SeaCras has been selected to join the Sedrah Accelerator Program 2026, led by EWAx within Saudi Arabia’s Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture.
The programme brings SeaCras closer to one of the world’s most ambitious sustainability ecosystems, where environmental protection, water security and technology-led growth are advancing side by side. As one of 10 startups selected from hundreds of applications, SeaCras will contribute its Coastal Intelligence system, combining satellite Earth observation, artificial intelligence and environmental science to support better decisions across Saudi Arabia’s coastal,aquatic environments and biodiversity protection and conservation.
Supporting Environmental Innovation Through the Sedrah Program
The Sedrah Program is dedicated to strengthening entrepreneurship in Saudi Arabia’s environmental sector. It supports startups and entrepreneurs developing innovative responses to environmental challenges while building the wider conditions needed for these solutions to grow, from access to expertise and investment to regulatory development, market opportunities and partnerships.
Its priority areas include water quality, biodiversity, air quality, meteorology, waste management, soil quality and desertification. Sedrah specifically recognises the role of satellite technology, environmental monitoring, sensing, geographic information systems, artificial intelligence and data analysis, creating a strong strategic fit with SeaCras’ approach.
EWAx and MEWA: Building an Ecosystem for Environmental Entrepreneurship
Sedrah is run through EWAx, the General Administration for Entrepreneurship within the Ministry of Environment, Water and Agriculture. EWAx supports entrepreneurship and business development across the environment, water and agriculture sectors, connecting innovators with the institutions, investors and market actors needed to turn promising technologies into deployable solutions.
MEWA plays a central role in Saudi Arabia’s transition towards more sustainable management of natural resources. Its responsibilities span environmental protection, water security, agriculture and food security, with technology, research and private-sector participation increasingly important to the implementation of national priorities.
‘Coastal Intelligence’ Aligned With the Saudi Green Initiative
SeaCras’ participation also connects with the wider direction of the Saudi Green Initiative, which brings together climate action, environmental protection and land and sea conservation under a national framework. The initiative supports Saudi Arabia’s ambition to reduce emissions, expand protected areas, restore ecosystems and reach net-zero emissions by 2060 through the Circular Carbon Economy approach.
For coastal and aquatic environments, progress depends on the ability to understand environmental change at scale and act on reliable information. SeaCras transforms satellite observations and scientific data into actionable intelligence, helping organisations identify risks, monitor environmental conditions and strengthen evidence-based planning.
Supporting Saudi Vision 2030 Through Scalable Environmental Technology
Environmental sustainability is an integral part of Saudi Vision 2030, alongside economic diversification, innovation and stronger private-sector participation. The Vision includes objectives related to reducing pollution, safeguarding ecosystems and ensuring the sustainable use of natural resources.
SeaCras has been adopted to One of 1,000 Ocean Startups initiative, joining a global community of companies working to develop and scale solutions for a healthier ocean.
Led by 1000 Ocean Startups and World Economic Forum, the initiative connects some of the most promising ocean innovators with a wider ecosystem of investors, accelerators, competitions, matching platforms and organisations supporting ocean impact. By strengthening connections between promising technologies, investment and organisations capable of putting them into practice, the coalition also gives greater visibility to solutions already demonstrating how innovation can contribute to healthier and more resilient ocean ecosystems.
The coalition’s ambition is clear: help scale at least 1,000 transformative startups by the end of the UN Ocean Decade and contribute to the restoration of ocean health and the objectives of UN Sustainable Development Goal 14: Life Below Water.
SeaCras was invited to join the initiative during the 2025 UN Ocean Conference in Nice, where its solutions were showcased at both the World Economic Forum (WEF) booth and the Digital Twin of the Ocean booth.
For us, being included among these companies is both an important recognition of our work and an opportunity to contribute to a much wider movement.
From Ocean Innovation to Scalable Environmental Impact
Protecting marine and coastal ecosystems increasingly depends on turning scientific knowledge and new technology into solutions that can work at scale. Below are a few examples of our work where we can point to clear, measurable environmental impact and tangible results:
The recognition also reinforces the importance of collaboration in addressing challenges that extend far beyond individual organisations, sectors or borders. No single technology or company can solve the pressures facing marine ecosystems. Progress depends on an ecosystem of solutions that can complement one another and scale.
