July 13, 2018

Dutch animal and aquaculture feed specialist Nutreco announced it has made an undisclosed investment in Israel-based ViAqua, producer of the first orally-administered treatment for shrimp that strengthen their resistance to viral diseases.  Through this investment, Nutreco will acquire a “meaningful minority share” in the company. Israel’s Trendlines and Haifa’s Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, both existing investors in ViAqua,  also participated in the round.

Nutreco, which has a presence in over 90 countries across five continents through its two brands Skretting and Trouw Nutrition, sees the investment as aligning with its mission of “Feeding the Future” in a world with limited resources amid growing demand for high quality shrimp, fish, and meat from a growing population.

“Preventing and treating disease, particularly viral infections, is one of the biggest challenges facing the aquaculture industry today,” said Knut Nesse, CEO of Nutreco.  “In shrimp farming alone, diseases cause 10-20 percent losses. Working together with Viaqua, we will be able to offer targeted solutions to reduce and prevent disease.”

Silent Shrimp

The world loves shrimp, making it the most valuable globally-traded marine product today, according to the World Wildlife Fund.  And, with a growth rate of 10 percent per year, shrimp farming is the fastest growing category in the aquaculture industry. However, disease poses one of most serious risks for both producers and investors in the industry.

In response, ViAqua has developed a biological formulation feeding solution that employs a proprietary RNAi particle formulation that prompts a cell reaction, disabling, or “silencing” viral infections. These food-grade coated particles are non-GMO and present a much easier treatment compared to the traditional method of injecting shellfish one at a time.

“The solution that ViAqua has developed is a unique and highly innovative way of combating disease in shrimp,” said Viggo Halseth, chief innovation officer for Nutreco and head of Nutreco NuFrontiers, the company’s venture investment arm. “This is a very relevant technology to handle a significant health challenge and has convincing proof-of-concept. ViAqua is exactly the kind of innovative and technological partner we want to be working with in future.”

The two companies have also forged a commercialization agreement under which Nutreco’s aquaculture division, Skretting, will work with ViAqua to bring its technology to market.

“We are excited to have strategic investors of the caliber of Nutreco aboard and the strength of the joint agreement with Skretting,” said Shai Ufaz, CEO and co-founder of ViAqua. “Nutreco and Skretting’s combined resources and rich knowledge of the aquafeed industry will provide ViAqua with an outstanding opportunity to develop technologies with the right fit for the market. We look forward to collaborating, learning, and contributing our knowledge and expertise, to the common benefit of ViAqua, Nutreco and Skretting.”

-Lynda Kiernan