Aqua Cultured Foods

Aqua Cultured Foods is a Chicago-based plant-based meat startup that produces a range of alternative seafood products. The startup leverages a proprietary microbial fermentation process and a strain of fungi for which the company has filed patents to produce its seafood alternatives. The fungi strain, allows the company to eliminate the use of starches and isolates in its non-GMO products that claim to offer similar nutrition, taste, and texture to conventional seafood.

In April 2022, the company announced that new advancements in its fermentation technology have enabled it to double the biomass output of its plant-based seafood, which will help accelerate the production and commercialization process of its products. As of February 2024, Aqua Cultured Foods' portfolio included tuna and scallop alternatives with a minced shrimp product in the pipeline.

In January 2023, the company announced it had begun the buildout of a new manufacturing facility in West Carroll that will enable it to scale the production of its whole-cut seafood alternatives. In July 2024, the company received Generally Recognized as Safe (GRAS) status for its fermentation-based fish-free seafood products, allowing it to sell its products in the US. Following this, in October 2024, it launched its tuna alternative at Mama Delia, a Michelin Bib Gourmand restaurant in Chicago.

Key Partnerships and Customers

In October 2022, Aqua Cultured Foods partnered with SV Group to launch its products in hospitality in Switzerland pending regulatory approval.

In March 2024, the company partnered with Ginkgo Bioworks, a cell programming and biosecurity platform, to enhance AQUA's fermentation technology and product output.