Bivalves Hatchery II

Increasing productivity in Oceano Fresco's nursery.

Resumo do investimento

Categoria de impacto

Economia azul

Tipo de investimento

Empréstimo

Juro anual

7.2

Prazo

meses

Nível de risco

C+

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Oceano Fresco is a shellfish aquaculture company that aims to feed the world sustainably.

This is the promotor's 18th Goparity campaign and the second of the Hatchery series.

This campaign aims to keep financing productivity increases in the bivalve hatchery, to increase the production and consistency of Venerupis corrugata and Ruditapes decussatus seeds throughout the year. More specifically, to improve and increase the productive capacity for cultivating microalgae, which are the unique food of bivalves. In particular:

Keep studying new species and cultivation protocols to increase efficiency in terms of bivalve growth, in its various stages (broodstock, larvae and seed).
Experimental use of Aqualgae photo-bioreactor equipment to increase existing production capacity
Short-term interventions to make use of equipment and increase production capacity
Feasibility study for future CAPEX investment to scale up the hatchery's feeding capacity

The company has raised 3.4 million euros through Goparity's investor community since its first campaign in January 2020:

The amount raised in Oceano Fresco I, II, III, IV, V, and VI campaigns (730,000€) was used to co-finance the installation of the world's first open sea clam farm in Lagos, Algarve. The clams are suspended in the open sea, where they can grow sustainably in their natural environment.
The amount raised in Oceano Fresco Innovation I, II, and III campaigns (500,000€) was used to co-finance two research and development (R&D) projects focused on the cultivation of clams and one project in the area of food innovation. The R&D projects in the areas of genetics and pathology are highly innovative worldwide, leading to two incentives totaling 2.0 million. The food innovation project aims to develop new products and packaging to create value and promote sustainable clam consumption.
The amount raised in Oceano Fresco Growth I, II, III, and IV campaigns (1.000.000€) was used for cultivation, operations, sales, marketing, and R&D. The Growth series meant to finance projects that enhance the growth of the company's production to enter the market with a larger sales scale.
The amount raised on Oceano Fresco Farm I, II, and III (750.000€) was used to continue financing projects that enhance and grow the company's production.
The amount raised in Bivalves Hatchery I (400.000€) was used to increase the production and consistency of Venerupis corrugata and Ruditapes decussatus seeds throughout the year.

Oceano Fresco is a pioneering company in the sustainable, large-scale farming of bivalves. The company started in 2015, and initially focused on studying and creating the scientific foundations for the project. In a second phase, between 2020 and 2021, the company invested in building and operating its main assets, namely the BioMarinho center, including a state-of-the-art hatchery, located in Nazaré and the first open-sea nursery for clams located off Lagos, in the Portuguese region of the Algarve. In a third phase, since 2022, Oceano Fresco has focused on controlling and improving its production process throughout the various stages of the 3-year clam life cycle.

The hatchery stage operates relatively successfully and has already produced over 100 million clam seeds. Its current challenges are maintaining microbiological control, improving its efficiency, and increasing its production capacity. The fattening stage is implemented but holds inherent challenges, related to the pioneering and innovative nature of the operation. Initially, the challenges were operational, linked to scaling and the learning curve, these are now largely under control. Later, the main challenges became linked to open sea farming, where the company continued to improve its processes to find the best fit for the various species of bivalves.

The promoter's main objective remains to achieve market entry with large-scale harvests and revenues. As such, the company has raised support and funding from diverse sources, including bank loans, public subsidies, and equity rounds. The most recent round which took place in December 2023, found support in known existing and new investors. Oceano Fresco has a history of crowdlending with Goparity and its investors who have accompanied the company's development through the various phases and years, enabling the pioneering mission of creating a sustainable, large-scale shellfish farming company.

Qual é o impacto?

Direct Impact

Increase productivity in the bivalve’s production: Oceano Fresco will invest in research and improvements of each phase of the shellfish development in a nursery, to increase productivity throughout the year, maintaining quality and safety.
Promotion of restoration of marine ecosystems: By increasing the production capacity in the nursery, Oceano Fresco implements regenerative cultivation practices that contribute to restoring stocks of these European-native species of bivalves under risk.
Promotion of innovation in the aquaculture industry: in terms of processes and technology, through research and development.

