Impact investors had a hard time finding deals in sustainable seafood when ImpactAlpha started covering the sector several years ago. Today’s solid pipeline of investible companies is due in no small part to the Fish 2.0 competition, which has helped dozens of companies hone their business plans and connect with investors.
The new round of the competition includes tracks for traceability, tuna and aquaculture, as well as regional awards for Australia, Pacific islands and California. New products, supply chains and technologies are emerging “even faster than we expected,” says Fish 2.0’s Monica Jain. “The problems in seafood are solvable and they are being solved.”
The recent boomlet in impact investing in ocean health includes the $37.5 million first close for Althelia’s Sustainable Oceans Fund; two investments by Pescador Holdings; and Dutch-based Aqua-Spark, which has raised more than $20 million for aquaculture investments. Closed Loop Partners’ Rob Kaplan has launched Circulate Capital to mobilize $150 million for recycling and waste management ventures in South and Southeast Asia, the source of more than half the world’s ocean plastics.
Applications for Fish 2.0’s global tracks are due Oct. 28; winners will be announced next fall.