Barcelona-based startup Ocean Ecostructures is scaling up its innovative artificial reef technology aimed at regenerating marine ecosystems, a major step forward for the blue economy. The company has closed a €3 million funding round to expand its presence across ports, submarine cable lines, and oil platforms worldwide.

With this new capital, Ocean Ecostructures is accelerating its international growth through the creation of subsidiaries, with an initial focus on entering the Middle East market — a region showing increasing commitment to ocean regeneration and sustainable infrastructure.

The funding round was led by Seven Seas Capital, an investment fund focused on climate change solutions. “We are proud to make Ocean Ecostructures our first investment. It’s the kind of bold, science-led innovation the ocean desperately needs,” said co-founder Michael Albin. Advisory support came from consultancy ST Strategy.

Returning investors include Ship2B Ventures and Inclimo, both of which backed the company’s first funding round in late 2023, when Ocean Ecostructures raised €1.9 million.

That round also attracted support from the Swedish foundation Norrsken, which recently opened its incubator in the Ocean building, adjacent to Barcelona’s W Hotel. Back then, the company had just six employees; it has since expanded to over twenty, prompting a move to a larger headquarters.

The new location? Blue Tech Port — a hub designed to support startups contributing to the blue economy, situated in the restored port warehouses on the Sant Bertran wharf. This innovation space is also home to the BCN Nautical Cluster and U.S.-based consulting firm Braid Theory, which is helping Ocean Ecostructures establish a presence in Los Angeles.

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Scaling to 3,000 Artificial Reefs by 2027

Currently, around 400 of Ocean Ecostructures’ small-scale reefs are active in Mediterranean ports, including 50 in the Port of Barcelona. An additional 500 units are under installation. These reefs are engineered to improve water quality, capture CO₂, and foster the return of marine biodiversity — all central goals of the blue economy.

In 2024, the company reported €1 million in revenue and projects that figure to double to €2 million by 2025. Its reef technology is already in use in major ports such as Tarragona, Bilbao, Algeciras, Lekeitio, and Las Palmas, as well as marinas like Port Fòrum and Marina Pala.

Ocean Ecostructures is also collaborating with companies like Repsol and Red Eléctrica on forward-thinking infrastructure projects, including a groundbreaking artificial energy island off the coast of Belgium, slated for completion in 2026.

With this new funding, the company aims to scale production and deployment tenfold — targeting the installation of 3,000 artificial reefs by 2027. The launch into the Middle East will be supported by a dedicated startup acceleration program in the region.

Beyond installation, Ocean Ecostructures uses underwater drones and artificial intelligence (AI) to monitor reef impact. “We are responding to the increasing demand for companies to restore marine ecosystems and reduce their environmental footprint,” says CEO Ignasi Ferrer.

To date, the company estimates that its solutions have generated 3.9 tons of marine biomass, sequestered 1.7 tons of CO₂, and increased local marine species biodiversity by over 40% — key indicators of impact in the growing blue economy sector.