The coast of British Columbia stretches nearly 1,000 kilometres north-to-south. Factoring incisions and the province’s 40,000 islands, that figure quickly balloons to 26,000 km—or, in other terms, an impressive 10% of the entire country’s coastline.
Celebrating innovation in this wheelhouse is the Centre for Ocean Applied Sustainable Technology, an organization which is bringing back the popular Pitchfest competition for another round to highlight and support local examples with publicity and capital.
The Centre, known as COAST, is now accepting applications from early-stage ocean tech entrepreneurs from across British Columbia for the 2025 edition of Pitchfest, which is slated to go down on October 29 at the COAST Ocean Innovation Hub in Victoria.
Through the Pitchfest process, finalists with potential for commercialization will be selected to compete in front of a panel of judges for a $10,000 cash prize from sponsors Seaspan and Innovate BC, with the entrepreneurs also enjoying free upgraded COAST Memberships.
“Priority verticals” noted this year include maritime decarbonization as well as autonomous systems for vessel safety and efficiency, according to a statement from COAST, but “any Canadian company whose innovation fits within the sustainable ocean economy is invited to participate.”
Last year, COAST crowned Annie Dahan of Seacork Studios as the inaugural winner of Pitchfest.
“I am thrilled to be named the first ever winner of COAST Pitchfest,” she stated at the time of the honours.
Seacork Studios is “focused on developing biodegradable acoustic panels sourced from local seaweed,” according to Dahan, who had “recently filed patents for our innovative acoustic attenuating seaweed material,” with plans “to use the prize to grow our production process to supply our pilot projects.”
In 2025, Dahan reflects on COAST playing “a vital role in Seacork’s growth ever since winning COAST’s Pitchfest.”
“We benefited from the incredible press coverage and network introductions and the funding which we leveraged against more funding,” she says, noting how her formerly bootstrapped solo operation is now a funded team of four.
The deadline to apply for Pitchfest is October 15.
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