The Ocean 14 Capital Fund is focused on driving a sustainable and regenerative “blue economy” - a sector that uses ocean resources for economic growth and preservation. Following the closing at the end of March, the impact fund has added a host of large institutional investors to its already high-profile list.

Nestlé, HQ Capital and The Green Earth Impact Fund managed by Schroders and BlueOrchard have recently invested in the fund, positioning it as the largest in the blue economy.

Using the United Nations Sustainable Development Goal number 14: Life Below Water as a guiding principle, Ocean 14 Capital Fund invests in entrepreneurs and businesses with big ideas around aquaculture and alternative proteins, reducing plastic waste pollution, protecting ecosystems and marine flora, and ending overfishing.

The Fund aims to act as a tidal surge to supercharge the blue economy, which is expected to be worth $3 trillion by 2030, according to the OECD. At the same time, it will provide jobs to 40 million people (OECD;pg2).

Dan Smith, Head of Nestlé Purina’s Global Business Unit: “The world's oceans have suffered from overfishing, pollution, and climate change, resulting in the dramatic loss of marine habitats.  That's why we are delighted to collaborate with the Ocean 14 Capital Fund I, a visionary partner that is at the forefront of exploring this field. Together, we aim to drive innovation and create positive change by preserving and harnessing the power of the ocean’s resources to ensure a more sustainable future. We recognise the potential within the blue economy and are dedicated to seizing the opportunities it presents.”

Natalie Wong, Investment Director, Schroders Capital and Daniel Freedman, Senior Portfolio Manager, BlueOrchard said: “We are thrilled to be investors in the Ocean 14 Fund I which marks a key milestone as The Green Earth Impact Fund’s first dedicated investment in the Blue Economy. Green Earth Impact Fund which is jointly managed by BlueOrchard and Schroders aims to create broad-based climate impact in areas including ocean and land-based preservation and restoration. We believe this investment has great potential to deliver on our impact goals while also generating attractive financial returns.”

Chris Gorell Barnes, Co-Founder of Ocean 14 Capital Limited said: “Oceans are the critical life-support system for life on earth. The ocean provides half the oxygen we breathe, it absorbs half the carbon, it feeds the world, and it employs hundreds of millions of people. If it’s not functioning it will be game over for humanity. Institutions are now awakening to the fact that we need to overhaul the capital market to stand a chance of averting the climate crisis.”

He continues: “That is why the Ocean 14 Capital Fund was launched, to bring in the necessary capital to transform the blue economy and make it sustainable and regenerative, to protect and restore the ocean's health and make sure this vital economy can prosper. It's a huge testament to the team and their strategy that in this environment, they have obtained investment from like-minded investors who share the desire to make a difference - to help preserve a flourishing ocean, maintain precious marine ecosystems, and protect global food security across the globe. Looking forward, the most sustainable businesses will be the most valuable, so this is an exciting investment opportunity encapsulating innovation and technology to create truly transformational businesses.”

Sheila Gungadin, Head of Investor Relations at the Ocean 14 Capital added: “The fundraising for the Ocean 14 Capital Fund has been a tremendous success, we are grateful for the support of all our investors especially in this current fundraising environment, with the ongoing succession of macro and geopolitical challenges. We are proud of our diverse LP base and appreciative of their conviction in our team and strategy and their trust in us.”

To date, the Ocean 14 Capital Fund has made 14 investments and deployed over €60m.

Investments within the portfolio include:

• SyAqua is a supplier of genetics and early-stage nutrition to the shrimp hatchery market, with a historical focus on Asia. Two main business units: a shrimp genetic business selling broodstock, nauplii, and post-Larvae (PL), and a nutrition business producing and selling micro-encapsulated feeds
• Bureo has pioneered turning harmful discarded fishing nets into recycled raw materials used by brands such as Patagonia, Toyota, and Trek. With collection programmes in six countries, 1,000+ tonnes of discarded nets are collected yearly and recycled Nylon is sold to 20+ brand partners under the company’s NetPlus trademark.
• AquaExchange is a technology platform that leverages data analytics on shrimp and fish production to reduce crop expenses, manage crop finance, and automate procurement and harvest facilitation for aquaculture farmers. It uses patented IoT devices and fintech services to enhance transparency and efficiency and so improve productivity and profitability for the aquaculture ecosystem.
• Sofar unlocks ocean data for science, society, and industry. In maritime shipping, its high-accuracy weather forecasts and vessel performance models provide optimised guidance that saves ships time, fuel, and emissions. In marine sensing, its extensible Spotter platform delivers real-time surface and subsurface data to power climate research and solutions.
• The Kingfish Company headquartered in The Netherlands has developed a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) to become the largest producer of high-value yellowtail kingfish in the European market and paving the way for RAS technology to become a disruptive source of protein in a potential $2.1 trillion global market.
• Ava Ocean’s low-impact seabed harvesting technology allows seafood such as scallops to be collected while still protecting ocean ecosystems, biodiversity and carbon sinks. The technology currently being used aboard the company’s ship to catch scallops in the Barents Sea, can be rolled out globally to replace the destructive practice of dredging.
• WellFish is an aquaculture-diagnostics start-up currently offering rapid fish health assessment for the aquaculture industry through blood-based clinical chemistry analysis. The diagnostics technology uses blood biomarkers and artificial intelligence to determine the health status of fish, enabling fish farmers to monitor and improve the health and welfare of their fish stocks to optimise production.
• MITO applies technology, know-how and best-practice to clam farming, boosting the bivalve industry in Europe.
• Tilabras thinks differently. Their focus is the best way to raise healthy, tasty fish in the most sustainable way. They currently farm thousands of metric tons of fresh tilapia a year, benefiting from the outstanding water conditions of the Parana River. The tilapia are managed throughout their lifecycle, from egg to harvest, to ensure they are raised with the utmost care.
• AION guides their customers to shift their plastic waste challenges into valuable solutions. AION’s team of experts achieve this by conducting detailed analyses on their customers' plastic product value chain and provide a roadmap towards reducing their virgin plastic use, incorporating recycled plastic, and avoiding plastic waste generation.
• goodcarbon is reinventing the way how Nature-based Solutions get funding with a platform that connects projects, investors, and companies.
• Novelplast is a PET mechanical recycler that upcycles post-industrial and post-consumer PET waste materials into recycled PET (rPET).  The company has developed a unique manufacturing process using in-house expertise to upcycle these materials into high quality rPET resin, suitable for supply into the sheet, fibre and strapping industries.

Ocean 14 Capital Limited is an appointed representative of G10 Capital Limited which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.