German RAS business gets cash backing to farm giant grouper
Oceanloop, the German company which has developed technology to farm shrimp in land-based sites, is branching out into giant grouper – making it the first in Europe to produce this species commercially.
The company has secured €38.5 million (£33m) to scale its technology and expand production of Giant Grouper in Europe. The deal brings in capital from Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund and Stolt Ventures, the venture investment arm of Stolt-Nielsen, with a €32 million (£27.4m) venture-debt facility from the European Investment Bank. The EIB financing is backed by the European Union’s Invest EU program and supports Oceanloop’s research, development and commercial expansion in Germany and Spain.
Oceanloop developed its own modular, software-controlled RAS (recirculating aquaculture system) approach initially for shrimp aquaculture, but has always maintained that it is equally applicable for finfish.
Sales from its existing land-based farm in Strande near Kiel began in April 2026 through Oceanloop’s sister company Honest Catch, marking the transition from R&D to commercial production. The existing facility is expected to supply approximately 20-30 tons per year. The new financing will support Oceanloop’s next stage of growth: construction of a 250-ton farm in Kiel starting by the end of 2026, followed by a 2,000-ton commercial facility on Gran Canaria, with construction currently planned to start in 2029.
Oceanloop said Giant Grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) is a species particularly well suited to the company’s land-farming platform. One of the world’s largest and most highly valued grouper species, giant grouper is renowned in Asian premium seafood markets for its firm white flesh, delicate flavour and exceptional culinary versatility, the company added.
“This financing marks the beginning of Oceanloop’s industrial scale-up,” said Dr. Fabian Riedel, Founder and CEO of Oceanloop. “Together with our shareholder and technology partner Sander, 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.”
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