The 2015 Fish 2.0 Business Competition will launch in January!
Fish 2.0 will launch its 2015 Seafood Business Competition in mid-January. The competition will be open to businesses that focus on wild capture fisheries, select aquaculture technologies, seafood producing aquaponics, and businesses in seafood supply chains in geographic areas of interest to Fish 2.0 investors and sponsors. As in 2013, the Fish 2.0 competition will connect seafood businesses with interested investors and help competitors improve the visibility, strength, and strategic partnerships of their businesses. Businesses will compete for $180,000 in prizes. Competitors will receive expert advice on their business ideas and get feedback directly from investors. Finalists in each track will gain unique access to investors who are interested in the seafood sector.
Please spread the word and encourage those who might be interested in participating as competitors, advisors, or investors, to sign up on our webpage to receive launch announcements.
New in 2015:
Based on feedback from competitors, advisers, and investors during last year’s Fish 2.0 competition, there will be three separate tracks for competitors in 2015. We will put specific eligibility criteria into place, allowing a closer focus on geographic areas and sectors within the seafood industry that are of high interest to Fish 2.0 investors.
Three Separate Tracks for Businesses in Different Stages of Development
In 2015, applicants will be accepted into a specific competition track (startup, early stage company, or growth business), depending on the number of years that their business has generated revenue. This partitioning provides competitors with a more even playing field within each track, increasing their chance of winning the competition. It will also provide more opportunities for competitors to attract investors who are seeking opportunities aligned with their businesses’ stage of development. Competition criteria and questions will be differentiated by track and tailored to key investor questions for businesses at these different stages of development. Growth track companies will be allowed to use existing pitch deck slides and other materials, where relevant, to streamline their participation.
Eligibility Linked to Investor Interests
We are working with our investors and sponsors to finalize eligibility requirements for the 2015 Fish 2.0 competition. Details and updates will be available on our website in January. If you are an investor with a specific geographic or issue interest that you would like to be sure is included, please contact the Fish 2.0 team before January 8.
Informational Workshops and Webinars
2015 Competition Overview Webinars
Fish 2.0 will host a series of informational webinars between January and April for interested business owners, advisors, and investors. During these webinars, we will provide an overview of the Fish 2.0 competition criteria, process, and benefits. We will also provide an update on progress that our 2013 competition finalists and semi-finalists have made over the last year. These webinars provide participants a chance to ask questions about the competition and hear directly from Fish 2.0 leaders about plans.
If you are interested in attending a webinar, register your interest here. We will schedule the number and timings of webinars to accommodate those interested in as many time zones as possible. Specific dates and webinar times will be posted in January.
Pacific Island Workshops
The Pacific Islands are of particular interest to some of our 2015 investors. We are pleased to announce a special Fish 2.0 outreach and education program aimed at seafood and mariculture businesses from the Pacific Islands. This program is made possible, in part, by the generous support of IdEA, the International Diaspora Engagement Alliance, which harnesses the resources of diaspora communities to promote sustainable development in their countries of heritage.
Together with local partners, we will hold two workshops in the region with interested businesses. These workshops will review the goals and structure of the Fish 2.0 competition, walk participants through the competition process, and answer any questions potential applicants may have about competition requirements, application process, and benefits.
The first workshop will be held from February 2-4, 2015 in Pohnpei, Micronesia, in partnership with the Micronesia Conservation Trust. The second workshop will be held in Suva, Fiji in March 2015. Any Pacific Island business involved in wild fisheries, mariculture, and/or seafood supply chains may apply to attend a workshop and participate in Fish 2.0. Please contact us if you have an interest in attending or know of businesses or investors that might get involved either on-site or online.
 Interested in Investing in Seafood Businesses?
Save the Date: Fish 2.0 Competition Finals will be held at Stanford University on November 10-11, 2015.
Business finalists from all three tracks will be invited to pitch to a broad group of investors, experts, and grant-makers at the finals, competing for $180,000 in prizes. The event, hosted in partnership with Stanford’s Center for Ocean Solutions, allows investors to see a number of potential deals all in one place, build a network of co-investors, and meet ocean and seafood experts. The event includes formal and informal time for businesses to connect with both investors and peers. Access to the event is by invitation only: all finalists, investors, and advisors participating actively in Fish 2.0 will receive invitations. Any remaining seats will be allocated to investors on our waiting list. We encourage interested investors to contact us with specific questions and sign up on our website to receive more information throughout the year.
Fish 2.0 in the Press
We continued to raise awareness of investment in the sustainable seafood sector over the past year, as we prepared for the 2015 competition. Recent articles cover the upcoming competition, progress made by last year's finalists, and also explore how investment to the sector might be increased, both generally and in the area of traceability. See the links below for recent articles in National Geographic’s Ocean Views column:
• Seafood Entrepreneurs Advance and Grow Ventures in 2014
• What Conditions Will Bring More Investors into the Sustainable Seafood Sector?
• Investing in Seafood Traceability: Why Aren’t Investors and Seafood Businesses Doing More?
Send Us Your Questions and Suggestions
We are in the final stages of developing the 2015 Fish 2.0 business competition. We welcome your questions and suggestions as we enter this last phase of planning. Join us to make Fish 2.0 a success!
For more information on Fish 2.0, please visit www.fish20.org or contact info@fish20.org
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Fish 2.0 Competition Launching in January
