KOA Biotech raises €2M for early disease detection for fish farms

Aquaculture production startup KOA Biotech raised €2 million in funding. 

More than half of the fish consumed comes from aquaculture production. However, as highlighted by Sira Mogas, CEO and founder of KOA, “infections in fish farms are a growing problem, causing losses of up to 30 per cent of production (economically estimated globally at over $6 billion).”

KOA was born as a spin-off of Pompeu Fabra University, based on its founder’s doctoral thesis. 

The company aims to become a reference in the diagnosis and prevention of diseases in aquaculture, promoting sustainable practices and contributing to the global growth of this industry.

Using biotechnological tools, KOA Biotech has developed a biosensor system that, combined with proprietary algorithms, forms an autonomous device capable of early detection of waterborne infections. 

This makes it possible to implement preventive measures in production systems to prevent the spread of infections in water, reducing mortality caused by infectious pathogens and the use of antibiotics in fish farms. 

Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech led the funding round, which included Fund-F and Faber.

According to  Nora Alonso, General Partner of Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech:

“Investing in technological and innovative companies like KOA is key for the development and value creation based on the research conducted in this sector in Spain, as well as a lever for the development and differentiation of the country's agri-food sector, with a global impact. 

 This investment round will enable KOA not only to advance its technological development and consolidate its technology in the sector but also to implement its commercial plan.

Lead image: KOA Biotech. Photo: uncredited.