Advances in ‘seatech’ a strong theme in Fish 2.0 competition
November 3, 2017
By Erich Luening
The third run of the US sustainable seafood investment forum Fish 2.0 announced their 40 finalists recently, with about 15 aquaculture-related businesses making the list to vie for capital and business knowhow during the event this winter.
Monica Jain Founder and executive director Monica Jain says this year’s finalists comprise the “strongest group ever.”
“The level of innovation is potentially both system-changing and very profitable. We’re seeing the rise of ‘seatech’ — new monitoring, visibility, production and processing tools for the seafood industry — as well as other advances that remove barriers to growth and sustainability for fishers, farmers and buyers throughout the value chain,” she said in the announcement.
The aquaculture-related finalists include Maine-based eel farmer American Unagi, the Pacific Island-based Indigo Seafoods and Shepherd Islands Organic Seafoods, Florida-based Pensacola Bay Oyster Company, and the French insect-based fish feed maker Ynsect, just to name a few.
For these aquaculture-related businesses to make it to the finals is no small feat; they were chosen from an initial pool of over 180 businesses.
About 50 percent of the finalists are post-revenue startups, firms that have begun to generate sales and are now looking at increasing efficiency and scale. More than half are based outside the US, according to organizers.
“The companies that earned places as finalists are committed to growth and have products and market strategies that resonate with the varied group of investors who serve as online judges,” Jain said.
Winners will be announced on November 8 during the Fish2.0 Innovation Forum at Stanford University, California.
