Aqua-Spark has added two new investments to its portfolio: Molofeed, a new hatchery feed and BioFishency, a water treatment system. Aqua-Spark, an investment fund focused on sustainable aquaculture, has also invested in 16 complementary small to medium enterprises.
Molofeed has developed a high-quality larval feed for marine finfish and shrimp based on proprietary micro-encapsulation technology that makes it possible to include pre-digested and other water-soluble components in a capsule, and slow-release nutrients after feeding. The technology has several additional potential applications, including acting as a delivery system for bioactive peptides, immunostimulants, and probiotics.
Because of their size and digestive capabilities, young fish require highly specific feeds commonly sourced from live prey, which are costly, carry disease-risk and have a significant environmental footprint. The company says that their feed is able to substitute more live feed than current products with a vision of one day replacing live feed altogether. The current product’s particle sizes and nutritional composition allows for early weaning, leading to a replacement rate of up to 50%. Aqua-Spark’s investment in Molofeed will be put towards marketing and increasing production capacity.
BioFishency is developing water treatment systems with high-end technological capabilities that are cost-effective and easy-to-use in land-based aquaculture. BioFishency’s flagship single pass biofilters (SPB) are available in various capacities via plug-and-play technology and can manage turn-key projects. BioFishency’s systems have increased farmers’ productivity, including a 95% reduction in water use for intensive tanks, an increase in yields for large ponds and greater nitrification.
Aqua-Spark is a primary investor in BioFishency’s latest round of funding, which raised $2.4 million in total. BioFishency will use the additional funds to support its innovative R&D strategy and expansion in China.
Aqua-Spark has €72.5 million in assets under management dedicated to investments in elements of the aquaculture industry that will make fish farming sustainable. The goal of the fund is to ultimately make sustainability widespread and profitable enough that it becomes the only way to farm fish.
