Regional Fish

What Regional Fish does

Regional Fish Institute, Ltd. (Regional Fish) is a Kyoto University spinoff founded on April 10, 2019, that develops and commercializes deletion-type genome editing technology (a form of CRISPR/Cas9 that induces natural-mutation-style knockouts without introducing foreign genes) to accelerate fish breeding from a conventional 30-year cycle to 2-3 years. The company's core platform combines this genomic capability with an AI/IoT-enabled smart land-based aquaculture system that automates environmental control and feeding. To date, Regional Fish has secured Japanese regulatory notifications for four genome-edited species — increased-filet sea bream (2021), fast-growth tiger puffer (2021), fast-growth olive flounder (2023), and increased-filet tilapia (2025) — and has bred heat-tolerant mackerel and gin zake varieties aimed at climate adaptation.

The company operates a hybrid revenue model across (1) genome-edited seafood product sales via proprietary DTC channels (Regional Fish Online EC site since December 2021, Takashimaya department-store events, university cafeteria supply, furusato nozei tax donation programs), (2) B2B seedling sales to aquaculture operators, (3) smart-aquaculture system franchise and licensing, and (4) large-scale commercial production through the NTT Green & Food joint venture established in July 2023 with Nippon Telegraph and Telephone. Regional Fish serves three priority customer segments — local governments and the public sector (for fisheries revitalization), seafood distributors and restaurants (for premium differentiated supply), and end consumers (DTC) — alongside enterprise technology and energy partners (NTT, Kansai Electric Power) entering the sustainable aquaculture space. Headcount stands at 101-201 employees (including group companies) and the company is headquartered in Kyoto's Sakyo-ku with a Tokyo sales office opened in May 2022.

Strategically, Regional Fish has assembled an ecosystem of approximately 90 partner organizations across Japanese prefectures, municipalities, and universities (Kyoto, Hiroshima, Kindai), and has cumulatively raised approximately 8.67 billion JPY (~USD 57 million) across seed through Pre-Series D rounds (latest October 2025), with public disclosures indicating IPO preparation. The company has accumulated a dense award profile (TechCrunch Tokyo 2021, Good Design Award 2022, EY Entrepreneur of the Year 2022, ICC Fukuoka 2023, Japan Startup Award 2025 MAFF Minister Award, ICC Kyoto 2025 CATAPULT Championship, Forbes Japan recognition) signaling strong brand credibility within the Japanese deep-tech ecosystem.

Name

Regional Fish

Legal name

リージョナルフィッシュ株式会社

Website

https://regional.fish

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Regional Fish is a Kyoto University spinoff that develops deletion-type genome editing (CRISPR/Cas9) and AI/IoT-enabled smart land-based aquaculture systems to accelerate fish breeding from 30 years to 2-3 years. It serves Japanese local governments, seafood distributors, restaurants, end consumers, and enterprise partners including NTT.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aquaculture and Genome-Edited Seafood

NAICS

Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture Breeding & Genetics Services (e.g., broodstock improvement) (AFAEAJAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquaculture Processing & On-Farm Value-Add (primary handling, icing, packing) (AFAEAAAN)

Keywords

• Genome editing aquaculture
• Fish breeding technology
• Smart land-based aquaculture
• Fish seedling production
• Sustainable seafood production

Headquarters

HQ city

Kyoto

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Genome-Edited Fish Product Sales: Sale of genome-edited seafood products (red sea bream, tiger puffer, flounder, tilapia) directly to consumers via EC site and through department stores, events, and university cafeterias.
2. Seedling (Fish Seed) Sales: Production and sale of genome-edited fish seedlings/s juveniles to aquaculture operators.
3. Smart Aquaculture Franchise/Licensing: Franchise of smart aquaculture systems using AI/IoT to aquaculture operators and partners.
4. NTT Green & Food Joint Venture: NTT Green & Food Inc., a joint venture with NTT established July 2023, handles large-scale production and sales of genome-edited aquaculture products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Regional Fish develops genome-edited fish varieties using proprietary deletion-type CRISPR/Cas9 technology that compresses traditional 30-year breeding cycles to 2-3 years. The company operates AI/IoT-enabled smart land-based aquaculture systems and sells genome-edited seafood (red sea bream, tiger puffer, olive flounder, tilapia, heat-resistant varieties), fish seedlings to aquaculture operators, and licenses its smart aquaculture platform through its joint venture NTT Green & Food.

