Whooshh Innovations

What Whooshh Innovations does

Whooshh Innovations Inc. is a Seattle-based private company that designs, manufactures, and deploys selective fish passage, monitoring, and sorting systems for the hydropower, environmental, and fisheries industries. The company's core technology uses a differential air pressure mechanism (1-2 PSI) to propel fish through misted Migrator tubes at 5-8 meters per second, transporting fish over barriers exceeding 700 feet in height and 1,700 feet in length while using only 9 gallons of water per hour. The PassagePortal product line comprises a land-based Model L and a floating Model F, complemented by the AI-powered FishL Recognition system that uses six cameras (three near-infrared, three visible light) to capture 18 images per fish for real-time species identification, fork length and girth calculation, and wild-versus-hatchery discrimination.

Revenue is generated primarily through hardware sales of custom-configured fish passage systems, multi-phase environmental services contracts (e.g., the Conowingo Dam shad recovery contract with Exelon), and standalone FishL Recognition monitoring scanners. Customers include enterprise hydropower operators (Exelon Generation, Falkenberg Energy), federal agencies (US Army Corps of Engineers, Bonneville Power Administration), state and tribal governments (Santee Cooper, Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation, Illinois DNR), research institutions (EPRI, Great Lakes Fishery Commission, Alden Research Labs), and international conservation organizations (Forth Rivers Trust, Department of Fisheries and Oceans Canada). Distribution occurs via direct enterprise field sales supplemented by strategic channel partnerships, including an exclusive distribution agreement with FISHCON GmbH covering Canada and Sweden and reciprocal rights in Austria and Germany.

The company holds multiple patents on its differential air pressure technology and registered trademarks on PassagePortal, Salmon Cannon, FishL Recognition, Guardian, and HarvestSelect product lines. Whooshh is currently raising capital via a Regulation CF offering on StartEngine and Highlander platforms, with SEC CIK 0001813227 and annual report filings. The company was founded in 2011 by CEO Vincent Bryan III, who developed the technology after observing aerial fruit harvesting methods, and has grown to 11-50 employees with deployments in North America, Europe, and Asia.

Name

Whooshh Innovations

Legal name

Whooshh Innovations Inc.

Website

https://whooshh.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Whooshh Innovations designs and deploys selective fish passage, monitoring, and sorting systems using proprietary differential air pressure technology and AI-powered fish recognition, serving hydropower operators, government agencies, tribal nations, and research institutions globally.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Selective Fish Passage Systems

NAICS

Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Aquaculture (11251)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydropower Environmental & Fish Passage Solutions (EUACAEAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquatic Ecology & Fisheries Assessments (EUAHAHAB)

Keywords

• Selective fish passage
• Hydropower fish migration
• AI fish recognition
• Invasive species removal
• Commercial fish harvesting

Headquarters

HQ city

Seattle

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fish Passage Systems: Sale and installation of PassagePortal systems (Model L land-based and Model F floating) to hydropower operators and dam owners. Systems provide selective fish passage enabling compliance with FERC licensing requirements. Pricing varies by configuration, capacity, and site requirements.
2. Environmental Services Contracts: Multi-phase contracts for fish passage and recovery efforts at dams (e.g., Conowingo Dam shad recovery contract). Provides ongoing service and support for fish monitoring and management.
3. Fish Monitoring Systems: Sale of FishL Recognition monitoring systems for fisheries data collection, species identification, and compliance record-keeping. Standalone scanner product for downstream and upstream monitoring.
4. Invasive Species Control Systems: Guardian system for invasive fish species removal and HarvestSelect commercial fish harvest system. Mobile floating solutions for selective species management.
5. Investment Capital: Currently raising capital via Reg CF offering open to individual investors. SEC filings indicate annual report requirements. Shares managed on DealMaker platform.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Whooshh Innovations designs, manufactures, and deploys selective fish passage and monitoring systems that use a patented differential air pressure mechanism to transport fish through misted tubes in seconds, combined with AI-powered imaging for species recognition and automated sorting. The portfolio includes the PassagePortal Model L (land-based) and Model F (floating) dam passage systems, the Guardian invasive-species removal platform, the HarvestSelect commercial fishing system, and the Selector retrofit for existing fish ladders and weirs. Customers are primarily hydropower operators, environmental/tribal agencies, and conservation researchers that need FERC-compliant, low-water, AI-monitored fish passage.

