European blue-economy capital with a bridge to China
At a time when the sustainable blue economy is becoming one of the most dynamic arenas for European innovation, we want to flag an investment vehicle our members in maritime, marine tech, and cleantech should know about: the Blue Forward Fund.
What it is
The Blue Forward Fund is a European venture fund dedicated to the blue economy, founded and run by two heavyweight names in the field: Isabelle de Cremoux, CEO of French venture capital firm Seventure Partners, and Pierre Erwes, Chairman of BioMarine — the organisation behind the global BioMarine blue-economy community.
Its investment approach:
- Targets 12–20 companies, from early-stage ventures to mature innovative SMEs (with sales of up to €70 million);
- Ticket sizes of €2–10 million per company over the lifetime of each investment;
- Investing primarily in Europe, with opportunistic allocation to North America, Israel, Australia, and Asia.
Where it invests
The fund focuses on three themes with direct relevance to Nordic strengths:
Blue bioeconomy: sustainable aquaculture and the valorization of marine bioresources (algae, micro-organisms) for novel products and materials;
Blue cleantech: marine renewable energies and sustainable hydrogen, shipping decarbonization, carbon capture, circular economy, and ocean conservation;
Digitization of the blue value chain: smart data platforms, modelling, and intelligent solutions across the marine and maritime sectors.
The China connection
What makes the fund especially interesting from a South China perspective is its active engagement on this side of the ocean. Through the China-EU Blue Forward Fund collaboration, the team works with Chinese partners, including the Fujian-based ocean innovation platform Fujian-OI, to build cross-border blue finance and partnership channels between Europe and China.
Its flagship event is coming up close to home: the 2nd Blue Forward Investment Forum (BFIF 2026) took place 6–8 November 2026 in Xiamen, during World Ocean Week (WOW2026). Following the inaugural forum in 2025, BFIF 2026 spotlighted ocean AI and data platforms, marine biodiscovery and biotech, seaweed and low-tropic value chains, and decarbonisation, with a focus on connecting European companies to China’s blue economy ecosystem.
Why FinnCham South China is watching this
Finland’s maritime and fisheries expertise fits squarely within the fund’s investment themes. For Finnish companies seeking investment, partners, or a route into China’s rapidly growing blue economy, the Blue Forward Fund and its Xiamen forum represent one of the most concrete Europe-China channels we’ve seen.
Members interested in learning more can explore the fund at blueforwardfund.com, and companies exploring partnerships, investment, or market entry can reach the team via Pierre Erwes (pierre.erwes@biomarine.org).