Ace Aquatec IV

Welfare-improving technologies for the aquaculture industry

Resumen de la inversión

Categoría de impacto

Economía azul

Tipo de inversión

Préstamo

Interés anual

8.4

Plazo

meses

Nivel de riesgo

Ace Aquatec is focused on delivering solutions to overcome key challenges in the aquaculture industry, such as excess mortality rates on fish farms, poor fish welfare, high prevalence of parasites, seal attacks and escapes, as well as fish experiencing a high degree of stress and suffering at the point of harvest. Farmers also run their production cycles with very limited data and are unable to empirically identify areas for improvement & increased yield.

This campaign’s goal is to advance funds that Ace Aquatec will receive from a Research & Development contract awarded by a UK government agency. The contract supports a project to develop advanced autonomous technologies for continuous, non‑invasive health and welfare monitoring in aquaculture. The bridge funding will allow the company to cover project costs upfront while awaiting milestone‑based reimbursements.

By combining computer vision, acoustic sensors and artificial intelligence, the system aims to monitor large populations of Atlantic salmon (and potentially rainbow trout) in real time, identifying indicators of stress, health and behaviour without the need for physical handling. Over the course of 3 years and 3 months, the goal is to create and validate, in a commercial setting, a technological proof of concept capable of raising welfare standards in UK aquaculture and making production more ethical, scalable and data‑driven.

This is the promoter’s fourth campaign, following three successful ones: the first financed the production of 50 biomass cameras and the recruitment of data scientists and software developers to enhance the company’s smart‑farming insights; the second supported Ace Aquatec’s 2025 growth plan, including hiring additional staff and producing 100 new cameras and 36 stunners; and the third focused on enhancing the company’s A‑Biomass platform with improved analytics, computer vision, and machine‑learning tools.

The A-BIOMASS®, an advanced underwater camera system, promises to transform the way fish farmers across the globe monitor and grade their fish stocks by using machine learning and artificial intelligence (AI) for real-time millimeter accuracy. The fully automated camera is smaller than many on the market, weighing in at just 8.5kg, and has been proven to withstand the harshest environmental conditions, having been developed and tested in Scotland’s most northerly waters.

Ace Aquatec's cameras use point cloud technology to track fish, simultaneously differentiating individuals from the shoal. Continuous measurement of fish size in the grading process reduces feed waste, meaning less impact on the immediate environment and efficiency savings for farmers. The system can also be operated remotely so fish stocks can be monitored from anywhere in the world, reducing the need to be on site.

The camera system is the promoter’s latest addition to the company's suite of high-welfare technology products and offers fish farmers a convenient, reliable, and cost-effective way to estimate fish biomass without handling or manual intervention.

¿Cuál es el impacto?

Direct

Promote more sustainable marine economic activities: Ace Aquatec systems result in improved fish welfare for 250.000 fish per day on average using this technology. Fish weight and distribution data are gathered through the Biomass cameras with real-time image and artificial intelligence (AI), which are important indicators for grading and harvesting the fish, enabling optimised feeding and supporting diseases prevention. At the same time, Ace Aquatec predator control solutions aim to protect fish without harming possible predators or other non-target animals, enhancing a novel method to deter predators from aquaculture pens. By enhancing energy efficiencies and reducing emissions, these technologies lower aquaculture's carbon footprint

Implement sustainable and resilient food production systems: Through reducing feed waste and excess mortalities in the fish production chain, Ace Aquatec systems contribute to increased productivity and production in aquaculture. Their analytics solutions provide enhanced transparency and traceability of the food production system.

Job creation: Ace Aquatec plans on hiring people for 8 new positions in Research and Development to further innovate aquaculture systems.

Indirect

Promotion of responsible aquaculture: Ace Aquatec offers safe and rapid fish stunning methods that reduce fish stress and meet welfare standards for humane stunning. In farms that implement Ace stunner solutions, significant staff welfare and working conditions improvements can be observed.

