Sources : https://oceano-fresco.pt/en/pages/porque-o-fazemos

Oceano Fresco, a Portuguese marine biotechnology firm targeting the high-premium European shellfish market, is aggressively scaling its operations to expand what it describes as the world’s first offshore vertical clam farm.

The Lisbon-headquartered company is capitalizing on a structural supply crisis in European gastronomy. Highly valued native bivalves such as the Ruditapes decussatus (grooved carpet shell clam) and the Ostrea edulis (European flat oyster) have been pushed to near-extinction by overharvesting and invasive species. While traditional aquaculture remains tethered to fragile, crowded coastal shallows, Oceano Fresco is leveraging advanced selective breeding and suspended vertical offshore grids to turn open Atlantic waters into a scalable, climate-positive protein engine.

Background: The Regenerative Paradox

The core investment thesis behind bivalve aquaculture lies in its organic efficiency. Unlike salmon or shrimp farming, which require intensive feed inputs and heavy antibiotic protocols, clams and oysters are natural biological filters. They feed exclusively on wild microalgae and strip excess carbon from the water column to construct their calcium carbonate shells, transforming commercial farms into literal carbon sinks.

Oceano Fresco’s operational advantage stems from shifting this biology into deep, offshore waters off Portugal’s Algarve coast. By suspending its crops vertically in deeper seas, the company secures continuous water renewal, stable sub-surface temperatures, and protection from coastal pollution. The result is a highly biosecure, zero-input food production system that restores marine biodiversity while maximizing industrial crop yields.

Founders’ Story: A Decade of Technocentric Design

Oceano Fresco was established in 2015 by CEO Bernardo Ferreira de Carvalho and Nuno Arantes Oliveira, President of the Advisory Board. The duo launched the venture after an exhaustive global market assessment across dominant bivalve hubs, including China, South Korea, Italy, and the United States, identifying a glaring lack of scalable, biosecure shellfish infrastructure within the European Union.

Carvalho has systematically run the company as a deep-tech enterprise rather than a traditional seafood business. By anchoring operations around elite marine genetics and proprietary hatchery protocols, the team earned a “Seal of Excellence” from the European Commission and was named an “EU Blue Champion” by the European Investment Bank.

Core Technologies: Advanced Genetics and Suspended Hydrodynamics

The foundational infrastructure of Oceano Fresco splits into two heavily science-backed technical pillars:

• The Biomarine Center (Nazaré): Operating as a highly controlled, state-of-the-art laboratory, this center focuses on molecular biology, advanced biotechnology, and selective breeding programs. Here, native species including the pullet carpet shell (Venerupis corrugata), grooved carpet shell, and European flat oyster are engineered for enhanced survival rates, rapid growth cycles, and high climate resilience. Juvenile seeds are nurtured in completely sterile tanks until they hit strict physical maturity metrics.
• Suspended Offshore Vertical Systems (Algarve): Rather than laying clams on the seabed or utilizing shallow tidal estuaries, Oceano Fresco deploys deep-water, open-sea vertical longline systems. These custom hydrodynamic cages are suspended in high-energy Atlantic offshore environments. This unique structural architecture ensures constant access to rich natural microalgae and provides uniform oceanic temperatures, completely removing the requirement for artificial feed, land-based power, or antibiotics.

The Cap Table: Backed by Regional and Impact Titans

To date, Oceano Fresco has built a sophisticated capital runway, combining patient impact capital with heavy state-backed resilience funds:

• 2018 (Series A): Anchored by Portugal’s sustainability-focused BlueCrow Capital.
• 2021 (Series B): Secured a €6.1 million expansion round co-led by Dutch sustainable aquaculture giant Aqua-Spark and Semapa NEXT.
• 2024 (Growth Round): Executed a blockbuster €17 million capital flight led by Indico Capital Partners, heavily supported by the state-backed Banco Português de Fomento via its Capitalization and Resilience Fund, alongside EU innovation grants and Portugal’s Fundo Azul initiative.

The cumulative capital funding, which exceeds €30 million, is being deployed to expand the company’s state-of-the-art Biomarine Center in Nazaré and scale global export logistics.

Final Thought

Oceano Fresco’s vertical integration successfully isolates the riskiest phases of aquaculture broodstock breeding and early juvenile nursing inside controlled laboratory environments before utilizing the open ocean as a free, nutrient-dense growing matrix. This drastically lowers operational feed expenditure and limits early mortality rates providing a meaningful competitive advantage over other forms of shellfish farming and setting up Oceano Fresco to have a breakthrough impact in this space. 

References

Oceano Fresco. (n.d.). About us. Oceano Fresco. https://oceano-fresco.pt/en/pages/sobre-nos

Oceano Fresco. (2024). Oceano Fresco launches new GoParity round focused on flat oyster production. Oceano Fresco. https://oceano-fresco.pt/en/blogs/news/oceano-fresco-launches-new-goparity-round-focused-on-flat-oyster-production

Dillet, R. (2024, July 25). Portuguese seafood company Oceano Fresco secures €17M for sustainable aquaculture. Tech.eu. https://tech.eu/2024/07/25/portuguese-seafood-company-oceano-fresco-secures-eur17m-for-sustainable-aquaculture/

SeafoodSource. (2019). European bivalve aquaculture company secures millions to help complete Portuguese biomarine center. SeafoodSource. https://www.seafoodsource.com/news/aquaculture/european-bivalve-aquaculture-company-secures-millions-to-help-complete-portuguese-biomarine-center

Portugal Global. (2024). Portuguese aquaculture startup raises 17 million euros. AICEP Portugal Global. https://www.portugalglobal.pt/en/news/2024/august/portuguese-aquaculture-startup-raises-17-million-euros/

PC Guia. (2024). Oceano Fresco angaria 17 milhões de euros para se tornar líder na aquicultura regenerativa de bivalves. PC Guia. https://www.pcguia.pt/2024/07/oceano-fresco-angaria-17-milhoes-de-euros-para-se-tornar-lider-na-aquicultura-regenerativa-de-bivalves/

Owler. (n.d.). Oceano Fresco company profile. Owler. https://www.owler.com/company/oceano-fresco

Contributor : Dyah Ayuning Tyas
Reviewer     : Imam Buchari