Into the depths of Indonesia’s aquaculture space

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Hello readers,

It’s weirdly easy for me to picture the pirates of old (the ones with hooks, peg legs, and eyepatches) being quite appalled by the rise of aquaculture.

There’s something about cultivating and rearing seafood in controlled environments such as ponds or tanks that I believe will give these pirates a sinking feeling. “Shiver me timbers, the landlubber’s abominable creation!” I imagine they would proclaim.

But aquatic farming was never about avoiding the perils of the open sea. Blimey.

It presents a sustainable method of producing aquatic products to meet the ever-rising demand for protein-rich foods. Not only does the practice reduce overfishing, but it also supports local communities and provides food security.

Indonesia’s aquaculture companies know this all too well. The country is the world’s second-largest aquaculture producer, but industry insiders believe that firms have only tapped into 7.38% of the archipelago’s potential in this space.

With the sector on the precipice of massive change, today’s featured piece breaks down the business models that startups are implementing to capture the market and explores the current challenges to increasing Indonesia’s aquaculture output. It’s time to dive into some fishy business!

Today we look at:

• The shifting dynamics of Indonesia’s aquaculture industry
• Indonesia-based Baskit raising US$3.3 million amid a tough B2B ecommerce landscape
• Other newsy highlights such as Singapore-based Apeiron Bioenergy raising US$37 million in the first bioenergy-focused SGD bond issuance in Asia

— Shravanth

P.S.: If you’re an entrepreneur looking for funding, fill out this form to get your company featured on our list of fundraising startups.

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Image credit: Timmy Loen

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