Indirect Impact

Promotion of the marine ecosystem through sustainable marine economic activities: a sustainable alternative to intensive fishing as a source of protein, the sustainable production of clams contributes to the restoration of biodiversity and marine stocks. The bivalves’ cultivation occurs without artificial feed and requires low energy consumption. They filtrate the water improving its quality and absorb CO2 to build their shells.
Promotion of higher level of productivity and job creation decoupled from environmental degradation: Oceano Fresco research and development and biotechnology units in the region of Nazaré represent the creation of economic opportunities and jobs, including highly qualified, in a less-developed region of Portugal. All while striving to restore marine ecosystems, decoupling economic growth from environmental degradation.

Contribuição para os Objetivos de Desenvolvimento Sustentável
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Sobre o promotor

About

Oceano Fresco S.A.

A Oceano Fresco dedica-se à aquicultura sustentável de bivalves de alta qualidade (amêijoas europeias), aplicando métodos científicos e uma abordagem inovadora na produção e um melhoramento sistemático da aquicultura de amêijoas. Fundada em 2015 por Bernardo Ferreira de Carvalho a empresa segue o lema "podemos regenerar a natureza se cultivarmos e comermos melhor", o seu Conselho de Administradores conta com cinco pessoas, com experiência em investigação cientifica, finanças e gestão de negócios, incluindo a criação e crescimento de startups. Tem uma equipa operacional de 43 pessoas, responsável pela investigação e desenvolvimento, produção e suprimento e assuntos administrativos e financeiros. Finalmente, tem ainda um Conselho Consultivo com vários especialistas em crescimento de bivalves e peixe.

A empresa construiu um Centro Bio Marinho de última geração, incluindo maternidade, laboratórios, e escritórios no centro de Portugal, bem como uma viveiro de mar-aberto de 100 hectares ao largo da costa da região do Algarve. Com estes ativos raros e complementares, a empresa aplicará métodos avançados de seleção e reprodução a espécies nativas europeias de amêijoas de alto valor nutritivo e de mercado, que estão atualmente a ser substituídas no mercado pelos seus homólogos asiáticos de baixo valor (baixo valor organoléptico).

A empresa orgulha-se dos seguintes marcos:

(2015-16) Realizou um estudo no terreno em países-chave para a aquicultura, que confirmou o potencial do mercado;
(2015 em diante) Contratou uma equipa altamente qualificada e experiente cobrindo produção e gestão;
(2015 em diante) Recebeu 3.5 milhões de euros em subvenções portuguesas e europeias;
(2016-17) Concluiu projetos de “prova de conceito”, que confirmaram a viabilidade do modelo de negócio;
(2018) Assinou um contrato de concessão de 25 anos para a localização do Centro BioMarinho na Nazaré
(2018) Obteve todas as licenças necessárias por parte das autoridades para operar a maternidade;
(2018) Obteve licença para explorar uma concessão de 103 hectares, para cultivo de ameijoas em mar aberto durante os próximos 30+20 anos;
(2018) Desenvolveu um plano de melhoramento para R. decussatus;
(2018) Estabeleceu um Conselho de Administração com 5 membros, combinando o melhoramento de plantas e peixes com experiência de negócio;
(2018-2020) Obteve 7,5 milhões de euros em diversas rondas de investimento entre 2018 e 2020, por parte de investidores institucionais e individuais;
(2020) Instalou a infraestrutura física da exploração do viveiro no mar;
(2020) Construiu o centro BioMarinho de última geração, incluindo uma maternidade, laboratórios e escritórios
(2020) Compra de um barco com 12 metros, que foi reequipado e melhorado no estaleiro Penimar
(2021) 2,5 milhões de sementes de ameijoa prontas a serem cultivadas;
(2021) Início do processo de engorda das sementes, em alto mar, no Algarve.
(2022) Lançamento do novo barco Oceano Fresco I e construção do centro de embalagem e expedição.
(2023) Reforço do investimento em I&D e inovação, incluindo projetos-chave: Atlanticlam e Pacto pela Bioeconomia Azul
(2024) Reconhecimento como «Campeão Azul da UE» pelo Banco Europeu de Investimento e pela Comissão Europeia no contexto das missões da UE para restaurar os nossos oceanos e águas e conclusão da série de investimentos pela Indico Capital Partners, BPF, BlueCrow e AquaSpark.
(2025) Primeira colheita e venda de ostras planas adultas

Website do promotor

http://www.oceano-fresco.pt/

Equipa
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Modelo de negócio
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