Beyond Impact and UMITO Partners AnnounceStrategic Partnershipto Accelerate Blue Innovation Ecosystem Across Europe and Asia

— Advancing the Global “New Blue Economy” —

UMITO Partners, a Japan-based ocean sustainability consulting platform, and Beyond Impact, a Europe-based impact investment platform focused on innovative technology, today announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the blue economy through impact investment and ecosystem building for a resilient ocean across Europe, Japan, and Asia-Pacific.

This partnership aims to bridge Europe, Japan and Asia-Pacific’s’s advanced ocean technologies with  industrial and implementation capabilities, enabling the scalable  ocean innovations to drive ocean resilience while accelerating economic growth.

Why Blue Economy Collaboration, and Why Now

The ocean sits at the intersection of economic growth, food security, climate stability, and biodiversity. According to the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, the ocean economy is projected to expand from approximately USD 1.5 trillion in 2010 to USD 3 trillion by 2030 (Note 2).

However, the sector continues to face critical challenges, including a significant financing gap for sustainable ocean initiatives and the difficulty of translating innovation into scalable, commercially viable solutions (Note 3). As a result, many promising technologies and business models have yet to achieve real-world impact.

At the same time, the global food system is under increasing pressure. The United Nations projects that the world population will reach approximately 9.7 billion by 2050, driving a 35–56% increase in protein demand (Note 4). In contrast, wild capture fisheries production has plateaued at around 92 million tonnes annually (Note 5).

With agricultural land already occupying nearly half of the world’s habitable land (Note 6), expanding food production through terrestrial systems alone is approaching its limits. 

Furthermore, food systems account for approximately 21–37% of global greenhouse gas emissions (Note 7), while climate change and ocean degradation are increasingly threatening the very foundations of production.

Against this backdrop, the ocean sector is undergoing a structural transition—from a traditional extractive model centered on “take and use” to a regenerative model that leverages technology to enhance sustainability and resilience.

Emerging regenerative industries and markets in the ocean space include:

• B2B alternative protein platforms supplying high-value functional ingredients
• Next-generation aquaculture systems enabling sustainable and scalable seafood production
• Algae and microbial production platforms for feed, protein, and industrial applications
• Marine biotechnology applied to pharmaceuticals, biomaterials, and nutrition
• Decarbonization technologies in maritime sectors, including low-carbon fuels and vessel efficiency
• Port electrification, ocean monitoring, and environmental data infrastructure
• Nature-based solutions such as ocean carbon removal and biodiversity restoration

This partnership aims to accelerate this transition by bridging advanced technologies from Europe, Japan and Asia  with implementation platforms across —unlocking system-level change in the ocean economy.

From Mitigation to Additionality: Creating New Value in the Ocean Economy

The ocean is a highly complex domain where environmental, industrial, and regulatory systems intersect, requiring coordinated action across diverse stakeholders. While Europe has built strong capabilities in ocean deep tech (Note 8) and research and development, opportunities for real-world deployment and commercialization remain limited. In contrast, Japan and broader Asia offer robust implementation platforms through fisheries and coastal industries, yet often lack sufficient access to advanced technologies and global innovation networks.

UMITO Partners, through its close engagement with fishing communities, coastal regions, corporations, and local governments across Japan, has witnessed firsthand the rapid transformation of marine ecosystems and the resulting impacts on regional economies and industries. While resource management and regulatory measures are critical, they alone are insufficient to address the pace and scale of these changes. This has led to a clear recognition that structural innovation—capable of reshaping industry systems—is essential.

Beyond Impact brings a strong track record in supporting regenerative, decarbonization, and animal-free technologies across Europe, alongside experience in scaling high-impact ventures. By combining their respective strengths, the two organizations aim to build an implementation model that connects technology, on-the-ground ecosystems, and markets.

Through this partnership, they seek to evolve ocean impact from a focus on mitigation—reducing harm—to additionality—creating entirely new forms of value that restore ecosystems while generating sustainable economic opportunities.

Scope of the Partnership

Under this partnership, the two organizations will advance the following initiatives to operationalize the integration of technology, industry, and implementation platforms in the ocean sector:

• Connecting ocean startups across Europe, Japan, and Asia with established industrial ecosystems
• Joint analysis of technological trends and market opportunities in the ocean domain
• Supporting the formation of partnerships to enable pilot projects and commercialization
• Building cross-border ecosystems through the leverage of international networks

Through these efforts, the partnership aims to accelerate the real-world deployment of innovation in the ocean economy.

Outlook

Through this partnership, UMITO Partners and Beyond Impact will work to establish a cross-regional collaboration platform for the blue economy spanning Europe, Japan, and Asia. At the core of this effort is the development of an international ecosystem, the “Blue Frontier Fund” designed to connect ocean technologies with real-world implementation environments.

The initiative will advance the deployment of innovations across a wide range of ocean-linked sectors, including food tech, biotechnology, ocean tech, clean tech, and climate-related solutions. By accelerating commercialization in these areas, the partners aim to catalyze the creation of new industries and markets.

Ultimately, this collaboration seeks to align economic growth with ocean sustainability—supporting the transition toward a resilient and regenerative ocean economy.

