German aquaculture technology company Oceanloop has secured up to €38.5 million in financing to expand its software-driven recirculating aquaculture systems and scale commercial production of Giant Grouper in Europe. The financing combines new equity commitments from Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund and Stolt Ventures with a €32 million venture-debt facility from the European Investment Bank, backed by the European Union’s InvestEU program. Oceanloop plans to use the capital to develop a 250-ton production facility near Kiel and advance a larger 2,000-ton commercial farm in Gran Canaria.
Scaling Commercial Production in Germany
Oceanloop has spent more than a decade developing land-based marine aquaculture technologies through a combination of engineering, biology, water treatment, software, and commercial farming expertise. The company began selling Giant Grouper from its existing site in Strande near Kiel in April 2026 through sister company Honest Catch, with the facility expected to produce about 20 tons this year and roughly 40 tons in 2027. Construction of a new farm at the site is expected to begin by the end of 2026, adding annual production capacity of approximately 250 tons.
The Kiel development will serve both as a commercial farming operation and as a reference site for future Oceanloop facilities. It will integrate production with biological research, laboratory services, digital monitoring, software development, operator training, and continued optimization of areas including feeding, animal welfare, and energy efficiency. Data collected from the facility will be used to refine Oceanloop’s standardized farm design and operating model before deployment at larger sites.
Gran Canaria Expansion
Following the Kiel project, Oceanloop intends to develop a substantially larger facility in Gran Canaria capable of producing around 2,000 tons of Giant Grouper annually. The company already operates a local subsidiary and is progressing with planning, site development, and other preparatory activities, with construction currently targeted to begin in 2029. The planned farm would integrate hatchery operations, production, processing, digital farm management, and quality control within a single industrial-scale platform.
Oceanloop has selected Giant Grouper as the lead species for the commercial rollout of its own European farms, positioning it as a premium locally produced alternative to seafood imported over long distances. Its recirculating aquaculture technology is modular and software-controlled, allowing it to be adapted for different species, locations, and production scales. The company also continues to develop land-based shrimp farming applications and is exploring international licensing arrangements, joint ventures, and strategic partnerships.
New Strategic and Financial Backers
Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund has joined Oceanloop as the new lead equity investor, bringing specialist knowledge of aquaculture investment, farm economics, biology, and international seafood markets. Stolt Ventures, the investment arm of Stolt-Nielsen, has also invested and provides Oceanloop with access to the group’s extensive aquaculture experience through Stolt Sea Farm, which has operated in premium seafood farming for more than five decades. Oceanloop said the combination of financial backing and operating expertise will support its transition from proven technology to repeatable commercial-scale deployment.
The European Investment Bank is supporting the expansion through a €32 million venture-debt facility originally signed in October 2024 and amended in July 2026 to include Giant Grouper farming. The financing is intended to support research, development, and innovation activities in Germany as well as Oceanloop’s planned expansion in Spain. According to the company, the long-term funding structure will allow it to invest in infrastructure, technology, and biological capabilities that can be difficult to finance exclusively through traditional startup equity.
Founded in its current form in 2023 through the combination of several German land-based aquaculture businesses and technologies, Oceanloop is building an integrated platform for premium marine seafood production. Led by founder and CEO Dr. Fabian Riedel and founder and CTO Dr. Bert Wecker, the company combines proprietary recirculating systems with operational expertise, software, laboratory capabilities, and direct market access. With up to €38.5 million in financing secured, Oceanloop is now moving into an industrial-scale expansion phase aimed at establishing Giant Grouper farming in Europe and deploying its aquaculture technology internationally.