Seven Australian seafood companies recently pitched their solutions to industry issues at this year's Fish 2.0 Global Innovators Forum in Silicon Valley.
The Fish 2.0 Global Innovators Forum is a two-day event where businesses that have made it through several competitive stages in the preceding year can present their solutions to a panel of investors.
The seven companies were part of a 38 company contingent, pitching to investors on solutions such as: how waste can be reduced in the seafood sector; aquaculture techniques to accelerate carbon sequestration; and a digital platform connecting producers with chefs.
Townsvilles's Lisa and Gregory Elliot of Australian Crayfish Hatcheries and Redclaw aquaculture were crowned the winning Australian pitch for their presentation of their innovative Redclaw Crayfish Hatchery, which was specifically established to solve industry-wide hatching losses.
The Australian Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC) partnered with Fish 2.0 in 2018, and held a number of sessions for potential entrepreneurs in Australia in order to foster innovation and greater productivity in Australia’s fishing sector.
Managing director of the FRDC Dr Patrick Hone said participation in a global innovation event such as Fish 2.0 provides participants with great insights into how to take their ideas to the next level, along with access to focused investors.
“We hoped to connect innovators with the investment to make their ideas a reality,” said Hone.
“FISH 2.0 opens your eyes to how the innovation and investment community is changing the way people think about oceans.
“We are now seeing the $390 billion seafood industry being an attractive proposition for investors keen to help not only feed the world, but do it in a socially responsible way and perhaps even save the planet from climate change along the way.”
Alongside Australian Crayfish Hatcheries, Australian seafood companies which also pitched at Fish 2.0 included:
- TomKat Global Solutions, presenting Coolpak, a fully recycled and recyclable alternative to polystyrene for transporting seafood;
- Two Hands, developing a digital B2B marketplace connecting fishers with chefs;
- Dreamweaver, developing an alternative packaging technology;
- Skadia Technologies, presenting technology that has the potential to reduce seabird bycatch in longline fisheries;
- Acquaculture Supplements, developing supplements reducing diseases within farmed Atlantic Salmon; and
- Sam Harrington who works with the Climate Foundation presented deepwater aquaculture solutions that have the potential to symbiotically produce seaweed and finfish and aquaculture arrays also sequestering carbon.
