On 16 September 2026, five marine restoration start-ups and spin-offs will take the stage at the WAVEMAKER Marine Conservation Startup Award in Berlin to pitch their ventures to an expert jury and an audience of industry leaders, researchers and public authorities from across the blue economy.
Hosted by the SUBMARINER Network and funded by EIT Water, with support from the Poul Due Jensen Foundation (Grundfos Foundation), the award celebrates business ideas that are making marine protection and nature restoration more efficient and effective.
Any European start-up and spin-off working in this field can apply, and five finalists will be selected for the award ceremony. Of those, three winners will receive a one-year membership to EIT Water, the new EU innovation community for the water sector. The membership opens doors to funding opportunities, business support and partners across Europe. The first-place winner will go on to the European WAVEMAKER final at the EIT Water Launch Event in Málaga on 15 October 2026, competing with regional winners from across the continent for the European title and a EUR 5,000 prize.
The award ceremony takes place immediately after the kick-off of SPHERE, an EU Mission Ocean project on marine protection and co-organiser of this event, coordinated by s.Pro Sustainable Projects. It is a unique opportunity to meet and network with more than 15 restoration partners from nine countries across Europe, experts from the MPA-Community Network, and other organisations shaping the future of marine restoration.
