ViAqua

Market position

ViAqua positions itself in aquaculture animal health, an area it describes as underdeveloped, targeting viral disease prevention in shrimp where it says no effective preventive method exists. S2G Ventures' Ocean and Seafood Fund managing director stated that similar technologies are years away from reaching market, and ViAqua's CEO said there are currently no products available addressing shrimp disease. Company materials cite a $36 billion annual global shrimp market, more than 55% of shrimp supply farmed, 6-8% annual market growth over the past decade, and roughly $6 billion in annual disease losses; press coverage cites Kontali analysis putting shrimp disease management's economic impact at about $8.5 billion annually with WSSV alone causing about $3 billion in losses, equal to 15% of global production.

The company's stated differentiator is solving oral delivery of RNA in aquaculture — protecting RNA in water, surviving the shrimp digestive tract, and integrating particles into standard feed — which allows mass application without vaccinating individual animals. Management describes oral delivery as central to lowering the operational cost of disease management, and investors describe the platform as extensible beyond WSSV to other aquaculture diseases.

Technology

A biotechnology-based oral delivery platform for targeted administration of RNA-based solutions. RNA is encapsulated in coated particles that protect it in the aquatic environment, withstand barriers in the digestive system, and are integrated into feed to maximize effect and reduce cost. The active mechanism is RNA interference, described by the company as the only proven method of preventing viral diseases in shrimp today, and as a non-GMO, hormone-free, non-antibiotic, feed-grade supplement. Scientific advisory input on RNA and protein delivery and nanotechnology comes from Prof. Avi Schroeder of the Technion.

Go-to-market

Commercialization runs through feed industry partners rather than direct sales to farms: a joint development agreement with Skretting SA (Nutreco's aquaculture division) covers distribution and marketing of the first product, and the 2023 financing was intended to bring the first product to market, fund R&D, and demonstrate the platform's ability to deliver RNA-based solutions at scale. The company said it planned to begin production of its capsule product in India in early 2024.

Shrimp farmers and the aquaculture industry, reached via commercial feed manufacturers; the company notes smallholder farmers represent a large share of shrimp supply. Future products are intended for other shellfish and fish species.

Geography

Headquartered at Gutwirth Park, Technion City, Haifa, Israel; a directory listing cites Rehovot, Israel. Production of the capsule product was planned to begin in India in early 2024, and investors and partners span Israel, the Netherlands (Nutreco/Skretting), Thailand (Thai Union), Singapore (VisVires New Protein) and the United States (S2G Ventures).

History

The company was established in 2014. It reported proof-of-concept for oral delivery of its first product in Q1 2018, and in Q3 2018 signed a joint development agreement with Skretting SA, Nutreco's aquaculture division, covering distribution and marketing of the first product, alongside investment from Nutreco and VisVires New Protein (announced December 2018 for VisVires and July 2019 for Nutreco). In 2019 it worked on preparation for high-volume manufacturing and improved efficacy; in 2021 it demonstrated product stability in industrial feed production and reached pilot scale with a scalable production process. In Q2 2021, S2G Ventures joined as a financial investor and Thai Union as a strategic investor, and in Q4 2021 Chris Beattie, Ph.D. was named an active director. An $8.25 million round led by S2G Ventures was announced in 2023.