Seawater Cubes raises 2.4 million euros

The start-up was able to convince two investors in its Series A round. Now the company is focusing on market entry and first pilot projects.

The Saarbrücken-based start-up Seawater Cubes GmbH was able to raise financing in the amount of 2.4 million euros in a Series A round. The company wants to make fully automated and sustainable fish farming in Germany possible with its recirculation system in containers. The money comes from the two Heidelberg-based companies Vier Wände and Bliss Holding. Both are active in the gastronomy business. They are now to support the company in setting up initial pilot sites and developing a franchise system for fish marketing.

Seawater Cubes says it will conduct further research into adapting the technology for "exotic fish species" in the future. The company also plans to set up a franchise system and invest in developing its product to production level. In the next few years, the company now wants to position itself in the market - both nationally and internationally. In Germany alone, which is the current focus, up to 120 marine fish farms are to be built in the next five years. Eventually, a market share of ten percent is to be achieved for species such as sea bass and dorade. The first customers to implement pilot projects from 2022 have already been found, the company explains.

"Climate change has shown us again this year with all its harshness that a rethink is urgently needed in society with regard to our consumption of resources. There is a need for new approaches to how food is produced and purchased, and above all, there is a need for more conscious consumption by consumers," says Carolin Ackermann, founder and CEO of Seawater Cubes. She says the company aims to achieve this goal through information and transparency. "We've been fighting for our vision of regional marine fish farming for 4 years and are relieved to have now laid the foundation for our market entry with this new funding." After all, it is currently not easy for hardware start-ups to get capital in Germany, he said.

The company's goal is to enable a regional supply of fresh sea fish. To this end, the founders Carolin Ackermann, Christian Steinbach and Kai Wagner have developed a fully automated and compact fish farming system with which marine fish can be farmed in an environmentally friendly manner and under controlled conditions - far from the seas. The team had developed the idea during their research work at the HTW Saar. A prototype of the plant could be successfully built and operated between 2017 and 2021. The Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Energy helped with this.