🇮🇩 fishery platform nets $30m in Vertex-led round

Aruna, an Indonesia-based fishery and marine platform, has raised US$30 million in its series A follow-on funding round led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India.

Aruna founders (from left) Indraka Fadhlillah, Utari Octavianty, and Farid Naufal Aslam/ Photo credit: Aruna

Existing investors including Prosus Ventures, and East Ventures also took part in the fundraise.

Aruna will use the fresh funds to expand in Indonesia and increase its global market share. The startup is also looking to step up hiring and to build an end-to-end technology infrastructure and sustainable fishery practices.

Founded in 2016, Aruna is a supply chain aggregator that streamlines the process for Indonesia’s fishermen by connecting them with enterprise-scale buyers.

In 2021, Aruna developed 100 communities of fisherfolk, with over 26,000 registered members across 75 locations in Indonesia. The startup also generated 5,000 job opportunities in the country’s rural areas to support their operations.

See also: Exclusive: Indonesia’s eFishery nets $90m series C from Temasek, SoftBank, Sequoia

The company operates in 27 provinces in Indonesia, representing 70% of the archipelago. Its business model serves a vast market: Indonesia’s aquaculture production volume reached 15.1 million metric tons in 2019.

Aruna was founded by Farid Naufal Aslam, former CTO of Monoponik Studio; Indraka Fadhlillah, who studied at The London School of Economics and Political Science; and Utari Octavianty, who also founded PasarLaut, a seafood company.

With the latest round, Aruna has raised a total of US$65 million in its series A fundraise so far.

Other investors in the round include:

• AC Ventures
• Indogen Capital
• SMDV
• SIG Venture Capital