What Ace Aquatec does

Ace Aquatec is a Dundee, Scotland-based aquaculture technology company that develops welfare-focused hardware and software products for commercial fish farming. Its portfolio spans three categories: Grow (monitoring, anchored by the A-BIOMASS® stereoscopic AI camera for real-time biomass measurement), Protect (A-ASR® acoustic deterrent devices and A-EFENCE® electric fencing to keep seals and sea lions away from pens), and Harvest (A-HSU® in-water electric stunners for salmon, trout, tilapia, and shrimp, plus the A-HCS® humane culling system). A separate FaunaGuard product line addresses marine mammal deterrence at offshore construction sites. The A-FISH IQ® cloud portal aggregates data from deployed units for remote monitoring and welfare auditing.

The company sells primarily through direct enterprise engagement with major aquaculture operators across 26 countries, supplemented by regional technical integrators (CAS Australasia, FRD Japan with MMC First Process) and welfare-organisation partnerships (notably the Shrimp Welfare Project, which is distributing free electrical stunners to 24 shrimp producers). Revenue is generated through hardware sales of stunner, camera, deterrent, and culling systems, plus associated installation, maintenance, and technical support services. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Ace Aquatec holds 21 industry awards including the 2018 Queen's Award for Innovation, and its technology is supported by peer-reviewed scientific validation and a research partnership with the Sea Mammal Research Unit at the University of St Andrews. The company is privately held and venture-backed, with approximately 110 employees across the UK, Norway, Chile, and Australia following a £10 million funding round in May 2025.

Name

Ace Aquatec

Legal name

Ace Aquatec Limited

Website

https://aceaquatec.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Ace Aquatec is a Dundee-based aquaculture technology company that designs and sells welfare-focused hardware — including in-water electric stunners, AI-powered biomass cameras, acoustic deterrents, and humane culling systems — to commercial fish farms across 26 countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture Technology Equipment

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Aquaculture (1125), Shellfish Farming (112512)

SIC

Industrial Instruments For Measurement, Display, And Control (3823), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture Health, Biosecurity & Veterinary Services (AFAEAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM), Aquaculture & Fish Health Services (AFAEANAE), Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN), Offshore & Open-Ocean Aquaculture (AFAEAAAH)

Keywords

• Humane fish stunners
• Aquaculture welfare equipment
• Marine mammal deterrents
• Underwater biomass cameras
• Fish farming technology

Headquarters

HQ city

Dundee

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Fish Welfare Technology Equipment: Sale of acoustic stunners, deterrent systems, and fish welfare equipment to aquaculture companies. Products include A-HSU, A-EFENCE, A-HCS, and A-BIOMASS systems.
2. Fish Measurement Systems: Sale and installation of A-BIOMASS stereoscopic camera systems with AI/ML capabilities for fish biomass measurement.
3. Professional Services: Installation, maintenance, and technical support services for deployed systems, including partnerships with technical integrators like CAS Australasia.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Ace Aquatec designs, manufactures, and sells welfare-first aquaculture technology equipment for commercial fish farms. Its core offerings include the A-HSU® family of in-water electric humane stunners (for salmon, trout, tilapia, and shrimp), the A-BIOMASS® AI-powered underwater camera system for real-time fish biomass measurement, A-ASR® acoustic deterrent devices and A-EFENCE® electric fences for seal and sea lion control, and the A-HCS® humane culling system. The company also provides FaunaGuard for marine life protection during offshore construction, supported by the A-FISH IQ® cloud portal for remote monitoring and auditing.

