Pre-Seed Water & Oceans Funders

Ashoka is one of the world’s leading organizations supporting social entrepreneurs. Founded in 1980, Ashoka pioneered the concept of social entrepreneurship and has built a global network of changemakers working to solve some of the world’s most pressing challenges. Through its flagship Ashoka Fellows program, the organization identifies and supports high-impact entrepreneurs with funding, mentorship, and a powerful global network. Ashoka’s broader mission is to create a world where everyone is a changemaker, embedding social innovation across education, business, and civil society.

Sea Forward Ocean Health Fund is a collaborative, multi-donor impact fund dedicated to accelerating solutions that support a healthy and thriving ocean. Administered through ImpactAssets, the fund combines impact investing, grantmaking, education, and community building to support innovative approaches to ocean conservation and restoration. Sea Forward focuses on sustainable aquaculture, biodiversity protection, climate resilience, circular economy solutions, regenerative nature-based approaches, and science-based monitoring technologies. Through both investments and grants, the fund supports entrepreneurs, nonprofits, researchers, and ecosystem builders working to address some of the most pressing challenges facing marine environments and coastal communities. Beyond capital deployment, Sea Forward serves as an ocean impact learning community, bringing together philanthropists, impact investors, scientists, conservation leaders, and innovators to foster collaboration, share knowledge, and accelerate positive change for the ocean. The fund is led by marine biologist and ocean conservation advocate Laura Francis, whose decades of experience in marine education and conservation inform the fund’s strategic approach.

Superorganism is the first venture capital firm dedicated exclusively to biodiversity. The firm invests in pre-seed and seed-stage startups developing technologies and business models that protect, restore, and regenerate nature while creating scalable commercial outcomes. Based in San Francisco and New York, Superorganism backs founders tackling biodiversity loss, climate resilience, conservation technology, regenerative agriculture, ocean health, circular economy solutions, and nature-positive innovation. Its investment strategy focuses on three core themes: addressing drivers of species extinction, advancing climate and biodiversity solutions simultaneously, and enabling breakthrough technologies that improve conservation outcomes. Through its mentor network of leading entrepreneurs, scientists, conservationists, and investors, Superorganism helps founders build companies that create an abundant future for both people and nature.