Catchwise, an Oslo-based company transforming the wild fishery industry, announced the close of a €1.25 million pre-Seed funding round to ensure product market fit across various fisheries and the development of its operational-at-sea AI solution.
The round was led by Dreamcraft Ventures, followed by Sondo and Ocean Impact, with additional participation from angel investors with strong startup-backgrounds at companies such as Oda, Enode and Meltwater.
“This funding milestone is a key enabler for us to lean in and give the fishing industry the modern software they deserve, as well as a nod from the international investment community that there is significant value to be created here,” said Ludvig Løddesøl, CFO and Co-founder of Catchwise.
Catchwise was founded in 2023 by Ludvig A. Løddesøl, Tomas Roaldsnes, Jonas Dammen, Kristian Andersen Hole, and Åsmund Brekke, bringing together AI expertise and experience from the commercial fishing industry. This was brought about shortly after they won the FishAI: Sustainable Commercial Fishing competition in 2022.
Their mission is to merge modern web technology with advanced AI and extensive data sources. Fully operational since March 2024, Catchwise is headquartered in Oslo with temporary offices in Ålesund and maintains regular engagements in coastal cities.
Today, the platform supports over 50 vessels daily and serves 20 paying customers who together manage more than 50 fishing vessels.
“Before Catchwise, I spent a lot of time jumping between different data sources to extract the information I needed; now I have everything in one place,” said Jón Poulsen, first mate, Ishavet (Bluewild).
According to Catchwise, fishing vessels provide the world with some of the greenest animal protein available while navigating vast and often dangerous oceans. These vessels can spend weeks or months at sea—burning thousands of liters of fuel daily— to fill their sustainably set quotas that protect shared ocean resources.
In doing so, Catchwise looks to contribute to UN sustainability goals for life below water and climate action, ensuring that the world receives even more low-CO₂ protein sustainably.
Traditionally, reducing fuel consumption meant investing in new gear or vessels to achieve incremental improvements. Catchwise aims to break that mold.
By integrating SAT-AIS (satellite ship tracking) data, 20 years of fishery records, and comprehensive ocean metrics—such as temperature, salinity levels, and more—Catchwise delivers actionable insights that empower fishing captains to optimise their operations. Its platform consolidates real-time visualisations, predictive analytics, and operations automations into one solution.
“The predictions proved to be accurate when we arrived at the fishing grounds and even provided an indication of the expected catch,” added Ove Brennskag, Skipper, Gadus Njord (Lerøy Havfisk)
While the platform is still evolving, it promises to significantly reduce search time and eventually cut fuel consumption by up to 50%.
“The Catchwise team brings unparalleled expertise and innovation to solving the commercial fishing industry’s most pressing challenges. By harnessing AI and data-driven technology, they are transforming fishing practices for a more efficient, cost-effective, and sustainable future. Their cutting-edge solution is already delivering increased catch efficiency, reduced operational costs, and a lower carbonfootprint—ushering in a new era for the industry,” said Daniel Mariussen, Dreamcraft Ventures
“Catchwise is exactly the type of team that we love to partner with! They combine a deep understanding of data and AI with customer obsession, and they’re not aiming to incrementally improve anything – they’re aiming to change the fishing industry entirely; making it truly data driven and more sustainable,” according to Henrik Hatlebrekke, Sondo.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/03/setting-sail-catchwise-nets-e1-25-million-to-reel-in-ai-for-the-wild-fishery-industry/
