Blueseed: The seaborne startup incubator

Immigration laws are tedious and work visas are expensive, especially for foreign entrepreneurs wanting to work in the US. Max Marty and Blueseed cofounder Dario Mutabdzija, aware of this fact, are ambitiously hacking the system to bring talented foreign startups closer to Silicon Valley. How? By drawing up plans for floating office space, 12 nautical miles off the coast of California.

The idea of cities at sea have long been the fodder of libertarians and climate watchers, but Blueseed is the first to utilise the so-called “contiguous zone” for fostering startup growth. Marty and Mutabdzija, both formerly of the Seasteading Institute — the Peter Thiel-backed nonprofit that will lead a funding round for the start-up — envision leasing a ship or designing a new vessel, and anchoring it in international waters.

The so-called “contiguous zone” typically lies about 12 miles outside the territorial seas of a country. A vessel passing through this zone is subject only to the laws of the country whose flag it flies.

As Blueseed will not technically be stationed in the US, entrepreneurs aboard the vessel will be able to enter the US under more easily obtainable business (B1) and tourist (B2) visas. B1 and B2 visas are valid for 10 years and allow a passport holder to remain in the US for a total of 180 days per year.

Daily ferries will shuttle people back and forth between the Blueseed vessel and Silicon Valley or San Francisco. A one-way trip will take around 90 minutes, comparable to a daily commute in the San Francisco bay area.

Blueseed will charge a combination of rent and equity to accommodate startups. Accommodation per person starts at US$1 200 for a shared cabin and goes up to $3 000 for a top-tier single accommodation cabin. The price will include both living and office space. To be allowed to board though, your startup will need to be vetted. Although any startup and related organisations are welcome aboard, referrals through reputable angel and venture capital companies, entrepreneurial networks, or trusted contacts will help with getting a foot in the hatch. Should startups grow large enough, Blueseed will aim to provide guidance for moving businesses onto US soil.

Blueseed is one of those rare, big ideas that would certainly benefit the international entrepreneurial community. Being able to congregate and collaborate in an area notoriously conducive to tech startup growth — antiquated work visa restrictions be damned — sounds like a brilliant plan, if a daunting one. Blueseed estimates a sizable crew of between 200 and 300 members which will include ferry operators, insurance agents and legal advisors.

Perhaps US immigration laws should be relaxed to allow skilled and talented entrepreneurs to test out ideas and create new jobs in the US. Marty calls the current system a “system designed for a bygone era.” In the meanwhile however, there is Blueseed, a “visa-free technology incubator for startups,” a big idea that we would love to see succeed.

We’ll check in at the beginning of 2014 when the project plans to set sail.