Comments

Shunji Murakami, CEO, UMITO Partners
“The ocean environment is undergoing rapid transformation, with direct implications for the foundations of our societies and industries. Addressing these changes requires not only stronger management and regulatory frameworks, but also new innovation-driven solutions. To sustain a positive relationship with the ocean, we must build new industrial structures that align economic growth with ocean conservation.
This partnership represents a concrete step toward that goal—connecting advanced European technologies with implementation platforms in Japan and Asia to build an ecosystem that enables the realization of a new ocean economy.”

Claire Smith, CEO, Beyond Impact
“Ocean innovation is entering a phase where scientific breakthroughs must translate into scalable industrial solutions. Through this partnership with UMITO Partners, we are connecting Europe’s deep tech ecosystem with Asia’s ocean industries, creating a platform that can accelerate real-world implementation and systemic change.”

Notes

Note 1 | Blue Economy
A concept that supports economic growth, livelihoods, and employment while ensuring the sustainable use of ocean resources and maintaining the health of marine ecosystems.
(Source: World Bank)
https://www.worldbank.org/en/news/infographic/2017/06/06/blue-economy

Note 2 | Ocean Economy Growth Outlook
The ocean economy is projected to expand from approximately USD 1.5 trillion in 2010 to USD 3 trillion by 2030.
(Source: Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development, 2016)
https://www.oecd.org/content/dam/oecd/en/publications/reports/2016/04/the-ocean-economy-in-2030_g1g6439e/9789264251724-en.pdf

Note 3 | Ocean Finance Gap
A significant funding gap remains in achieving a sustainable ocean economy.
(Source: World Economic Forum)
https://www.weforum.org/publications/sdg14-financing-landscape-scan-tracking-funds-to-realize-sustainable-outcomes-for-the-ocean/

Note 4 | Global Population and Food Demand
The United Nations estimates that the global population will reach approximately 9.7 billion by 2050. Protein demand is projected to increase by 35–56%, depending on scenarios.
(Source: United Nations / van Dijk et al., Nature Food (2021))
https://population.un.org/wpp/　https://www.nature.com/articles/s43016-021-00322-9?utm_source=chatgpt.com

Note 5 | Constraints on Agricultural Expansion
Limitations in land and water resources make it increasingly difficult to meet future food demand through agricultural expansion alone.
(Source: Food and Agriculture Organization, 2011)
https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/0dda22d4-41fa-4c16-9090-55ade8cadf66/content

Note 6 | Status of Capture Fisheries Production
Global capture fisheries production reached approximately 92.3 million tonnes in 2022.
(Source: FAO SOFIA 2024)
https://openknowledge.fao.org/server/api/core/bitstreams/9df19f53-b931-4d04-acd3-58a71c6b1a5b/content/sofia/2022/capture-fisheries-production.html

Note 7 | Food Systems and Greenhouse Gas Emissions
Food systems are estimated to account for approximately 21–37% of global greenhouse gas emissions.
(Source: Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change)
https://www.ipcc.ch/report/ar6/wg3/chapter/chapter-7/

Note 8 | Ocean Deep Tech
In this release, “ocean deep tech” refers to advanced technologies addressing ocean challenges, including next-generation aquaculture, marine biotechnology, ocean data and monitoring systems, and maritime decarbonization technologies.
This is a descriptive term used for the purposes of this release and does not have a universally standardized definition.

Important Notice

This press release is for informational purposes only and does not constitute an offer, solicitation, or recommendation to invest in any financial instruments, securities, or investment opportunities.
Any investment structures or financial products referenced herein have not been established as of the date of this release.

Company Information

UMITO Partners Inc.

UMITO Partners is a Tokyo based ocean sustainability consulting firm dedicated to system change to restore and sustain a resilient ocean with the organizational purpose of “Harmonizing sustainable ties with the ocean and people”. We take four strategic approaches to make impacts on the water through policy reforms, market transformation, sustainable finance into innovation, and awareness shift.

In 2023, UMITO Partners became the first company in Japan’s seafood sector to achieve B Corp certification. The company received the Good Design Award in 2024 for its sustainable Japanese sardine project in Hokkaido and again in 2025 for its seabass project in Tokyo Bay. In 2025, it was also selected as one of “THE REGENERATIVE COMPANY” by WIRED Japan.

Beyond Impact

Founded in 2017, Beyond Impact Advisors creates portfolios that accelerate the transition to a kinder, cleaner, healthier world through superior, scalable and sustainable solutions across nutrition, ingredients, pharmaceuticals, and materials, which are humane, decarbonizing and regenerative.

Investments are focused on:

Alternatives to protein and other animal-derived products using life science solutions including:

– Plant, fungi and algae-based meat, fish, dairy, egg, wool and leather alternatives

– Cell-cultured meat, fish and animal derivatives

– Precision and biomass fermentation for functional ingredients

– Upcycling of food waste

– Replacements for animal testing

– Cruelty-free ingredients for personal care products

– Alternative bio-based materials

Beyond Impact targets significantly impactful companies which have positioned their products and services to meet growing demand, favouring those with clear technological advantages and whose products outstrip the qualities of the animal-derived material they replace, resolving issues of unsustainable supply chains vulnerable to climate change, disease, and limited access to natural resources.