Indicadores de impacto
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jobs

created by our projects

Contribución a los Objetivos de Desarrollo Sostenible
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Sobre el promotor

About

Ace Aquatec Limited

Ace Aquatec fue fundada en 2007, con Nathan Pyne-Carter tomando las riendas del negocio familiar en 2012. La sede de la empresa está en Dundee, Escocia, con oficinas satélites en Chile, Canadá y Noruega, con un equipo total de 67 miembros.

El negocio fue creado para abordar algunos de los mayores desafíos en la acuicultura. En particular, la falta de datos sobre las causas de mortalidades excesivas o ineficiencias en la producción motivó al promotor a desarrollar una cámara que proporciona información inteligente para mejorar la producción y el bienestar de los peces.

Cada una de las tres categorías de productos de Ace Aquatec ha sido distinguida con premios de innovación:

Aturdidores eléctricos sumergidos: los únicos sistemas que garantizan una cosecha humana.
Cámaras: proporcionan a los agricultores biomasa precisa de sus peces a medida que crecen, ayudando a mejorar la alimentación y la cosecha.
Dispositivos acústicos: proporcionan tecnología de sonido basada en el bienestar para proteger los entornos marinos y alejar a las focas de las granjas de salmón.

Sitio web del promotor

https://www.aceaquatec.com

Equipo

[{"id":151,"promoter_id":309,"name":"Nathan Pyne-Carter","description":"Nathan has developed the business from a £20k turnover into an investor-backed business; he is also named inventor on ten company patents. He holds a BA Hons from Clare College, Cambridge University and was recognized with the Tayside and Fife IoD Regional Director of the Year Award in 2020, and the National Director of the Year for Innovation Award in 2019. Nathan spearheads the strategic and creative vision for the company.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/nathan-pyne-carter-b013a769/","role":"Chief Executive Officer","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/69e/217/e14/69e217e14bdd8094752834.png","avatar_id":221174},{"id":152,"promoter_id":309,"name":"Alan Macleod","description":"Alan brings over 20 years’ experience in financial leadership across diverse sectors including technology, construction, energy and oil & gas. Before Ace Aquatec, he served as a Director at N4 Partners and as CFO and board director at Allrig, where he led a major international businesses re-organisation Alan’s extensive experience in strategy, finance, and transformation drives value in complex, competitive markets. Alan leads financial strategy and performance to drive sustainable growth and profitability.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/alan-macleod-35820436/","role":"Chief Financial Officer","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/69e/217/f82/69e217f821777287042407.png","avatar_id":221175},{"id":153,"promoter_id":309,"name":"Keith Davidson","description":"Keith has over 35 years’ experience in leading global technology teams across various sectors. He has managed teams in the USA, Canada, India, China, Europe, and Asia, and has worked with technology companies at every stage, from start-ups to multinational corporations. Keith leads technology strategy and innovation to drive product performance and scalability.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/keithadavidson/","role":"Chief Technology Officer","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/69e/218/046/69e21804688c8822752809.png","avatar_id":221176},{"id":154,"promoter_id":309,"name":"Tara McGregor-Woodhams","description":"Tara has over 29 years of experience in building brands and running high-profile marketing strategies for FTSE 100 clients in the UK and Internationally. Prior to joining Ace Aquatec, she headed up Brand strategy Marketing and Communication teams at Aegon and Standard Life. She led full-service agency teams for clients including Shell, Diageo, Adidas, Tesco, Marks & Spencer, and Cadbury Schweppes in the UK and India. Tara leads commercial strategy and marketing to drive brand growth and impact.","link":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/tara-mcgregor-woodhams-14b3539/","role":"Chief Sales & Marketing Officer","member_photo":"https://991934249232-prod-octobercms-public-storage.s3.eu-west-1.amazonaws.com/public/69e/218/1a5/69e2181a584db549912940.png","avatar_id":221177}]

Modelo de negocio
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