We look forward to contributing to that ecosystem and continuing to turn innovation into practical tools for better ocean management.
SeaCras’s position is that the future of scalable and improved global marine monitoring is digital and from space. That is why we are committed to pushing forward the much-needed technologies behind the 1 of 1000 Ocean Startups and OceanEye initiatives.
One solution will not save the ocean. But 1,000 might.
The Institute for Water ‘Josip Juraj Strossmayer’, in partnership with SeaCras, has developed a new system that combines satellite observations with field measurements to support more comprehensive, next-gen water body monitoring. More precisely, the monitoring of inland, coastal waters as well as the open sea.
The approach makes it possible to monitor a large number of water bodies at the same time, from large and small rivers to lakes, water reservoirs, fish ponds and accumulation lakes, coastal areas and seas. By connecting remote sensing data with traditional field monitoring, the system can evaluate biochemical and physical parameters defined by Water Framework Directive (WFD) and Marine Strategy Framework Directives (MSFD). Also, the system helps to detect rapid changes of water quality earlier and provide a clearer picture of how aquatic ecosystems respond to environmental pressures and protection measures. Especially important aspect is cross-border monitoring to assess what migrates to Croatian waters from upstream in the Danube river system, as well as from territorial waters of neighbouring countries at the Adriatic sea.
Just under a year ago, we signed a cooperation agreement with the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute. Today, partners are introducing a new generation of satellite-based monitoring for the condition of dynamic and stationary water bodies by cutting-edge technology, which puts Croatia in the top performing countries.
By monitoring the quality of riverine systems and streams in Croatia, SeaCras is able to record human impacts within the national territory, as well as transboundary influences that may affect water conditions upstream and downstream. This allows for the first time to evaluate the effect of the river system on its endpoints – seas and lakes.
Similar technologies are already being applied in several European countries, including Germany, Finland and Sweden. Through this cooperation, we have launched an advanced water monitoring technology we can be proud of — a best-in-class solution developed through domestic expertise and production.
From the Drava River to Broader Water Monitoring
The first demonstration was carried out on the Drava River, following the launch of one of Croatia’s largest wastewater treatment plants. According to the Water Institute, the comparison of conditions before and after the facility began operating showed early signs of improvement in water quality, while satellite observations confirmed the findings gathered through field monitoring.
The analysis recorded changes in several indicators used to assess ecological pressure and eutrophication in river ecosystems, which refers to excessive nutrient enrichment, mainly from nitrogen and phosphorus compounds, which in turn causes algal blooms. These parameters are important for understanding how nutrients and other pressures affect aquatic environments, particularly in relation to algal growth and overall ecosystem balance.
High spatial resolution also enables the system to go beyond major rivers and lakes. It opens the possibility of monitoring smaller waterways as well, supporting more detailed assessments at local, national and cross-border levels.
Satellite view of the distribution of chlorophyll-a concentrations in the Drava River near Belišće, produced in collaboration between the Josip Juraj Strossmayer Water Institute and SeaCras.
Better Data for More Confident Decisions
For water management, this marks an important shift. Investments in environmental protection can be assessed not only through the infrastructure built, but also through measurable changes in the environment itself. By combining satellite data and field measurements, decision-makers can better understand what is happening in the water after interventions are made.
The same approach has strong potential for wider use across the Adriatic and other coastal areas, which has already proven to be successful in coastal areas such as Zavrtnica and Jablanac. It can support the monitoring of coastal urbanisation, wastewater treatment impacts, river inflows, climate-related pressures and individual events that leave visible traces in water or the sea.
For SeaCras, the collaboration reflects the growing role of satellite-based intelligence in protecting water ecosystems. By turning complex environmental data into practical information, the system can support earlier detection, stronger evidence and more informed decisions for the sustainable management of rivers, lakes, coastal areas and seas.
