American Unagi
American Unagi is a Maine-based aquaculture company that raises sustainable American eels sourced from the state's glass eel fishery, supplying domestically farmed eel products to US consumers and businesses through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2014
- HeadquartersWaldoboro, United States
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What American Unagi does
American Unagi, Inc. is a privately held US aquaculture company operating sustainable eel farming operations in Waldoboro, Maine. Founded in 2014, the company raises American eels sourced from Maine's glass eel fishery and supplies domestically farmed eel products to the US market as a domestic alternative to imported Asian eel. The company's product line is singular — sustainably farmed eels — distributed through a Shopify-powered direct-to-consumer e-commerce storefront that, as of the most recent data, remains in pre-launch status with a password-protected "Opening Soon" landing page.
The company has raised approximately $10.4 million in disclosed funding across multiple rounds since 2015, beginning with a series of small Maine Technology Institute grants between 2015 and 2019, followed by two larger 2021 raises totaling approximately $10.1 million from Maine-based investors including Coastal Enterprises, Maine Angels, Maine Venture Fund, the Finance Authority of Maine, and Gorham Savings Bank, and a strategic investment from RuralWorks Partners announced in January 2024. Capital intensity reflects the asset-heavy nature of aquaculture, with operational scale limited to 1-10 employees and a single production site in Maine.
The business model is direct-to-consumer e-commerce targeting US consumers and businesses seeking domestically sourced sustainable eel. Marketing is conducted primarily through an email newsletter signup on the storefront. No enterprise customers, distribution partnerships, or B2B channels are disclosed in the source data, and pricing has not been publicly disclosed. The company's value proposition centers on supply chain transparency, environmental sustainability, and reduction of US reliance on imported eel.
American Unagi firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- American Unagi
- Legal name
- American Unagi, Inc.
- Website
- https://americanunagi.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2014
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- American Unagi is a Maine-based aquaculture company that raises sustainable American eels sourced from the state's glass eel fishery, supplying domestically farmed eel products to US consumers and businesses through a direct-to-consumer e-commerce channel.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
American Unagi industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainable Aquaculture / Farmed Eel Products
- NAICS
- Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511)
- SIC
- Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Finfish Farming (e.g., salmon, tilapia, catfish) (AFAEAAAA)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Aquaculture Harvest, Processing & Packing (Farmed Finfish/Shellfish; On-Farm Plants) (AFANADAL)
Keywords
Where American Unagi is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Waldoboro
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
American Unagi business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Eel Product Sales: American Unagi generates revenue through the sale of sustainably farmed eel products to US customers. The company operates as a domestic aquaculture producer, supplying the US market with locally farmed eel.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels1 record
American Unagi product offering
Product offeringCore offering
American Unagi raises and farms American eels (Anguilla rostrata) sourced from Maine's unique glass eel fishery through sustainable aquaculture operations. The company produces and supplies sustainably farmed eel products to the US market, operating as a domestic aquaculture producer aimed at reducing import dependency and ensuring supply chain transparency.
Product overview
American Unagi is a US-based aquaculture company specializing in sustainable eel farming in Maine. The company operates as a single-product producer, raising and supplying sustainably farmed eels to the US market. Their product is distributed through their e-commerce store powered by Shopify.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Sustainable Farmed Eels
Companies that use American Unagi
Customer profileSegments1 record
Ideal customer profiles1 record
American Unagi technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration1 record
American Unagi partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators2 records
Recent moves3 records
Expansion highlights4 records
American Unagi competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Whole Oceans: Land-based Atlantic salmon aquaculture developer based in Maine. Comparable as a Maine-located, land-based aquaculture company pursuing sustainable seafood production for the U.S. market.
- AquaBounty Technologies: Land-based aquaculture company producing genetically engineered Atlantic salmon. Comparable as a technology-driven, land-based aquaculture business serving U.S. seafood demand with controlled-environment production.
- Atlantic Sapphire: Land-based salmon aquaculture company using recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS). Comparable to American Unagi as a technology-intensive, land-based sustainable aquaculture operator targeting the U.S. premium seafood market.
- Hamaichi: Major Japanese eel producer and processor with aquaculture operations and broad distribution. Comparable to American Unagi in core product (farmed eel) and value chain integration.
- Dainichi: One of Japan's largest traditional eel (unagi) producers. Directly comparable as a vertically integrated eel aquaculture and processing company, though operating at far greater scale and focused on Japanese and Asian markets.
Emerging players
- Nordic Aquafarms: Developer of large land-based salmon RAS facilities, including a planned Maine site. Comparable as a land-based aquaculture company with a Maine footprint pursuing sustainable, domestically produced seafood.
- Australis Aquaculture: Vertically integrated barramundi (Asian sea bass) aquaculture company marketing sustainable farmed seafood in North America. Comparable as a smaller-scale, sustainability-marketed aquaculture brand building a U.S. consumer market for farmed finfish.
Broad incumbents
- Royal Greenland: Large global seafood company with broad species exposure and processing/distribution infrastructure. Comparable as a major seafood supplier to North American retail and foodservice that American Unagi could eventually compete with or supply.
Others
- InnovaSea Systems: Provider of aquaculture technology, including fish farming systems and equipment. Comparable as an enabling infrastructure and technology vendor in the modern aquaculture ecosystem that supports companies like American Unagi.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
American Unagi social profiles
Digital presenceAmerican Unagi financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
American Unagi leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
American Unagi funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds8 records
Investors7 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
American Unagi M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about American Unagi
What does American Unagi do?
American Unagi raises and farms American eels (Anguilla rostrata) sourced from Maine's unique glass eel fishery through sustainable aquaculture operations. The company produces and supplies sustainably farmed eel products to the US market, operating as a domestic aquaculture producer aimed at reducing import dependency and ensuring supply chain transparency.
Is American Unagi a public or private company?
American Unagi is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was American Unagi founded?
American Unagi was founded in 2014. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is American Unagi based?
American Unagi is headquartered in Waldoboro, United States, in the North America region.
How does American Unagi make money?
One revenue line is on record: eel Product Sales.
Who are American Unagi's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Whole Oceans, AquaBounty Technologies, Atlantic Sapphire, Hamaichi and Dainichi. Emerging players are Nordic Aquafarms and Australis Aquaculture. Royal Greenland is listed as a broad incumbent. InnovaSea Systems is listed as an others.
Does American Unagi have an API?
No public API is recorded for American Unagi.
What industry is American Unagi in?
American Unagi's product category is Sustainable Aquaculture / Farmed Eel Products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAAAA, Finfish Farming (e.g., salmon, tilapia, catfish), with a secondary code of AFANADAL, Aquaculture Harvest, Processing & Packing (Farmed Finfish/Shellfish; On-Farm Plants). Its NAICS code is 112511 and its SIC code is 2092.