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Food-tech start-up Atlantic Fish Co has closed its seed financing round, raising $1.2 million to accelerate development of its cultivated seafood platform.

The round drew participation from a number of investment firms, as well as receiving a Small Business Innovation Research grant from the National Science Foundation, bringing its total funding to date to $2.3 million.

It is reported that 90% of global fish stocks are at or beyond sustainable harvest levels, something Atlantic Fish Co aims to address with its proprietary cell-cultivation platform. The technology is capable of producing high-quality seafood fillets without the environmental and health risks associated with wild or farmed fish.

Doug Grant, CEO of Atlantic Fish Co, said: “We’ve stayed capital-efficient with disciplined milestones and focused on seafood, the category best positioned to break through. This $1.2 million enables us to finalise our go-to-market product and secure the regulatory greenlights to launch in the US.”

Atlantic Fish Co plans to use the new capital to refine the texture, flavour and nutritional profile of its cultivated fish fillets and establish distribution channels.

The company’s technology can be used across of range of species, with a commercial focus on premium whitefish, starting with sea bass. The cultivated fillets are designed to replicate the texture and flavour of wild-caught seafood, while eliminating exposure to mercury, microplastics, antibiotics and parasites.

Sam Selig, investment manager at Katapult Ocean – one of the participants in the funding round – said: “The Atlantic Fish team have demonstrated outstanding execution in the nearly two years since our first conversation. Their platform represents what we believe is breakthrough technology in cultivated protein.”

Selig added: “Supporting the initial commercialisation of their sustainable whitefish fillet, and their broader vision to expand across proteins, aligns perfectly with our mission to back ocean and health-friendly blue foods.”

Founded in 2023, Atlantic Fish Co partners with chefs, distributors and technology leaders with the aim of building a more resilient, sustainable seafood supply chain.