© Decameal
Danish impact startup Decameal has secured DKK 12.7 million (approximately €1.7 million) in new funding to accelerate its mission of transforming an invasive marine species into a sustainable protein source that could be incorporated into aquafeed. The company extracts protein and other ingredients from overabundant beach crabs, providing a valuable resource for the feed and food industries while helping to restore marine biodiversity.
Backed by a strong team led by CEO Leander Hessner, Decameal has achieved significant results in a short time – both commercially and research-wise.
“We are hitting a super important place in the development of bio-solutions, where we combine sustainability with solid business. Our mission is to harness an overlooked resource while improving biodiversity in our waters. The investment from business angels and the support from the EIFO and GUDP allows us to accelerate development and create real impact,” said Hessner in a press release.
According to Hessner, the company’s solution addresses two critical challenges: the threat to biodiversity posed by an abundance of beach crabs and the growing need for local, sustainable protein sources in the feed and food industry.
Decameal has just closed an investment round of more than DKK 3 million, from a consortium of business angels, including members of the Keystones network. This investment is supplemented by an EIFO match loan of DKK 2 million and DKK 7.7 million in GUDP support for the CRABEX project, a collaboration with DTU, DTI and Aller Aqua.
“It has been a pleasure to help Decameal navigate this funding process and assemble a strong team of investors. The combination of technological potential and sustainable impact makes Decameal one of the most exciting cases I've worked with,” said Mikkel Kongsfelt, head of business development and investor at Decameal, which has played a key role in the capital journey and in the process through the Keystones network. He added that there are still opportunities for investors to join the journey.
