German biotech AquaNab secures funding to tackle sea lice with nanoantibodies

Hamburg-based biotechnology startup AquaNab has secured investment from Nordic Foodtech VC to advance its nanoantibody platform for treating and preventing diseases in aquaculture. The investment marks the Finnish early-stage venture capital firm's first investment outside the Nordic region.

Founded in Hamburg by Dr Ruth Tamara Montero, Dr Alejandro Rojas Fernandez and Gunnar Johildarson, AquaNab is developing precision immunotherapies for aquaculture, initially focusing on sea lice, one of the most persistent challenges facing salmon farming.

The parasite is estimated to cost the global aquaculture industry around $4 billion annually through treatment expenses, production losses and fish mortality. Existing chemical and mechanical delousing methods can also raise concerns around fish welfare and environmental impact, increasing demand for alternative approaches.

To address the problem, the company is developing precision nanoantibodies, called AquaNabs, that can be administered to fish through feed. According to AquaNab, its research has demonstrated that the alpaca-derived nanoantibodies can cross the fish's intestinal barrier and enter the bloodstream, offering a potentially less invasive approach to protecting fish against disease.

AquaNab CEO Dr Ruth Tamara Montero said improving animal welfare and fish health remains a major challenge for sustainable aquaculture, highlighting the need for more effective tools to help producers protect their fish:

Sea lice is just the start. Right now, producers are stuck choosing between costly, stressful treatments and losses from the parasite itself. We want to give them a way out of that cycle, one that protects their fish, their business, and helps secure the future of food.

The company's first product is being developed for Atlantic salmon, while the underlying platform is designed to be adapted to bacterial, viral and parasitic diseases affecting other aquaculture species.

The investment from Nordic Foodtech VC will support further development of the technology as AquaNab advances its lead programme towards completing proof of concept, expands collaborations with salmon producers, feed manufacturers and animal health companies, and works towards the commercialisation of its first products.