OCEANLOOP SECURES UP TO €38.5M TO SCALE ITS LAND-BASED AQUACULTURE TECHNOLOGY

Oceanloop secures up to €38.5m to scale its land-based aquaculture technology and Europe’s first farmed Giant Grouper. The financing supports the development of a 250-ton Giant Grouper farm in Kiel and a 2,000 ton commercial facility in Gran Canaria.

• Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund, a global investment firm specialising in aquaculture, joins Oceanloop as new equity lead-investor
• Stolt Ventures joins Oceanloop as a strategic investor, bringing access to more than 50 years of premium aquaculture expertise through Stolt Sea Farm, a global pioneer in land-based farming of turbot and sole
• The European Investment Bank supports the equity investments and scale-up through a €32 million venture-debt facility signed on October 7, 2024, and amended on July 20, 2026, to include Giant Grouper farming
• Oceanloop will focus its own European farm rollout on Giant Grouper, becoming the first company to commercially farm the species in Europe
• The company will continue developing its RAS platform for several species including
  grouper and shrimp and is exploring international partnerships and technology
  licensing

Oceanloop, a German aquaculture technology company developing software-driven recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS), has secured up to €38.5 million to scale its technology and expand production of Giant Grouper in Europe.

After several years of biological and technical development, Oceanloop has become the first company to farm Giant Grouper in Europe. Sales from its existing land-based farm in Strande near Kiel began in April 2026 through Oceanloop’s sister company Honest Catch, marking the transition from R&D to commercial production.

The existing facility is expected to supply approximately 20 tons in 2026 and around 40 tons in 2027. The new financing will support Oceanloop’s next stage of growth: construction of a 250-ton farm in Kiel starting by the end of 2026, followed by a 2,000 ton commercial facility on Gran Canaria, with construction currently planned to start in 2029.

The financing combines new equity commitments from Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund and Stolt Ventures, the venture investment arm of Stolt-Nielsen, with a €32 million venture-debt facility from the European Investment Bank. The EIB financing is backed by the European Union’s InvestEU programme and supports Oceanloop’s research, development and commercial expansion in Germany and Spain.

The capital will enable Oceanloop to enter the next phase of its European scale-up strategy: transforming more than a decade of operational, biological and engineering experience into a repeatable platform for commercial land-based marine aquaculture.

“This financing marks the beginning of Oceanloop’s industrial scale-up,” said Dr. Fabian Riedel, Founder and CEO of Oceanloop. “Together with Sander Aqua, we have spent more than a decade developing, operating and continuously improving land-based marine aquaculture systems.

With Hatch Blue, Stolt Ventures and the European Investment Bank, we are bringing together specialist aquaculture investment expertise, decades of commercial seafood experience and long-term European growth financing. This gives us the foundation to scale Oceanloop from proven technology into an international aquaculture platform.”

First commercial scale-up at Oceanloop Kiel

The first phase of Oceanloop’s scale-up strategy will take place at Oceanloop’s existing site in Strande near Kiel. With construction starting by end of 2026, the company will complement its current R&D farm with a new, state-of-the-art Oceanloop farm designed to produce approximately 250 ton of Giant Grouper annually. The Kiel facility will serve as both a commercial production site and a reference platform for the broader rollout of Oceanloop technology. It will combine farming operations with applied research, biological optimisation, laboratory services,
digital monitoring, software development and operator training.

The site is intended to demonstrate the full Oceanloop operating model under commercial conditions – from juvenile stocking and biological management to harvesting, processing and product quality. Operational data from Kiel will be used to continuously improve farm design, feeding strategies, animal welfare, energy efficiency and production performance across future Oceanloop facilities.

A 2,000-ton Giant Grouper platform in Gran Canaria

Following the scale-up in Kiel, Oceanloop plans to develop a commercial farm on Gran Canaria with an annual production capacity of approximately 2,000-ton of Giant Grouper. Oceanloop already has a local subsidiary on Gran Canaria and is currently advancing project development, planning and site-related activities.

The facility is intended to become the company’s first industrial-scale production platform and an important reference project for the international deployment of Oceanloop technology. The Gran Canaria facility is being designed as an integrated platform covering hatchery operations, farming, processing, digital farm management and quality control. Its location combines access to seawater, renewable-energy potential, aquaculture expertise and proximity to important European seafood markets.

Giant Grouper becomes Oceanloop’s lead species

Oceanloop will initially concentrate the commercial rollout of its own farms on Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus), a species particularly well suited to the company’s land-based farming platform.

One of the world’s largest and most highly valued grouper species, Giant Grouper is renowned in Asian premium seafood markets for its firm white flesh, delicate flavour and exceptional culinary versatility. These qualities make it highly attractive for professional kitchens, foodservice and premium seafood distribution.

