Offshore, but On-Board!
Since time-immemorial man has been drawn to the ocean. However, what allure does the ocean have for the 21st Century man/woman?
Well… for a savvy group of San Francisco entrepreneurs, it is a means of launching or growing their start-up companies near Silicon Valley, “without the need for a U.S. work visa“. Blueseed (https://blueseed.co/) are in the process of converting a ship into an offshore start-up incubator “offering living and office space in an elegantly designed modern tech environment so compelling that it has been called the “Googleplex of the Sea“.
So, will the Blueseed boat, floating in international waters, be a law-less wild west? Not according to the company.
According to their website, the Blueseed vessel will fly the flag of a country that follows English/American common law and that “has reputable judicial systems, such as The Bahamas (English common law) or Marshall Islands (based on American Law)”. Startup entrepreneurs who are employees “will benefit from the legal protections of The Bahamas / Marshall Islands and/or the United States, depending on the country of incorporation that the companies choose.”
This is undoubtedly a very interesting concept and with a projected launch date of quarter 3, 2014, we look forward to seeing what 1300+ entrepreneurs on a ship will produce! (apparently somewhere between 5 – 10 legal start ups will also be taking up residence on board!)