Hatch Blue and Conservation International Ventures have opened applications for the 2027 Women in Ocean Food Innovation Studio in Latin America and the Caribbean.
Applications for the program’s fourth regional edition close Nov. 7, with selected founders due to meet in La Paz, Mexico, from Jan. 25, 2027.
The equity-free program is open to women founders or company decision-makers working across sustainable and regenerative aquaculture, marine biotechnology, aquatech, seafood value chains, seafood waste revalorization and blue carbon.
Startups, established companies preparing to scale, research teams with a proof of concept and route to market, as well as cooperatives and associations, can apply.
Participants will spend nine days in La Paz, followed by 12 months of support covering areas such as market intelligence, go-to-market strategy, fundraising and investment readiness. The program also offers introductions to investors and buyers, industry visits and mentorship.
Companies led by alumni from the previous three Latin American and Caribbean cohorts have raised a combined $11.7 million in funding to date, according to the organizers.
These include Brazil’s Aqua Viridi, which has secured $1.25m in grants and $250,000 in investment, and Ecuador’s MareaRosa, which has obtained Aquaculture Stewardship Council Shrimp Standard certification as it targets premium markets, including the US.