By producing Giant Grouper locally in Europe, Oceanloop aims to establish a new premium seafood category for European gastronomy while offering a differentiated and more sustainable alternative to long-distance imports.

Oceanloop’s focus on Giant Grouper will demonstrate the versatility of the platform. Its RAS technology is modular, software-controlled and adaptable to different marine species, farm sizes and regional operating requirements.

Oceanloop will continue its research and development activities for land-based shrimp farming. The company is already in discussions with potential international partners interested in deploying Oceanloop technology for regional shrimp production. These discussions include potential licensing arrangements, strategic partnerships
and joint ventures in import-dependent seafood markets. Oceanloop can support partners from the initial assessment of species, market, location, water supply and energy availability through detailed engineering and construction supervision. Future operating teams can be trained at Oceanloop Kiel before Oceanloop specialists support system commissioning, stocking and biological stabilisation on site.

“Our own European farms will initially focus on Giant Grouper, but the wider Oceanloop platform is designed for international replication across different species and markets,” said Dr. Bert Wecker, Founder and CTO of Oceanloop. “We see significant interest from partners that want to produce premium seafood closer to consumption without having to develop the required biology, engineering, software and operational expertise from the ground up.”

New financing partners Hatch Blue Revolution Fund

Hatch Blue is a global investment firm specialising in aquaculture, backing leading aquaculture companies by integrating investing with venture programmes and advisory across every major production market. Hatch Blue manages the Blue Revolution Fund (BRF), a €92M fund focused on scaling the aquaculture industry through sustainable innovation from Seed to Series A. For Oceanloop, Hatch Blue brings deep sector-specific knowledge, an international aquaculture network and experience in helping technology-driven farming companies move from pilot
operation to commercial scale. Its understanding of biology, farm economics, seafood markets and international project development makes Hatch Blue a highly relevant partner for Oceanloop’s global ambitions.

“Oceanloop has demonstrated the quality of the product, the strength of the technology, and a clear market strategy, backed by a team that combines technical expertise, biological understanding and commercial savviness,” said Georg Baunach, Founder & CEO of Hatch Blue.

Stolt Ventures of Stolt-Nielsen Stolt Ventures is the venture-investment arm of Stolt-Nielsen. Stolt-Nielsen is a long-term investor and manager of businesses focused on opportunities in logistics, distribution and aquaculture. Through its division Stolt Sea Farm, the Stolt-Nielsen group has been active in premium seafood farming since 1972. Stolt Sea Farm is a pioneering global land-based aquaculture company and the leading supplier of high-quality turbot and sole produced in an environmentally responsible way.

With more than 50 years of experience, the company’s vision is to ensure that future generations continue to enjoy exceptional seafood. Stolt Sea Farm’s experience spans species development, hatchery operations, farming, processing, biosecurity, product quality, food safety and international seafood distribution. The company has also
developed and operated advanced recirculation systems for marine species. Stolt Ventures therefore brings Oceanloop more than financial capital. Its connection to Stolt Sea Farm provides access to decades of practical experience in scaling premium marine aquaculture, developing new species, operating across different locations and building long-term routes to market.

“The combination of Stolt-Nielsen’s operational aquaculture experience and Oceanloop’s integrated RAS platform creates a strong strategic fit,” Riedel said. “Very few investors can combine long-term capital with first-hand knowledge of hatcheries, marine biology, farm operations, processing and international seafood markets.

“Oceanloop has developed a differentiated platform for the controlled production of premium marine species on land. Its focus on biology, repeatable farm design and commercial operations strongly aligns with Stolt-Nielsen’s long-term experience in aquaculture and the development of high-quality seafood markets,” said Axel de Mégille, Head of Stolt Ventures European Investment Bank.

The European Investment Bank is supporting Oceanloop with a €32 million venture-debt facility, signed on October 7, 2024, and amended on July 20, 2026, to include Giant Grouper farming. The financing is intended to support Oceanloop’s growth in Germany and its expansion to Gran Canaria, as well as continued development of its recirculating aquaculture technology.

The EIB’s project commitment refers to research, development and innovation activities in Germany and to the construction and operation of a RAS and processing unit for Grouper on the Canary Islands. EIB venture debt is designed for innovative European growth companies. It combines long-term financing with instruments linked to company performance and allows scale-ups to finance major growth programs without relying exclusively on conventional equity capital.

The Oceanloop facility is supported by InvestEU, the European Union programme designed to mobilise investment
in sustainable infrastructure, innovation and strategic European industries. The involvement of the EIB underlines the relevance of Oceanloop’s technology for European food resilience, sustainable aquaculture, innovation and the development of lower-impact protein production.

“Land-based aquaculture can become an important additional pillar of European seafood supply,” Riedel said. “The EIB financing allows us to invest with a long-term perspective in our technology, infrastructure and biological capabilities that are difficult to finance through conventional start up capital alone.”

Image by paulbr75 from Pixabay