Product overview

Regional Fish is a genome-edited aquaculture company offering a platform of products and services centered on ultra-high-speed breeding technology and smart land-based aquaculture. Their core offerings include: (1) Genome Editing Technology - their foundational platform enabling 2-3 year breeding cycles vs traditional 30 years; (2) Seed/Seedling products - new fish varieties developed using genome editing including increased-filet sea bream, fast-growth tiger puffer, fast-growth olive flounder, increased-filet tilapia, and heat-resistant mackerel/gin zake; (3) Smart Aquaculture - AI/IoT-enabled land-based farming systems providing automated monitoring and optimization; (4) Seafood Products - direct sales through their Regional Fish Online e-commerce platform and franchise partnerships via NTT Green & Food Inc.; and (5) Supporting brand offerings including the Mirai no Ike web magazine and specialty products like 22nd Century Fugu/Flounder and Satsuma Orange King Shrimp.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• 22世紀ふぐ (22nd Century Fugu): Genome-edited tiger puffer developed for increased fillet yield and faster growth
• 22世紀ひらめ (22nd Century Hirame)
• 可食部増量マダイ (Increased-filet Sea Bream)
• 高温耐性品种 (Heat-resistant Varieties)

Products and services

• Increased-filet Red Sea Bream (可食部増量マダイ)
• Fast-growth Tiger Puffer (高成長トラフグ)
• Fast-growth Olive Flounder (高成長ヒラメ)
• Increased-filet Tilapia (可食部増量ティラピア)
• Fish Seedlings / Seeds (種苗)

Quantifiable outcome

• Breeding process reduced from 30 years to 2-3 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature4 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• NTT (Nippon Telegraph and Telephone Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 June 2023Established NTT Green & Food Inc. joint venture in July 2023 for large-scale genome-edited fish production and sales. MOU signed February 2023. NTT provides capital, corporate networks, and sustainability/energy infrastructure for green food production.
• Kansai Electric Power (関西電力)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research on heat-resistant mackerel aquaculture in Fukui Prefecture Reinan region. Company utilizes former Kansai Electric research facility in Miyazu for land-based aquaculture. Partnership for sustainable energy-powered aquaculture.
• Fukui Prefecture (福井県)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership agreement for joint research and business development for Reinan region aquaculture. Includes Fukui Prefectural University and Fukui Aquatic Product Promotion Center. Research focuses on heat-resistant mackerel breeding.
• Akune City, Kagoshima Prefecture (鹿児島県阿久根市)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainable aquaculture development partnership signed December 2025. Includes genome editing breeding, renewable energy-powered land aquaculture, and regional product sales and development.
• Mie Prefecture Minamiise Town (三重県南伊勢町)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSeed development partnership agreement for aquatic products signed September 2024. Joint development of new aquaculture species.
• Shimane Prefecture (島根県)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNext-generation breeding partnership agreement signed April 2022 for promoting aquaculture species development in Shimane Prefecture.
• Kyoto University (京都大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founder CTO Masato Kinoshita is Associate Professor at Kyoto University Graduate School of Agriculture. Origin of genome editing technology. All-Japan collaborative approach with university research ecosystem.
• Hiroshima University (広島大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCSO Tetsushi Sakuma is Professor at Hiroshima University and Concurrent Professor at Kyoto University. Partnership for genome editing technology development. Collaboration through JST A-STEP program with Professor Takashi Yamamoto.
• Kindai University (近畿大学)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research started July 2020 with Kindai University Fisheries Research Institute. Part of NEDO STS seed-stage startup program. Collaborative genome editing research on fish species.
• Food & Life Companies ( FOOD & LIFE COMPANIES)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-party joint research on fish species genome editing along with Platinum Bio, started November 2021.
• Platinum Bio Inc.majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree-party joint research on fish genome editing with Food & Life Companies, started November 2021.
• Okumura Corporation (奥村組)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint PoC on smart aquaculture for vannamei shrimp with NTT Docomo and Iwatani Corporation, started October 2021.
• NTT DocomomajorTechnology or IntegrationPartnership agreement signed October 2020 alongside NTT, NTT East, Ube Industries, Ebara Corporation, and Dentsu. Joint development of smart aquaculture technology and digital infrastructure.
• Iwatani Corporation (岩谷産業)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint PoC on vannamei shrimp smart aquaculture with Okumura Corporation and NTT Docomo since October 2021.
• ARUNA (Indonesia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint project with Indonesian startup ARUNA selected for JETRO's 3rd Japan-ASEAN Asia DX Program in August 2022. International expansion partnership for Southeast Asia market.
• Shimogamo Saryo Co., Ltd. (株式会社下鴨茶寮)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCollaboration product development using genome-edited fish for Takashimaya EAT events. Food service partner creating premium products from company's seafood.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• AquaMaof Aquaculture Technologies: Israel-based RAS technology provider delivering turnkey land-based aquaculture systems globally. Directly comparable to Regional Fish's smart land-based aquaculture system business and a potential competitor or partner for facility deployments.