Product overview

Ace Aquatec offers a portfolio of welfare-focused aquaculture technology products spanning three categories: Grow (monitoring), Protect (predator control), and Harvest (stunning). The core products include A-BIOMASS® AI-powered underwater cameras for fish biomass measurement; the A-HSU® family of in-water electric stunners for salmon, trout, tilapia, and shrimp; A-ASR® acoustic deterrent devices (RT1 and US3) for predator control; A-EFENCE® electric fence systems; A-HCS® humane culling systems; and FaunaGuard marine protection solutions. Products are supported by the A-FISH IQ® cloud portal for data access and remote monitoring. The portfolio uses machine learning, IoT connectivity, and stereoscopic imaging technologies to optimise welfare, quality, and operational efficiencies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• A-BIOMASS® Advanced underwater AI camera system that uses machine learning and stereoscopic imaging for real-time, millimetre-accurate fish biomass measurement and weight distribution. Tracks multiple fish simultaneously and generates automated reports via the A-FISH IQ® portal. Designed for salmon, trout, seabass, and tilapia farms.
• A-HSU® Salmon Award-winning in-water electric stunner that renders Atlantic and Pacific salmon unconscious in less than one second while submerged. Universally recognised as a leading welfare solution for stunning salmon and most fast-swimming fish.
• A-HSU® Trout Multi-award-winning in-water electric stunner for freshwater trout, available in skid-based portable, in-line land-based, or boat/barge-mounted configurations. Achieves 100% stun rate with low stress and minimal handling.
• A-HSU® Tilapia In-water electric stunner for tilapia approved by Compassion in World Farming, BAP, and The Centre for Responsible Seafood. Humane alternative to traditional pump and brail chill methods, rendering tilapia unconscious in less than one second.
• A-HSU® Shrimp Portable Self-contained, transportable in-water electric stunning system for shrimp and prawns. Stuns shrimp unconscious in less than one second with 8 tonnes per hour capacity, designed for robust biosecurity and pond-side or factory use.
• A-ASR® RT1 (Low Frequency) Low-frequency acoustic startle response device that creates behaviour change in seals and sea lions rather than acting as a temporary acoustic barrier. Produces randomised frequencies to prevent habituation, meeting NOAA MMPA draft guidelines and delivering a 50% improvement over existing systems.
• A-ASR® US3 (Mid-Frequency) Mid-frequency acoustic startle response device using randomised computer-generated sound patterns to avoid hearing risks and habituation. Achieves 70% reduction in fish mortalities compared with Airmar systems, targeting seals and sea lions.
• A-EFENCE® Marine-grade surface electric fence for protecting fish farms from seal and sea lion break-ins. Uses electric fields and startle response to train predators to avoid enclosures without harming marine mammals, with corrosion-resistant design for harsh weather.
• A-HCS® (Humane Culling System) Humane fish culling system based on A-HSU® technology. Smaller, more portable unit for stunning and killing fish that would otherwise be discarded — used for by-catch, smolts, and juvenile fish — without chemicals.
• FaunaGuard Marine protection solution that safely and temporarily moves marine life to safe zones away from offshore construction sites during high-energy events such as pile driving, drilling, blasting, and large-scale dredging operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% stun efficacy rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers15 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability4 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Shrimp Welfare ProjectflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Mutual collaboration to distribute free electrical shrimp stunners to 24 shrimp producers through 2025. Sea Farms Thailand is the first installation partner. Goal to improve humane slaughter practices in shrimp industry.
• Tiny FishcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Circular economy partnership focused on sustainability in aquaculture operations.
• CAS AustralasiaminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 1 January 2024Technical support and installation partner for Petuna deployments in Australasian market.
• Sea Mammal Research Unit, University of St AndrewscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch partnership for development of A-ASR acoustic startle response technology. Provides scientific validation and academic credibility.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Steinsvik (ScaleAQ): ScaleAQ (formerly Steinsvik merged with Akva) supplies feeding systems, sensors, cameras, and underwater equipment to salmon farmers in Norway and internationally. The company overlaps with Ace's monitoring and farm operations portfolio but as a broader aquaculture infrastructure provider.
• AKVA Group: AKVA Group is a major aquaculture technology supplier offering cameras, feeding systems, sensors, and software across the full salmon farming value chain. It overlaps with Ace on monitoring and farm management but is a much broader incumbent portfolio player serving the same large salmon customers.
• Benchmark Holdings: Benchmark Holdings provides aquaculture health, genetics, and welfare solutions to the global salmon and shrimp industries. It competes with Ace's welfare technology positioning through advanced breeding and health products, and overlaps in serving the same large salmon customers.
• Kongsberg Discovery (Kongsberg Maritime): Kongsberg Discovery supplies underwater cameras, sonar, and subsea imaging systems including for aquaculture and marine research. Its acoustic and optical platforms represent a broader incumbent alternative to Ace's A-BIOMASS and FaunaGuard systems.

Direct peers

• Bluegrove (formerly Stingray Marine Solutions): Bluegrove develops laser-based and acoustic deterrent systems to protect salmon farms from seals and sea lions, directly competing with Ace Aquatec's A-ASR and A-EFENCE product lines. Both companies serve the same Norwegian and global salmon farming customer base with predator control technology.
• AquaScan: AquaScan produces fish counters and biomass measurement systems used by trout and salmon farmers globally. It is a direct competitor to Ace's A-BIOMASS camera product line with comparable machine-vision-based fish counting capability.
• Innovasea: Innovasea provides aquaculture technology including biomass cameras, fish monitoring, and farm management software for the global aquaculture industry. It competes with Ace's A-BIOMASS platform and shares the same enterprise salmon farming customer base.
• Vaki (Pentair Aquatic Eco-Systems): Vaki, now part of Pentair, supplies fish counters, biomass estimation systems, and fish handling equipment to aquaculture operators globally, competing directly with Ace Aquatec's A-BIOMASS camera system. Both target salmon, trout, and tilapia farms needing accurate real-time fish measurement.

Emerging players

• Aquaculture Solutions (Airmar/Underwater Acoustics): Airmar acoustic transducers are cited in Ace's own materials as the benchmark that the A-ASR US3 system outperforms by 70% on fish mortality reduction. Airmar and similar acoustic equipment vendors represent the legacy technology baseline that Ace's acoustic deterrents displace.

Others

• Signify (formerly Philips Lighting) Marine Solutions: Signify and similar lighting/IoT majors provide underwater LED and connected lighting systems used in aquaculture for fish welfare and growth optimization. They are adjacent rather than direct competitors but serve the same fish farming customers with welfare-focused technologies.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/aceaquatec

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles17 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors5 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ace Aquatec