networks, continuous innovation, and financial planning
Advisory Support (1st wave): Mentors, sector and subject experts, and 1-1 & group coaching
Commercialisation and Scaling (2nd wave): Developing a go-to market and growth plan, and an ESG strategy implementation plan
Fund-raising (3rd wave): Creating a fund-raising plan for each venture, pitch deck development and perfecting your pitch
Upfront equity investment (upon accelerator start) through our Beyond Blue EIS Fund

Our Strategic Partners

Application form

If you would like to contact us about the Beyond Blue Accelerator, please send an email to info@ph3.co.uk. For a copy of our flyer, please click here.

Please use the button below to start your application.

Ideal Startup Profile

a UK-based company addressing a blue green economy challenge
you have a lab-validated solution (TRL 4/5) or minimum viable product or service
diverse and values-led management team
you will be able to demonstrate a path to profitability
willingness to support community partnerships within the Coast to Capital region (www.c2cbusiness.org.uk)
willingness to benefit from a work placement for a 16-24 year old in area local to port which will be fully-funded by the accelerator to help promote
the next generation of blue green economy entrepreneurs
SEIS or EIS eligibility
consideration of future exit plan

Applications

Live

Short-listing

June 2023 onwards

Final interviews

August/September 2023

Application form

The Beyond Blue Accelerator and Beyond Blue EIS Fund will be delivered and managed by pH3 Capital Ventures, a collaboration between pH3 Capital and Prime Advantage Capital Partners (www.pa-capitalpartners.com).

We bring together a unique mix of multi-disciplinary skills and cross-industry expertise in commercialising green tech, business model innovation, advising and growing companies from the shop floor through to international expansion and eventual exit, helping founders and their management teams to accelerate the time for reaching critical milestones and gaining customer traction during the most vulnerable stage in a tech company’s lifecycle. Our approach prioritises open and robust challenge, cross-fertilisation of ideas and approaches, deep collaboration and positive environmental and social impact.

FAQ

How many startups will be selected for the programme?

We are targeting 12 startups to join our accelerator programme.

Do I need a team to apply?

No, but ideally you would have at least one other co-founder or at least one other key team member who is committed to the company on a full-time basis.

What is your position on diversity?

We support Maritime UK’s five focus priorities in its Maritime 2050 plan including to promote a fair, equal and inclusive UK maritime industry that embraces diversity and is open and welcoming for all within it to achieve their potential. We do see diverse teams driving better overall performance and investors increasingly caring about this aspect of sustainability so we encourage ventures to adopt a strong DEI policy.

I am not based in the UK can I still apply?

We expect you to be a UK incorporated company or to have a permanent establishment in the UK to be eligible to qualify for SEIS and EIS.

Do we need to relocate our business to Shoreham?

No, we anticipate and encourage companies to apply from all over the UK.

What commitment as a founder do I need to make to the programme?

The programme will involve a weekly commitment of two workshops/meetings or 3-4 hours in total on average with most of these delivered online. In addition, participants will be expected to attend a full day monthly at Shoreham Port where we will run live workshops, events and seminars as well as monthly networking events with our Strategic Partners in London.

What is the equity investment amount?

We provide an initial £150,000 equity investment in return for a fixed share percentage of your equity. This will be paid net of fees for the accelerator.

Whilst we can’t guarantee to get your next funding round closed following graduation from our programme our success is anchored to your success as we will be seeking to deploy the funding raised through our Beyond Blue EIS Fund, which is being raised specifically to invest in the cohort ventures we select and get behind.

What do I gain from this programme?

Startups are provided with equity investment and a funded place on the accelerator with further extended and tailored support to enable them to commercialise and grow their business sufficiently to raise seed funding with the best ventures funded via our own EIS fund.

I’ve attended other accelerators and/or already have customers – is the programme still right for me?

Our focus is on helping our selected startups to develop and grow their business and customer base. Our business curriculum supports the development of new and existing business skills while our programme further provides individualised support for the management team to develop the people and culture needed to thrive and grow. Our programme therefore works for all pre-A round ventures who want to be supported with the relevant tools, coaching and mentors to commercialise and scale.