Founded October 2015
Stage Technology development
Investor Trendlines Incubators Israel, Archer Daniels Midland, Agriline
CEO Nissim Chen, PhD. MBA
AquiNovo brings a disruptive technology to growing markets, addressing food crisis and surging demand for animal protein.
AquiNovo develops proprietary, non-GMO, non-hormonal, specialty feed additives that increase fish yield and revenues whilst improving fish feed utilization leading to a reduction in feed cost. The value proposition for fish farms is thus higher fish yields at an increased profit. First products target tilapia (second largest farmed fish for human consumption) and future products will target additional species such as salmon, carp and shrimp. AquiNovo will sell its products to feed producers to be incorporated into their feed and sold to fish farms.
Beyond the immense business opportunity, AquiNovo’s technology has a clear positive impact on sustainability and societies. It promotes the achievement of UN Sustainable Development Goals (SGD’s) such as preserving fish population in the sea (SDG 14), providing food security and reducing hunger and poverty (SGD’s 1 and 2) and responsible production (SDG 12).
AquiNovo is now funding on ExitValley
>20 years’ experience in technology commercialization and international business development in biotech and agbio; former VP Business Development, FuturaGene Group; Director of Business Development, Ramot, Tel Aviv University technology transfer company; PhD, biology, Hebrew University of Jerusalem; MBA, Tel Aviv University
>38 years’ proven track record in strategic planning, production, and operations in pharmaceutical and chemical industries. Former CEO, ChemAgis and Agis Industries; board member of various biotech firms; MSc, mechanical engineering, Ben-Gurion University of the Negev; BSc, chemical engineering Technion-Israel Institute of Technology
Expert in fish endocrinology and neurology, strong scientific track record as well as lab establishment and management; PhD, biology, Tel Aviv University; MSc and BSc, animal sciences, Agriculture Faculty, Hebrew University of Jerusalem
The global demand for fish is growing faster than ever, whilst our oceans are losing more and more of their fish populations. Aquaculture has therefore grown immensely in the last 30 years while capture of fish from the seas remained steady. In 2019 alone the aquaculture industry produced 120 million tonne of products valued at $274 billion.
AquiNovo addresses the $2 billion Aquafeed additives (2019) and since target receptors exist in terrestrial animals as well, this market will be further expended into the $38 billion market of feed additives for land animals.
