The Center for Ocean Policy and Economics – The COPE° Fund will serve as the Endowment Fund and will be established to serve as a funding mechanism to new and relevant ocean science, technology and engineering opportunities that fit within the mission of COPE°. The original idea of the fund is that the great science and technology can be developed, implemented, and commercialized in a way that will create profit centers, jobs and sustainable practices that have a greater social ROI than traditional investment methodologies. The COPE° Fund will be established as a $200,000,000 fund. Commercialization funds will be established for projects that are selected after three layers of vetting that starts with: Problem Solving and Relevance, Operational Implementation, and Commercialization Plan.

The COPE° Fund will include a private capital think tank, established to work through the fund or directly with outside private equity and venture capital firms, institutional investors and governments around the world to foster the commercialization and entrepreneurial implementation of ocean science, technology or engineering. It will create new companies through accepting applications that meet our standard of compliance, relevance, and commercial viability. The COPE° Fund will take an equity position, provide management and mentorship support and operational input to ensure that projects realize the best possible opportunities for successful start-up, implementation, and contiguous operations.

Plans must be ready to drive commercial results within a two-year time frame and have long-term solutions that change or reverse adverse environmental conditions. Using a commercialization strategy like the DARPA model, scientists must be willing to create meaningful and impactful projects that not only reveal issues but create economically scalable solutions. Commercialization will assist in replenishing and growing the fund to continuously generate new and innovate scientific projects.