In another deal involving the sale of seafood industry data, Kontali has acquired the Nasdaq Salmon Index.
Founded in 2008 by Nasdaq, the Nasdaq Salmon Index provides pricing data for Norwegian salmon exports. It serves as a price reference for contracts and as a benchmark representing 95 percent of the index used for derivatives contracts traded via the Fish Pool exchange, according to the company.
“With Kontali as the new owner and administrator, we are pleased to see the 30-year-old benchmark history remain unbroken,” Nasdaq Global Head of Seafood Erik Flingtorp said. “Kontali has the knowledge, experience, development capacity, and trustworthiness to support and strengthen the position of the Salmon Index under their own brand.”
Kristiansund, Norway-based Kontali Analyse is a provider of seafood industry analysis and insight. The company named Kjetil Angell Kjerstad as its new CEO in January 2024, with the goal of tripling revenue within three years.
“The potential of Kontali is tremendous. By adding more technological and commercial competence to the world-leading seafood expertise already present in the company, the goal is to triple Kontali revenues within three years,” Kontali Board Chair Espen Zachariassen said at the time. “Kjerstad knows how to commercialize technology in combination with content. He will be responsible for implementing a strategy to turn Kontali into the leading provider of data and insights for the global seafood market.”
In 2020, Kontali acquired Seafood Trade Intelligence Portal, the Utrecht, the Netherlands-headquartered operator of ShrimpTails, which provides analysis of the global shrimp trade.
“Our connection to this index is strong. Now, we are taking on a new role to ensure the continued development of this industry-critical instrument. While it will be ‘business as usual’ for all users, we have plans to enhance and introduce more services and features to the index in the future,” Kontali Senior Analyst Jan Erik Øksenvåg, the longtime index auditor for the Nasdaq Salmon Index, said in a press release. “Based on feedback from stakeholders and contributors, consensus seems to be that Kontali is the best ‘home’ for the index. We are honored by their trust and will do our utmost to fulfill expectations.”
The deal is the latest in a string of seafood data deals completed in recent years. In September 2021, Broodstock Capital Partners-owned Maritech, a Norwegian traceability and business software developer, acquired Reykjavík, Iceland-based Sea Data Center, which it described as the “Bloomberg” of seafood.
In January 2023, London, U.K.-based Mintec, a provider of price data, analytics, and forecasts for the agri-food sector, acquired AgriBriefing, including the brands Urner Barry, Strategie Grains, FeedInfo and Tropical Research Services. Urner Barry, operating from toms River, New Jersey, U.S.A., provides pricing history, analysis of market drivers, and trade data.
"All of our combined customers can now further optimize their business strategy with access to even more robust and reliable price data and analytics for the key commodities they buy, sell, and consume," Mintec CEO Spencer Wicks said at the time. "By combining the extensive range of unique data and market intelligence available, we will be offering access to the most comprehensive solution and resource for businesses to navigate the global pressures impacting their costs and overall profitability."
Photo courtesy of Kontali
