Munich, Germany-based aquaculture technology company Oceanloop secured a USD 44.5 million (EUR 38.5 million) investment to produce giant grouper in Europe utilizing the company's recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) technology.
The investment was handed out by Cork, Ireland-based aquaculture investment firm Hatch Blue via its Blue Revolution Fund, as well as U.K.-based venture investment firm Stolt Ventures. The E.U.'s InvestEU program is also backing the investment to support Oceanloop's research, development, and commercial expansion.
“Oceanloop has demonstrated the quality of the product, the strength of the technology, and a clear market strategy backed by a team that combines technical expertise, biological understanding, and commercial savviness,” Hatch Blue Founder and CEO Georg Baunach said in a release.
Oceanloop, which is the first company to farm giant grouper in Europe, said in a release that the new Kiel, Germany-based farm will have a capacity of 250 tons and will start construction at the end of 2026. Oceanloop noted grouper's appeal in Asian seafood markets as attractive for professional kitchens, foodservice, and premium seafood distribution.
The investment will also support a 2,000-ton commercial facility in Gran Canaria, Spain, that will begin construction in 2029. Oceanloop has a local subsidiary on the island currently, and the new site will become the company's first industrial-scale production platform.
Since April 2026, the company has operated out of a land-based farm in Strande, Germany, through Oceanloop's sister company Honest Catch. At present, the company can supply around 20 tons and will be able to produce 40 tons in 2027.
Oceanloop said the investment will allow for more than a decade of operational, biological, and engineering experience to transfer into commercial land-based marine aquaculture.
“This financing marks the beginning of Oceanloop’s industrial scale-up,” Oceanloop Founder and CEO Fabian Riedel said. “Together with Sander Aqua, we have spent more than a decade developing, operating, and continuously improving land-based marine aquaculture systems. With Hatch Blue, Stolt Ventures, and the European Investment Bank, we are bringing together specialist aquaculture investment expertise, decades of commercial seafood experience, and long-term European growth financing. This gives us the foundation to scale Oceanloop from proven technology into an international aquaculture platform.”
Besides a commercial production site, the firm said the Kiel facility will be a reference platform for Oceanloop technology rollouts. The company said it will combine farming operations with applied research, biological optimization, laboratory services, digital monitoring, software development, and operator training.
“Oceanloop has developed a differentiated platform for the controlled production of premium marine species on land," Stolt Ventures Head Axel de Mégille said. "Its focus on biology, repeatable farm design and commercial operations strongly aligns with Stolt-Nielsen’s long-term experience in aquaculture and the development of high-quality seafood markets."
In the future, the company said it is looking at continuing research and development into other species for aquaculture production at the new facilities, including land-based shrimp farming. Oceanloop has already started that process, looking at strategic partnerships, licensing agreements, and joint ventures in import-dependent seafood markets interested in land-based shrimp production.
“Our own European farms will initially focus on giant grouper, but the wider Oceanloop platform is designed for international replication across different species and markets,” Oceanloop Founder and CTO Bert Wecker said. “We see significant interest from partners that want to produce premium seafood closer to consumption without having to develop the required biology, engineering, software, and operational expertise from the ground up.”
