Future Innovators: Gravity Wave, cleaning the oceans and transforming waste into value

Selected by PATIO Campus in his program of Circular Economy, Gravity Wave is leading a new model of sustainability by recovering marine plastic and abandoned fishing nets with the help of traditional fishermen. Its innovative approach converts this waste into decorative products and 100% recycled raw materials, offering a responsible and stylish alternative to conventional consumption. With its commitment to cleaning the oceans and transforming waste into pieces with history, this startup is demonstrating that the circular economy can be both functional and inspiring. Find out how the rules of the game are changing in this interview.

About Gravity Wave

· What is Gravity Wave and how would you describe it in a short and powerful sentence?
Gravity Wave is a social enterprise and a global movement dedicated to removing plastic from the sea and ports and transforming it into recycled materials and products with high added value that benefit various industries.

· What specific problem does it solve and why is it important?
We are tackling one of the most pressing problems of climate change: plastic pollution in the sea. We focus on the Mediterranean, one of the most polluted seas in the world, where there are already 1,178,000 tons of plastic, and more than 229,000 tons are added every year. This impact affects not only biodiversity, but also communities that depend on the sea.

· What makes Gravity Wave different from other existing solutions on the market?
What sets us apart is that we involve all the actors of society: companies, organizations, entities, integrating them into our model to maximize positive impact. This directly translates into more tons of plastic extracted from seas and ports and transformed into valuable materials.

In addition, we offer concrete and measurable solutions that companies can easily integrate into their ESG strategies, helping them to meet their sustainability objectives in a real and tangible way

· How did you validate the idea before launching it?
In the beginning, we started by cleaning plastic from the sea and transforming it into cell phone cases. However, we soon realized that we needed something bigger to face a challenge of this magnitude. We didn't validate the idea before launching it; it was a process of trial and error, where we gained the necessary knowledge to find what could really bring about significant change. It was thanks to the collaboration with a small company that we realized the great potential of this mission and from there we decided to opt for a B2B approach.

· What is the biggest current challenge you face as a company?
One of the biggest challenges we currently face is to grow our alliance in the Mediterranean to increase our capacity to collect plastic from the sea. In addition, we are working to effectively connect with the administration and public entities that can be key to supporting our efforts and helping to maximize the impact of our mission.

· What long-term vision do you have for the startup? How do you imagine Gravity Wave in 5 years?
In the long term, our vision for Gravity Wave is to become a global leader in the fight against plastic pollution in the oceans, something we have already achieved in Spain. In five years, we see ourselves as a consolidated company in Europe, with a strong network of collaborators, business partners and public organizations, actively operating in different regions of the world. Not only do we want to clean up the Mediterranean, but we also want to expand our operations to other areas of the planet where plastic pollution is an urgent challenge. In addition, we seek to transform collected plastics into recycled materials with new value for different industries such as architecture, decoration, retail and the plastics industry in general, thus contributing to the circular economy.

We want to continue to be a reference model for other sustainable initiatives, leading awareness-raising, education and collaboration projects that help reduce the plastic footprint on a large scale. We aim to make a real impact not only in reducing pollution, but also in creating a model that inspires companies, communities and governments to work together for a cleaner and more sustainable future.

The origin

· How and when did the idea come about? What led you to undertake: was it out of a personal or professional need?
It all started with a trip from Amaia, who lived in China for almost 3 years. During one of her backpacking trips in Southeast Asia, she was shocked to see the amount of plastic polluting the oceans. That image made her reflect on the problem we faced. Upon returning to Spain, he began to investigate how waste was managed and if there were real solutions, but he did not find anything that would give him peace of mind.

Little by little, he began to share his concern with his closest environment, especially with his younger brother, Julen. It was in those conversations that they both felt the need to do something together. In 2019, they decided to give up everything to dedicate their lives to achieving a plastic-free sea. This is how Gravity Wave was born: an effort to directly combat plastic pollution and offer concrete solutions that have a true and lasting impact on the seas and oceans.

‍· What anecdotes do you remember about the initial creation process?
One of the anecdotes we remember most from the initial phase of creation was our first presentation at an event in Pamplona to which we were invited, where 800 influential people gathered. At that time, we weren't even sure what we were offering: we didn't have a logo, no products, or a defined strategy. We arrived without knowing exactly what the idea of Gravity Wave was going to sound like.

At the beginning, they barely let us go on stage because the organizers didn't understand what relationship our initiative had with the event. They thought we didn't fit the theme. But we finally managed to present our idea, and from that moment on, things began to take shape. It was the first step in publicizing Gravity Wave and starting to connect with people who were interested in our mission.

· Why did you choose that name for the startup? Does it have any special meaning?
We chose the name Gravity Wave because it reflects our mission to work with the sea and oceans. Gravity waves are essential for maintaining the balance of the ocean, and we were inspired by this feature to turn the name Gravity Wave into our way of contributing to the restoration of the sea, collecting plastics and preventing their pollution.

“Gravity” symbolizes both the force that moves the tides and the energy that drives our mission to recover those plastics that invade the ocean.

About PATIO Campus

· How important has PATIO Campus or other ecosystems been in your development?
The connection with PATIO Campus and other ecosystems has been key in our development. PATIO has offered us a space where we have been able to interact directly with large corporations, which has been fundamental to understanding their needs and how we can provide value through our solutions. In addition, thanks to these interactions, we have gained valuable insights that have allowed us to adjust our strategy and improve our approaches.

· What do you value most about being surrounded by other entrepreneurs in a space like PATIO Campus?
Being in contact with other startups within these ecosystems has allowed us to share experiences, knowledge and collaborate on joint projects. This network has opened doors for us to strategic alliances, access resources that would otherwise be difficult to obtain, and learn from the challenges and successes of other entrepreneurs, which is crucial for our evolution.

· What advice would you give to someone considering joining PATIO Campus?
The advice we would give to someone who is thinking of joining PATIO Campus is to make the most of the environment. It is a space full of opportunities to connect with large corporations, mentors and other startups at the same stage. Our recommendation would be to immerse yourself in the community, actively participate in events, workshops and activities, and don't hesitate to take advantage of opportunities to learn, share and collaborate.

Future and closure

· What type of support, collaboration or investment are you looking for right now?
Currently, we are focused on strengthening our connections with companies. We want to establish strategic alliances with corporations that are interested in collaborating on joint projects, sharing knowledge and joining forces to develop solutions with a tangible and measurable impact in the fight against plastic pollution. We are looking for partners who can not only provide resources, but also experience and strategic support to maximize the reach of our mission.

· Any curious or fun facts about your startup?
An interesting detail is that in 2023 we started working on our lines of action that we call missions, which are interventions to remove plastics from the Mediterranean at the pollution points that we identify as Hotspots in the Mediterranean.

Our first expedition was in Andros, in Greece, where, together with our collecting partners, we discovered an underwater landfill caused by an illegal discharge from a cliff. For 5 days, we worked in the area with expert divers, crane boats and our operational team to remove plastic waste in the sea.

We managed to clean a total of 101,259 kilos of waste. Not only did we manage to clean up the area, but we also generated pressure and awareness that led public entities in the area to take measures that led to its regulation.

· Finally, where can you find more information about Gravity Wave (web, social networks, etc.)?
You can find more information on our website: Www.thegravitywave, com and on Instagram and LinkedIn @thegravitywave

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