Atlantic Fish Co. Raises $1.2M Seed Round Led by Katapult Ocean to Advance Cultivated Whitefish Development
Atlantic Fish Co., the Raleigh, North Carolina–based cultivated seafood startup, has successfully closed a $1.2 million seed financing round as it advances its work bringing sustainable, cell‑cultivated whitefish to market. The round includes participation from several mission‑aligned investment partners and builds on prior non‑dilutive grant funding that the company has secured to date.
The most recent funding round was led by Norway’s ocean impact venture Katapult Ocean, a fund specializing in supporting early‑stage companies that address ocean health, climate resilience, and sustainable food systems. Other investors participating in the seed round include Alwyn Capital, DMV Capital, and the Georgetown Angel Investment Network (GAIN). Atlantic Fish Co. also received a $305,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation, bringing its total disclosed funding to approximately $2.3 million.
Atlantic Fish Co. was founded in 2023 by CEO Doug Grant and chief scientific officer Trevor Ham with a mission to address pressure on global fisheries through cellular agriculture. The company’s proprietary platform enables the cultivation of fish muscle tissue directly from cells, which it says can replicate the texture, flavor, and nutritional profile of conventional seafood without the environmental and health drawbacks of wild‑caught or farmed fish. The startup has demonstrated its technology across multiple proteins, but has chosen to focus initially on high‑value whitefish species, particularly black sea bass, as its first commercial product.
According to the company, the new capital will be used to refine the texture, flavor, and nutritional profile of its cultivated seafood products, prepare for regulatory submissions and consultations, and engage chefs and foodservice partners to validate market fit. Atlantic Fish Co. plans to pursue pre‑market consultations with the U.S. Food and Drug Administration ahead of a projected launch in the United States, leveraging early collaborations with culinary professionals and distributors to build initial distribution channels.
The cultivated seafood category—which includes proteins grown directly from fish or animal cells—is seen by its proponents as a sustainable alternative to conventional seafood production, offering potential reductions in mercury, microplastics, antibiotics, and parasite exposure. Atlantic Fish Co. positions its technology as applicable across a range of species, though its initial go‑to‑market strategy centers on whitefish that face supply constraints through traditional aquaculture and wild harvesting.
In addition to the seed equity financing, Atlantic Fish Co. has benefited from a series of grants and early‑stage support that underscore its position in the burgeoning alternative protein landscape. In August 2025 it received a $305,000 SBIR grant from the National Science Foundation. It has also previously received funding from the state’s North Carolina Biotechnology Center under its Emerging Company Development program and won a $50,000 SEED grant from NC IDEA, a private foundation supporting early‑stage ventures in North Carolina. These non‑dilutive resources have bolstered the company’s ability to pursue research and development while preserving equity.
The participation of Katapult Ocean and other impact‑oriented investors reflects a growing interest in alternative seafood and blue food innovation among venture capital firms that emphasize sustainability and ocean health. Katapult Ocean’s investment manager Sam Selig said the Atlantic Fish team’s progress toward a commercial‑ready product aligns with the fund’s mission to support companies developing ocean‑ and health‑friendly solutions with meaningful market opportunity.
Atlantic Fish Co.’s success in closing this seed round comes at a time when investment in cultivated meat and seafood has faced headwinds, with total industry funding down from peak levels in recent years. The startup’s capital‑efficient approach and targeted product strategy aim to position it for regulatory milestones and early market traction, an important step in demonstrating that cell‑cultivated seafood can be produced at scale with real consumer appeal.
