Can Venture Philanthropy Close the Critical BlueTech Funding Gap?

When you think about GOOGLE, ocean innovation may be the last thing that comes to mind. But Former Google CEO Eric Schmidt and his wife Wendy have been great friends to the ocean and climate, pouring millions into the sector through their Schmidt Family Foundation. 

Our guest today is Mark Schrope. He is the Director of Schmidt Marine Technology Partners, an offshoot of the Schmidt Family Foundation. Schmidt Marine Technology Partners is dedicated to what they call “venture philanthropy” in the marine sector. In other words, without taking equity, they fill an important funding gap in marine innovation that we’ve heard about in many prior episodes. When traditional VCs and grants aren’t available, they can step in. And they do.

Mark Schrope
Schmidt Family Foundation
Schmidt Marine Technology Partners