Barcelona-based KOA Biotech today announces it has raised a €2 million investment round to develop solutions for the aquaculture sector, specifically a biosensor system that detects waterborne infections in fish farms before they spread, reducing mortality rates, antibiotic use and environmental impact.
Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech led the round, with Fund-F and Faber also participating.
More than half of the fish consumed comes from aquaculture production. However, as highlighted by Sira Mogas, CEO and Founder of KOA, “infections in fish farms are a growing problem, causing losses of up to 30% of production (economically estimated globally at over $6 billion).”
Founded in 2021, KOA was born as a spin-off of Pompeu Fabra University, based on Mogas’ doctoral thesis. The company objective is to become a reference in the diagnosis and prevention of diseases in aquaculture, promoting sustainable practices and contributing to the global growth of this industry.
KOA Biotech is structured around three key pillars: biotechnology, data engineering, and hardware development.
Using biotechnological tools, KOA Biotech has developed a biosensor system that, combined with proprietary algorithms, forms an autonomous device capable of early detection of waterborne infections. This enables to implement preventive measures in production systems to prevent the spread of infections in water, reducing mortality caused by infectious pathogens and the use of antibiotics in fish farms.
According to KOA, their biosensor monitors water 10x more frequent than current solutions.
Their solution is based on an innovative hybrid technology that combines living organisms which can detect pathogens of interest, and a micro-electronic interface to transform the signals in an online platform. This information is thresholded to send early-warning alerts when a certain pathogen is exceeding its relative abundance.
According to KOA, one of the major problems arising in aquaculture facilities is the presence of bacterial and viral infections. Recognising the global demand for protein sources amid a growing population and the crucial role aquaculture can play, they are developing a solution to address this market need while overcoming key challenges, including:
- The need for specialised technicians
- Sample collection and logistics for laboratory analysis
- Delayed detection, as samples are only sent after mortality signs appear
- Reliance on antibiotics to combat infections
Swanlaab emphasises that KOA’s technology enables the optimisation of natural resource usage, reduces environmental impact, and addresses critical challenges such as production, food security, and climate change.
As Nora Alonso, General Partner of Swanlaab Innvierte Agrifood-Tech, highlights, “investing in technological and innovative companies like KOA is key for the development and value creation based on the research conducted in this sector in Spain, as well as a lever for the development and differentiation of the country’s agri-food sector, with a global impact. Additionally, it represents an opportunity to attract foreign investment in this sector, as in the case of KOA, which in this investment round has the participation of two international impact funds, Fund-F and FABER.”
This investment round will enable KOA not only to advance its technological development and consolidate its technology in the sector but also to implement its commercial plan, ensuring the company’s future growth.
Swanlaab Venture Factory is a VC firm in Spain with a team with an extensive experience in investing in startups in Spain and Israel for over 20 years in diverse sectors such as B2B Software, Biotech, and Agrifood-Tech. The Swanlaab team has founded and managed their own startups, led renowned VC funds, and supported the launch of over 200 companies into the market, with a clear purpose of helping Spanish entrepreneurs succeed globally.
Read the orginal article: https://www.eu-startups.com/2025/02/koa-biotech-makes-a-splash-with-e2-million-to-fight-fish-farm-infections/
