We are proud to share SWEN Blue Ocean’s 2025 impact report, reflecting on a pivotal year for the fund. Following the close of our investment period, our focus shifted from capital deployment to impact delivery — deepening our work with portfolio companies to drive lasting change. This year also brought an important moment of validation, demonstrating that impact and financial performance can go hand in hand, while our continued engagement with the broader ocean innovation ecosystem reinforced the collective momentum building around ocean regeneration. We are pleased to share this journey with you.
In 2025, we focused on three priorities:
- Deepening impact within our portfolio
- Demonstrating impact and value creation through exits
- Strengthening the ocean impact innovation ecosystem
Following the close of the Blue Ocean fund’s investment period early 2025, our emphasis shifted from capital deployment to impact delivery. We worked with portfolio companies to refine their impact strategies and embed the processes, KPIs, and governance required for effective execution. For instance, our collaboration with WSense strengthened its product development methodology, ensuring alignment with its mission to give the ocean a voice.
Last year also marked an important moment of validation. Our exit from OptoScale, crystallized both impact and financial performance. OptoScale’s technology tremendously improves economic feed conversion ratios (eFCR), reducing reliance on wildcaught fish for aquafeed while lowering feed costs—the main operating expense in aquaculture.
The exit achieved strong financial return, validating market confidence that the technology is on a path towards adoption in 100% of salmon farms, and potentially more species. This outcome exemplifies our investment strategy: backing innovations capable of driving systemic change across industries such as aquaculture, plastics, and shipping.
In parallel, we continued to support the broader ecosystem. We served at the Ocean Impact Navigator Advisory Board, advancing a shared impact measurement framework, and supported 1000 Ocean Startups at the UN Ocean Conference in Nice, highlighting accelerating sector momentum.
In a world marked by geopolitical shifts and rapid technological change, the ocean remains a unifying force— sustaining life by providing oxygen, food, and climate regulation. We remain firmly committed to advancing innovation as a driver of ocean regeneration. We look forward to continuing this journey with you and hope you enjoy reading this report!