Quebec, Canada-based XpertSea launched a new data-driven solution intended to make sourcing sustainable shrimp easier for international buyers.
The new product, dubbed XpertSea Responsible Shrimp, uses the company’s pre-existing network of farmer relationships and the company’s XpertSea MAX technology to help international buyers make sourcing decisions. The company said it empowers seafood buyers to access an array of information on farmers as customer demands evolve.
“This launch represents a significant milestone in our journey towards empowering a sustainable food system," XpertSea CEO Katie Sokalsky said in a release.
The company has developed software for shrimp farmers, such as its xperCount program, that shrimp farmers can use on a smartphone to count, weigh, and image animal samples. The information then allows farmers to make decisions with more reliable information, that is easy to access and transparent.
The XpertSea MAX program is an AI platform allowing shrimp farmers to access shrimp data, get insights and predictions, and collect metrics such as carbon footprint, biodiversity, labor conditions, and more.
"We began by creating technology to improve shrimp aquaculture productivity and improve farmers' lives,” Sokalsky said. “Since then, we've focused on deepening our understanding of farmers' needs and refining our technology to ensure that sustainable shrimp production and sourcing are easily accessible to all buyers.”
According to XpertSea, the new software will allow buyers to verify product accurately, comply with evolving regulator and consumer demands, mitigate supply-chain risk, secure order fulfillment and better plan inventory, and “gain a trusted partner” thanks to the supply-chain transparency granted by the program.
The company said the program has used the standards created by the Global Dialogue on Seafood Traceability, and that the information will help buyers get a “deep connection to the producer,” which can in turn be passed on to consumers.
The company raised CAD 25 million (USD 18 million, EUR 17 million) in 2021 in a Series B funding round, and also received a CAD 10 million (USD 7.2 million, EUR 6.8 million) investment from Aqua-Spark in 2018. Aqua-Spark Co-Founder and Managing Partner Amy Novogratz currently serves on the board of XpertSea.
"Empowering buyers and retailers to connect to who produced their shrimp and how it was produced through verified farm data is a big step toward a more sustainable and transparent aquaculture industry,” Novogratz said. “Not only is XpertSea making it much easier and more necessary for responsible seafood sourcing, they are also encouraging farmers and delivering them more value to improve their practices and produce more sustainably.”
Photo courtesy of XpertSea
