Canadian start-up ReelData AI, a company leveraging AI to provide customized data and automation to land-based farmers, closed an US$8M Series A funding round led by Buoyant Ventures. Additional investment was also provided by S2G Ventures and The Nest Family Office.
With more than 3 billion people in the world currently relying on seafood as a significant source of protein, land-based aquaculture will be a critical part of the equation for feeding the world’s rapidly growing population. According to the UN Food and Agriculture Organization, aquaculture production is projected to reach 109 million tonnes in 2030.
“Scaling the global land-based aquaculture industry is critical in both our fight against climate change and our ability to feed a growing population,” said Mathew Zimola, co-founder and CEO of ReelData. “ReelData’s farmer-first approach has informed our deep understanding of the pain points that our partners are facing when it comes to scalability. Our ability to solve those problems through the use of AI and automation is helping to push the boundaries of our industry’s capabilities.”
Aquaculture is one of the fastest growing segments of food production and its continued pace of expansion rests on scaling land-based operations. These facilities are complex and require real-time, accurate decision-making. ReelData intends to use the funding it has raised to develop a precise and autonomous operating system to unlock the future of land-based aquaculture and the sustainability advancements it promises.
“Our investment in ReelData represents our belief that advancing sustainable seafood production is critical for both the health of our planet and its people. We look forward to working closely with them on their mission to become the premiere digital solution for the land-based aquaculture industry,” said Amy Francetic, managing general partner and co-founder of Buoyant Ventures.
ReelData’s ReelAppetite identifies real-time population appetite and adjusts feed levels accordingly to maximize biomass while limiting waste. This technology has helped save companies up to $2-3 million USD on wasted feed per 10,000 MT annual production – in addition to related savings generated from increased growth rate and reduced production risks.
“Following our initial investment, we have been continuously impressed by the innovation and sustainability-related benefits that ReelData is bringing to the table,” said Larsen Mettler, managing director at S2G Ventures. “The company’s pace and efficiency in bringing new technologies to the sector are unparalleled and driving impressive results for its partners, enabling them to increase growth while decreasing costs and environmental impact.”
ReelData’s latest offering is ReelBiomass, a biomass estimation camera system built from the ground up for RAS and flow through systems. The ReelBiomass technology can monitor the size, weight and distribution of fish populations with high degrees of accuracy, removing the need for intrusive weigh-ins, which cause high levels of stress for the fish and ultimately decrease its growth rate.
