Oceanloop secures US44.9M to scale giant grouper farming in Europe

EUROPE – German aquaculture technology company Oceanloop has secured up to €38.5 million (US$44.9 million) in new financing to scale its recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) technology and expand commercial production of giant grouper (Epinephelus lanceolatus) in Europe.

The financing combines equity commitments from Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund and Stolt Ventures with a €32 million (US$37.3 million) venture-debt facility from the European Investment Bank (EIB), backed by the InvestEU programme.

Oceanloop will use the capital to expand its land-based aquaculture operations through two projects in Germany and Spain.

The company plans to begin construction of a 250-tonne farm in Kiel by the end of 2026.

A second, larger facility with a planned production capacity of 2,000 tonnes is scheduled for development on Gran Canaria, with construction expected to begin in 2029.

The investment follows several years of biological and technical development of Oceanloop’s RAS technology.

Giant grouper moves into commercial production

Oceanloop said it has become the first company to farm giant grouper in Europe. Commercial sales from its existing land-based farm in Strande near Kiel began in April 2026 through sister company Honest Catch.

The facility is expected to produce approximately 20 to 30 tonnes of giant grouper annually, providing the company with an initial commercial production base before the planned expansion.

Giant grouper is a large marine fish species that can reach substantial market sizes, while Oceanloop’s land-based system is designed to control water quality and production conditions through recirculation technology.

Founder and CEO Dr Fabian Riedel said the new financing marks the beginning of Oceanloop’s industrial scale-up after more than a decade of developing and operating land-based marine aquaculture systems.

The financing brings together specialist aquaculture investment expertise from Hatch Blue, commercial seafood experience through Stolt Ventures and long-term European growth financing from the EIB.

Oceanloop’s technology is designed with replication beyond its current European focus.

While the company’s European production strategy centres on giant grouper, CTO Bert Wecker said the system has been developed for deployment in other markets and production environments.

The planned expansion comes as land-based aquaculture companies continue to attract investment aimed at improving production control and reducing environmental and logistical constraints associated with conventional marine farming.

For Oceanloop, the new facilities will significantly increase production capacity, moving from tens of tonnes at its existing farm to a combined planned capacity of 2,250 tonnes across the two new facilities.

Hatch Blue founder and CEO Georg Baunach highlighted Oceanloop’s technical expertise, while Stolt Ventures head Axel de Mégille pointed to the strategic fit with Stolt-Nielsen’s long-standing aquaculture experience.

With the first expansion facility planned for Kiel and the larger Gran Canaria project targeting construction in 2029, Oceanloop is positioning its RAS platform for commercial-scale marine fish production in Europe and potential replication internationally.

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