Landing Aquaculture, the Dutch engineering firm known for its expertise in land-based aquaculture systems, is entering a new chapter. Co-founder and managing director Rob van de Ven has acquired the remaining 50% of shares from co-founder Carlos Espinal Colella, becoming the sole shareholder of the company.
This marks a natural evolution in the company’s journey, following a period of discussion around its future direction and growth strategy. While Rob and Carlos have shared a decade of collaboration, they ultimately developed different visions for the next stage of Landing’s development. The share transfer allows each to pursue those visions, with Rob continuing to lead the company’s expansion and Carlos opening space for new R&D and business development opportunities in aquaculture.
Founded over ten years ago, Landing Aquaculture has grown from a small startup into a trusted name in land-based fish farming systems. The company is on track to complete its 80th project this year, serving clients across Europe, Africa, and the Middle East. “Its reputation rests on a clear philosophy: design robustly, build transparently, and partner closely with clients. To date, none of its systems has failed to meet performance targets,” the company said in a press release.
“We started with just a couple of laptops and a shared vision to do things differently — to be rigorous, honest, and long-term in our thinking. That mindset is still the foundation of everything we do,” said Carlos Espinal Colella. “It’s been a privilege to help build Landing. Rob and I have always been united by our focus on partnership and trust. After 10 years, we’ve grown in different directions — and that’s okay. As I begin transitioning out of my operational role, I do so with immense pride,” said Carlos, in a LinkedIn farewell post.
Despite the change in ownership, both parties emphasized that Landing’s clients will experience full continuity. Carlos will remain active in the company as a project consultant for the coming months and will continue to support sales and client transitions under a sales agency agreement.
“I’m grateful Carlos is staying on to support the transition,” Rob said. “That gives our clients confidence and gives us time to build on the momentum we’ve created together.”
The two founders have also agreed on a clear client-relation handling structure to ensure that all contacts, whether through past or future channels, are handled professionally and with client interest in mind.
With unified ownership, Landing Aquaculture is poised to sharpen its strategic focus. The company remains committed to its roots: engineering integrity, client partnership, and sustainable aquaculture design. Rob will continue to lead the team from the Netherlands, while Carlos remains open to collaborating on innovation-driven aquaculture projects elsewhere in the sector.
