What Prairie Aquatech does

Prairie Aquatech, operating commercially as Houdek, is a privately held South Dakota-based manufacturer of fermented plant-based protein ingredients for the animal nutrition industry. Founded in 2012 and headquartered in Brookings with a manufacturing facility in Volga, the company has developed a proprietary aerobic fermentation platform that uses nutritive fungus to transform plant meals into high-value feed ingredients. The process removes anti-nutritional factors inherent in plant proteins while amplifying nutritional benefits such as digestible protein, amino acids, prebiotics, postbiotics, and isoflavones. Products are available in both GM and non-GM variants and are positioned around full supply-chain traceability from farm to finished ingredient, supported by published Life Cycle Analysis.

The company's product portfolio spans three primary segments: ME-PRO® for aquaculture feeds (demonstrated at 100% inclusion in fish and shrimp diets, enabling complete fish meal replacement); Protéger for premium pet food formulations targeting coat, gut, and metabolic health; and ACCESS Starter Protein™ along with BONUS! Oil and BONUS! Solubles for livestock applications including swine, poultry, and cattle. The technology is protected through four registered trademarks and an early National Science Foundation grant (2013) established the R&D foundation.

Revenue is generated through direct B2B sales of bulk ingredient solutions to aquaculture feed producers, livestock feed manufacturers, and pet food companies globally. The go-to-market is sales-led, supported by product-specific contact forms on the Houdek website, downloadable sustainability documentation, and Life Cycle Analysis reports. The company maintains a small team (11-50 employees) led by CEO Mark Luecke, CTO Phil Kerr, and CFO Larry Thornton, and has raised approximately $18.6M in cumulative funding, including a $16M round in May 2025.

Name

Prairie Aquatech

Legal name

Prairie AquaTech, LLC

Website

https://prairieaquatech.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Prairie Aquatech (dba Houdek) is a South Dakota-based manufacturer of proprietary fermented plant-based protein ingredients sold to aquaculture, livestock, and pet food feed producers globally via B2B ingredient supply.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Animal Feed Protein Ingredients

NAICS

Other Animal Food Manufacturing (311119), Soybean and Other Oilseed Processing (311224), Fats and Oils Refining and Blending (311225)

SIC

Grain Mill Products (2040), Fats & Oils (2070)

akta.pro primary industry

Sustainable & Alternative-Protein Aquafeed (Insect, Algae, Single-Cell, Byproduct-Based) (AFADADAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Plant Protein Ingredients (Soy, Pea, Wheat/Gluten, Rice, Oat, Potato) (AFAJAHAA), Plant-Based Protein Ingredient Producers (Isolates, Concentrates, Texturates) (AFANAKAB), Proteins & Functional Nutrition Ingredients (Plant/Animal Proteins, Collagen, Amino Acids) (CRADAOAJ), Aquaculture Feed & Nutrition (HLAMAHAF)

Keywords

• Plant-based protein ingredients
• Aquaculture feed additives
• Fermented soy protein
• Pet food ingredients
• Livestock feed protein

Headquarters

HQ city

Brookings

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Animal Feed Ingredient Sales: B2B sale of fermented plant-based ingredients (ME-PRO, Protéger, ACCESS, BONUS! products) to aquaculture feed producers, livestock feed manufacturers, and pet food companies. Products sold in bulk as functional ingredient solutions.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Prairie Aquatech manufactures fermented, plant-based protein ingredients derived from soy and other agricultural feedstocks for use in animal feed applications. Its portfolio includes aquaculture feed protein (ME-PRO®), pet food protein (Protéger), a starter protein for livestock (ACCESS Starter Protein™), and co-products such as BONUS! Oil and Solubles, sold as functional ingredients to feed formulators.

Product overview

Prairie Aquatech (operating as Houdek) is a manufacturer of fermented feed ingredients that produces sustainable plant-based protein products for aquaculture, livestock, and pet food industries. The company's product portfolio centers on its proprietary aerobic fermentation technology, which transforms plant meals into high-value nutritional ingredients. The core offerings include ME-PRO® for aquaculture feeds, Protéger for pet food diets, and ACCESS Starter Protein™ for livestock applications, with BONUS! Oil and BONUS! Solubles serving as supplementary livestock feed ingredients. All products leverage fermentation to remove anti-nutritional factors and amplify nutritional benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ME-PRO: Fermented ingredient for aquaculture feeds - high in sustainably-sourced protein with rich amino acid profile, proven palatability, high digestibility; available in GM and non-GM forms
• Protéger
• ACCESS Starter Protein
• BONUS!

Products and services

• ME-PRO®

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% inclusion of ME-PRO in fish and shrimp diets successfully demonstrated
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Skretting (Nutreco): Skretting is the global aquaculture feed arm of Nutreco and one of the largest aquafeed producers worldwide. It is a primary prospective buyer of ME-PRO and a major force shaping alternative-protein adoption in salmon and shrimp feed.
• Evonik Animal Nutrition: Evonik's Animal Nutrition business produces specialty feed additives and amino acids, with a sustainability-focused protein portfolio. It is a large incumbent with the scale, R&D budget, and global feed manufacturer relationships to compete with or partner around alternative protein ingredients.
• ADM Animal Nutrition: ADM is a major global manufacturer of plant-based protein ingredients and animal feed, with broad product portfolios across aquaculture, livestock, and pet food. It is both a potential competitor in plant-based feed proteins and a potential large-volume customer/partner.
• AB Agri: AB Agri is the agricultural and animal nutrition arm of Associated British Foods, producing feed and feed ingredients across multiple species. It operates in overlapping aquaculture, livestock, and pet food ingredient markets and represents both competition and partnership potential.
• Cargill Aqua Nutrition: Cargill's aqua nutrition business (including legacy EWOS) is the largest global aquafeed manufacturer, with deep R&D and global reach. It is both a potential customer for ME-PRO and a competitor developing its own alternative-protein ingredient programs.

Direct peers

• Hamlet Protein: Hamlet Protein produces fermented plant-based protein ingredients (HP 300/HPI) for young animal nutrition in swine, poultry, and aquaculture. It is a direct comparable in fermented soy processing, anti-nutritional factor reduction, and serving the same B2B feed manufacturer customer base.
• InnovaFeed: InnovaFeed produces insect (black soldier fly) protein for aquafeed and pet food, positioning itself as a sustainable alternative to fishmeal. It competes in the same aquafeed alternative-protein category as ME-PRO and targets overlapping feed manufacturer customers.
• Lallemand Animal Nutrition: Lallemand Animal Nutrition develops yeast- and bacteria-based fermentation products (probiotics, silage inoculants, fermentation extracts) for animal feed. It shares Prairie Aquatech's fermentation-based technology foundation and serves overlapping livestock and aquaculture feed customers.
• Calysta (Calysseo / Adisseo): Calysta/Adisseo's Calysseo joint venture produces FeedKind single-cell protein via fermentation for aquafeed. It is a direct competitor offering a fermentation-derived, fishmeal-replacement ingredient into the same aquaculture feed market with comparable sustainability claims.
• Veramaris: Veramaris produces algal oil rich in EPA & DHA omega-3 as a sustainable alternative to fish oil for aquafeed. Like Prairie Aquatech, it sells a fermentation-/microbe-derived alternative marine ingredient into the same aquaculture feed customers seeking to reduce reliance on marine resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/prairie-aquatech

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds3 records

Investors1 record

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 Prairie Aquatech