KOA Biotech, a Barcelona-based biotech company, just closed a successful funding round in the amount of €2 million. The firm was led by Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech with further investments by Fund-F and Faber, and this money will be spent to help push KOA Biotech’s efforts to revolutionize health management in fish farming using innovative biotechnological solutions.

The importance of the sector in food provision cannot be ignored, for instance, fish being one of the most popular proteins globally today is produced using aquaculture as over fifty percent of it is sourced through the industry. 

On the flip side, it is also causing great challenges associated with fish health management and combating infection that devastates production in some cases.

There are numerous infections to which fish farms are vulnerable. According to a rough estimate, infection has caused losses to the tune of 30% of the total production and accounts for over $6 billion worth of annual losses in terms of the economy globally. It does not only hamper yield but also involves antibiotic overuse. It threatens environmental effects as well as antibiotic resistance from the pathogen side.

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KOA Biotech, founded as a spin-off from the University Pompeu Fabra, focuses on finding solutions for these challenges through innovative approaches. The company developed a system using biosensors along with proprietary algorithms to detect infection in water in its early stage. 

This equipment is autonomous in nature, permitting real-time monitoring and early intervention, thus providing fish farmers the opportunity to use preventive measures curbing the infection spread, decreasing mortality rates, and minimizing the use of antibiotics.

KOABiotech has secured €2 million funding, which was led by Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech, a venture capital firm focused on agrifood tech investments. Other participants in this capital round were international impact funds from Austria -Fund-F as well as from Portugal -Faber. Such diversity in investors’ interest is a clear indicator of world-wide appreciation of KOA Biotech’s potential to significantly change the face of sustainable aquaculture.

With the additional equity injection, KOA Biotech hopes to continue its technological advancement, boost its market share in the aquaculture space, and execute its commercial plan to fuel future growth. This includes further developing their biosensor technology, offering a broader product line, and scaling up their manufacturing operations to meet the fish farming industries around the world.

According to Nora Alonso, General Partner at Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech, investments in innovative technologies, such as KOA Biotech’s, are pivotal in optimising the use of natural resources while avoiding adverse ecological impact and solving critical challenges concerning the production, food security, and climatic issue. 

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She also added that it is support towards such companies that will enhance research and development of the agrifood sector in Spain and attract foreign investment.

The involvement of international impact funds like Fund-F and Faber in this round is a testament to the interest that the global market has in sustainable aquaculture solutions. 

In addition to giving KOA Biotech the much-needed capital to scale, this investment will bring valuable networks and expertise into supporting the mission of transforming the management of fish health.

The approach taken by KOA Biotech represents a breakthrough in aquaculture health management. By detecting infections at the earliest possible stages, its technology will proactively prevent diseases rather than using antibiotics and thereby promoting more sustainable forms of farming. 

The company, with the solutions it develops and deploys, is in an excellent position to be the most impactful on efficiency and sustainability within the aquaculture industry.