Open Projects
Oceano Fresco II
Share
75.000 €
Settled by the promoter
instalment
monthly
term
4 years
yearly interest
5.5%
risk rating
B-
Oceano Fresco is going to install the first open sea off-shore clam farm in the world in the south of Portugal (Algarve). The installation will happen in 2020 and it will occupy 100 ha, 5 km from Lagos/Alvor coast.
This is the second campaign the promoter funds through Goparity after having raised 75.000€ successfully, an amount that was used to order the cables, chains, concrete blocks, buoys and lanterns that are needed to set up the farm. The company has since then raised a 3.8M€ investment from BlueCrow Capital, a BioEconomy-focused venture capital fund.
The structure of the clam farm will be composed of submersed horizontal cables, on which lanterns (plates wrapped in a mesh) will be placed and where the clams will be cultivated.
The farm is fundamental to complete the biological cultivation cycle because, after the spawning and hatchery phase, clams need to grow-out until the adult edible size, promoting environmental sustainability and raising the satisfaction and the security level for the final consumer. At the off-shore farm, the clams find the perfect conditions to complete the cycle, with a natural source of food and perfect abiotic conditions.
Besides that, Oceano Fresco is building a bio marine centre in Nazaré to produce the clam seeds that will be cultivated in the Algarve’s farm, the first off-shore clam farm in the world, allowing control of all of the value chain.
Ecosystems provide essential services such as food, fresh water, clean air and shelter. They mitigate natural disasters, pests and diseases and help regulate the climate. A sustainable ‘blue economy’ will play a central role in alleviating the multiple demands on land resources and in tackling climate change. The sector can contribute by promoting a sustainable use of aquatic and marine resources and by providing an alternative source of protein that can relieve pressure on agricultural land.
In the next 50 years, it is predicted that the search for protein will grow exponentially. The cultivation of clams is one of the most sustainable alternative sources of protein used nowadays with less environmental impact, as no chemicals or artificial feeds are used; the clams have a filtering function fighting aquatic pollution; and they capture CO2 in their shell formation.
Once installed, the off-shore farm will have the capacity to capture 266,73 tonnes of CO2 per year, based on annual production estimated of 600 tonnes of clams.
Click here to read the article "Can the ocean feed us sustainably?" written by the promoter.
CO2 avoided per year
Hectares for biodiversity
jobs created
The off-shore farm will have a total investment of 3,1M€, of which 1,5M€ was secured by the MAR2020 program and 800K€ by the company's own capital. Puromar wants to fund the remaining amount via various campaigns with Goparity. This is the second tranche of funding, after they raised 75.000€
Download Key Investment Information Sheet
This project is secured with guarantee from the holding company, Oceano Fresco, SA.
Puromar Lda is a subsidiary of Oceano Fresco SA and provides the service of the grown-out production in the open sea farm in the Algarve.
Oceano Fresco was founded in 2015 by Bernardo Ferreira de Carvalho. The company is focused on sustainable aquaculture of high-value bivalves (European clams), using scientific research and methods and an innovative approach in the systematic improvement of aquaculture. The company's motto is: “we can regenerate nature if we farm and eat better”. Oceano Fresco is led by a Board of five Directors with scientific, financial, and business experience, including launching and scaling up of start-ups. They are supported by a growing Operational Team (40 people) covering R&D, production, business, and several Advisory Board members with world-renowned fish breeding experts.
The company has built a state-of-the-art Biomarine Center, including a hatchery, labs, and offices in central Portugal, as well as a 100-hectare sea farm off the coast of the Algarve region. With these rare and complementary assets, the company will apply advanced selection and breeding methods to native European clam species of high nutritional and market value, which are presently being replaced in the market by their low-value Asian counterparts (low organoleptic value).
The revenue source of Oceano Fresco is the high quality and value clam sale, where the market demand greatly exceeds the supply. The production will mainly be sold in Europe but also exported for sale to other regions such as Japan and South Korea. By controlling several steps in the value creation chain, Oceano Fresco is poised to become a leading producer of clams and eventually other bivalves in the foreseeable future. Over the last few years, the Company’s unique value proposition has led to it being awarded approximately 12 million euros in competitive grants and 7.5M€ in seed-stage equity investments.
The Company expects to reach a turnover of €9m in less than 3 years, and of €250m in a matter of 7 years. So far, it has reached out to over 50 potential customers (among shellfish distributors and supermarkets). Their intention to buy at the prices established in the business model largely exceeds the company’s production capacity in the first years, a positive sign for the company to achieve the predicted turnover.
Oceano Fresco has already assembled a world-class team of international advisors, managers, scientists, breeders, and technicians. Oceano Fresco aims to become a game-changer in the €20 billion shellfish market, contributing to higher levels of sustainability in European and global food production.
Active since
2014
Fiscal country
PT
Operating In
Portugal
Industry
Aquaculture
Number of Goparity Loans
9
Women Shareholders
No
Website
http://www.oceano-fresco.pt/2024-06-14
This project has successfully reached its payments plan maturity. All investors have received their full capital invested and interest. Nevertheless, its impact will keep growing for many more years!
2021-02-18
By the end of March, Oceano Fresco plans to achieve:
2020-07-16
First instalment was paid to all the investors
2020-06-15
275 investors successfully raised 75.000 €
2020-05-22
The promoter decided to increase the total amount of the project from €50.000 to €75.000, maintaining the end date of the campaign on 13/06/2020.
2020-05-13
This campaign will help capture the emission of 99.4 tons of CO2 per year