Hamburg-based AquaNab has secured investment to advance its nanoantibody platform, initially targeting sea lice in salmon farming and developing feed-administered treatments for aquaculture diseases.
Tamara Djurickovic4 minutes ago
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.
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