Direct peers

• Salmon Evolution: Norway-listed land-based salmon producer using hybrid flow-through RAS. Comparable on the smart land-based aquaculture pillar of Regional Fish's business model, though without the genome-editing layer.
• AquaBounty Technologies: US-listed (NASDAQ: AQB) pioneer of genetically engineered AquAdvantage salmon. Most direct global comparable to Regional Fish on the application of genomic breeding/regulation to commercial aquaculture species.
• Atlantic Sapphire: Denmark-listed US-headquartered land-based salmon producer (Miami Bluehouse). Closest large-scale RAS aquaculture comparable, with similar unit-economics ambitions to Regional Fish's smart land-based system.
• AquaGen: Norwegian salmon and trout breeding/genetics company (owned by EW Group). Directly comparable to Regional Fish's seedling/breeding business, with established global market share in salmonid genetics.

Broad incumbents

• Cermaq: Global salmon farming company owned by Mitsubishi Corporation with operations in Norway, Chile, and Canada. Comparable on commercial salmonid aquaculture scale and genetics investment; relevant as a potential strategic anchor.
• Maruha Nichiro: Japan-listed (TSE: 1333) largest Japanese seafood company spanning fishing, aquaculture, marine products, and processed foods. Overlaps with Regional Fish on Japanese aquaculture and consumer seafood distribution.
• Nippon Suisan Kaisha (Nissui): Japan-listed (TSE: 1332) seafood major with global fisheries, aquaculture, and processed food operations. Most direct Japanese incumbent comparable and potential strategic acquirer of Regional Fish's seed and smart-aquaculture IP.

Emerging players

• Euglena Co., Ltd. Japan-listed (TSE: 2931) biotech company producing microalgae-based food and fuel; former Euglena executive Kengo Suzuki now serves as Growth Director at Regional Fish. Comparable as a Japanese bio/food-tech scaling story.
• IntegriCulture Inc. Tokyo-based cellular agriculture startup developing cultivated meat and related bio-manufacturing platforms. Japanese deep-tech food adjacent comparable focused on cellular aquaculture/seafood alternatives.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Regional-Fish-Institute-Ltd-100057156442022
• Xx.com/regionalfish
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/regional-fish-inc.

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds6 records

Investors35 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 Regional Fish