The Gazebo Gazette

GULFPORT (GG) — The University of Southern Mississippi’s (USM) Gulf Blue® Navigator program concluded its fourth cohort with a public Demo Day on Wednesday, May 20, showcasing six companies developing technologies for the blue economy.

During Demo Day, Mississippi Gov. Tate Reeves and Jason Feifer, editor-in-chief of Entrepreneur Magazine, served as keynote speakers, where more than 200 attendees, including entrepreneurs, researchers, industry leaders, students and community members, attended the event. Each company had opportunities to connect with attendees.

The program highlighted companies advancing coastal resilience solutions during the event, part of Innovation Week.

Dr. Brian Cuevas, associate vice president for research and innovation at Southern Miss, emphasized the impact the Gulf Blue Navigator Program’s Demo Day had on the new cohort.

“Gulf Blue Navigator is about helping companies take the next step toward real-world application,” said Cuevas. “By connecting innovators with the right partners and real-world testing environments, we’re helping move these technologies closer to deployment where they can make a measurable difference for coastal communities.”

The four-month accelerator began in January and supported post-pilot stage companies focused on ocean-and-coastal-related-solutions. The program connected participants with research infrastructure, field testing opportunities and industry partners along the Mississippi Gulf Coast.

Cohort 4 focused on coastal resilience and included companies developing living shoreline technologies and related approaches aimed at reducing erosion, restoring habitats, protecting infrastructure and strengthening coastal economies through nature-based and data-driven methods.

The selected companies represented a range of coastal resilience and sustainability solutions, including biodegradable materials for oyster restoration, artificial intelligence tools for marine data analysis, modular reef infrastructure systems and sustainable aquaculture approaches supporting ecosystem health.

The cohort included:

  • Sandbar Oyster Company Inc. of Leland, North Carolina
  • StrateSea Technology Inc. of Lake Oswego, Oregon
  • GRoW Oyster Reefs LLC of Charlottesville, Virginia
  • Sediment LLC of Greensboro, North Carolina
  • Reef Arches of West Palm Beach, Florida
  • Pursuit of Happiness Farms of Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

Participants spent four months working with partners across government, academia and industry while operating from the Gulf & Ship Island Building in Gulfport, Miss. The program emphasized hands-on collaboration, field-based testing, and tailored technical and business support to help companies advance toward commercialization.

Each company maintains offices in Gulfport and is registered to do business in Mississippi through the Mississippi Secretary of State.

Natalie Guess, assistant director of innovation and impact in USM’s Office of Innovation Management, said the program continued to build momentum across the region.

“This cohort reflects the kind of innovation we’re seeing across the Gulf Coast,” Guess said. “Through Gulf Blue Navigator, companies are able to engage directly with partners, gain valuable insight and move their technologies forward in meaningful ways.”

Contributed to by Gabriela Shinskie.