US accelerator Braid Theory sets up European headquarters in Barcelona to boost blue economy

North American startup advisory and accelerator Braid Theory has established its European headquarters in Barcelona. These are the company's first facilities outside Los Angeles (California, USA), where it has its global headquarters. From the capital of Catalonia, the company will focus on supporting emerging companies specializing in the blue economy that offer technological solutions targeting ocean and environmental sustainability.

To set up in Catalonia, Braid Theory has received support from Catalonia Trade & Investment, which advises and accompanies international companies in the processes following their establishment in Catalonia.
 

“We see Barcelona as a strategic place to expand, and it is the ideal city to become our European hub”

Ann Carpenter, Braid Theory's CEO

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The company is based at BlueTechPort, the Port of Barcelona's hub for innovation in the blue economy. Braid Theory's CEO, Ann Carpenter, says, "The company's goal is to support startups in early stages through growth and also to continue supporting them further on so that they can boost their transformative technology and bring it to market."

Thus, they will support "companies in their early stages but which can offer innovative technological solutions applicable in the Mediterranean."They will specialize in both Catalan startups and those from the rest of Southern Europe and also support projects "from companies in the United States and Canada with whom Braid Theory is already working and who want to establish themselves in the Mediterranean from Barcelona."

"We see Barcelona as a strategic place to expand, and it is the ideal city to become our European hub, thanks to the strategic role that the blue economy plays in the local economy, the existing business fabric, and the facilities and projects that are being deployed he, such as the Port," says Carpenter. According to the company's CEO, "Barcelona has a very interesting biotech ecosystem and is promoting very important research projects that have an impact on the blue economy," one of the main reasons for choosing the Catalan capital, in addition to "the key strategy and existing initiatives for the promotion of smart cities and smart ports.

Overall, Braid Theory has around a dozen employees and will hire three in Barcelona soon. During its first year in the Catalan capital, it plans to promote a dozen projects, intending to offer "acceleration programs that help the existing ecosystem grow, in collaboration with other initiatives already deployed."

Blue Economy Technologies in Catalonia

Catalonia's blue economy technology ecosystem is made up of 1,078 companies, according to the study "Blue Economy Technologies in Catalonia" conducted by ACCIÓ-Catalonia Trade & Investment. The blue economy encompasses all marine and ocean life activities, including coastal areas, focusing on sustainable use for economic development and ecosystem conservation.

These companies collectively generate €5.56 billion in revenue and employ 23,876 people. They are mainly active in sectors such as passenger and goods transport (47.1%), fishing and aquaculture (29.6%), and maritime transport propulsion and construction (15.2%). The sector is dynamic, with nearly four out of ten companies (38.2%) being less than ten years old and around 3% classified as startups.

The study examines a range of technologies linked to the blue economy, including those related to energy (such as offshore wind, floating solar, and ocean energy); marine resources (blue biotechnology, algae, and fishing and aquaculture); and maritime transport (propulsion systems, shipbuilding and maintenance, and maritime logistics services). Technologies related to water sports, as well as those aimed at mitigating the effects of human activity on the marine ecosystem—such as ocean monitoring, marine environment protection and regeneration, and microplastic reduction in oceans—are also analyzed, along with desalination technologies.