Product overview

Whooshh Innovations offers a modular ecosystem of fish passage, handling, and monitoring solutions centered around proprietary differential air pressure technology and AI-powered Fishl Recognition imaging. The core products include PassagePortal™ Model L (land-based) and Model F (floating) for selective fish passage over dams; Guardian™ for invasive species removal; HarvestSelect™ for commercial fish harvesting; and Selector™ for retrofitting existing infrastructure. Key supporting components include Fishl™ Recognition (AI imaging and identification), GateKeeper™ (automated sorting), BurstBuster™ (air pressure propulsion), MigratorTube™ (transport tubes), and DiveGuide™ (exit guidance). The portfolio spans both upstream and downstream fish passage, invasive species control, commercial aquaculture, and fisheries monitoring—enabling hydropower operators, tribes, and conservation organizations to achieve selective, data-driven fish management while maximizing power generation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Salmon Cannon: Original fish transport technology, predecessor to the Passage Portal product line.
• PassagePortal Model L
• PassagePortal Model F
• Guardian
• HarvestSelect
• Selector
• Fishl Recognition
• GateKeeper
• BurstBuster
• Switchback
• NightFlight

Quantifiable outcome

• Up to 10% more water available for hydropower generation by eliminating fish ladder water requirements
• +6 more outcomes

Named customers11 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

Integration1 record

AI capability4 records

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Natural Solutions (A Dam Site Better! LLC)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 May 2024Letter of Intent to acquire assets of Natural Solutions including Flow Velocity Enhancement System (FVES) patent. FVES creates directed flow in waterways to guide fish to safe passage routes. Tested successfully in France for fish guidance and cold water intake screen impingement prevention. Expected closing summer 2024.
• FISHCON GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 December 2023International strategic cooperation agreement for bi-directional fish passage at low head dams up to ~7 meters. FISHCON grants Whooshh exclusive rights to distribute and deploy FISHCON Fish Lock in Canada and Sweden. Reciprocal agreement gives FISHCON rights for Whooshh Passage Portal in Austria and Germany. Multi-year commitment to address fish passage globally.
• WWS Wasserkraft GmbHminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 6 July 2023Partnership to deliver proven upstream/downstream fish passage solution. Extends successful partnership for low head dam fish passage solutions in European markets.
• Hinchinbrook Inc.coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 April 2023Fish Innovation Network (FIN) agreement to optimize fish tagging and fish recognition technologies. Collaboration on Hallprint tags integration with Whooshh FishL Recognition system. Optimizing tag type, placement, color, and size for compatibility with AI recognition system for comprehensive monitoring 24x7x365.
• Electric Power Research Institute (EPRI)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerEPRI funded Pinopolis Dam project for American Shad passage technology demonstration. EPRI is industry leader modernizing hydropower with support from power producers including New Brunswick Power, FirstLight Power, NYPA, and Santee Cooper. Funding and technical collaboration for fish passage innovation.
• Alden Research LabsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborating on Pinopolis Dam project for American Shad passage. Conducting biological efficacy studies for agency acceptance of technology for sensitive shad species.
• Illinois Department of Natural ResourcescoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerPartnership with Nature Conservancy in Illinois to evaluate FishL Recognition system for Asian carp removal at Emiquon Preserve. Testing steeppass entry system combined with Fish Recognition scanner for invasive carp control in Illinois River.
• Great Lakes Fishery CommissioncoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerFishPass project collaboration on Boardman River in Michigan. Whooshh FishL Recognition system part of FishPass barrier design replacing Union Street Dam. Partnership with Grand Traverse Band of Ottawa and Chippewa, City of Traverse City, Michigan DNR, and US Army Corps of Engineers.
• Department of Fisheries and Oceans (DFO) CanadacoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBig Bar landslide response collaboration following 2019 Fraser River rockslide. Deployed Passage Portal migration system over 6-meter waterfall. Over 125,000 fish migrated past barrier.
• Yinka Dene AllianceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCoalition of six First Nations affected by Big Bar landslide collaborating on Fraser River salmon recovery solutions.
• Vattenkraft BolagetminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSwedish representative for Whooshh Innovations. Representing company for European fish passage installations including Herting Hydropower Dam monitoring.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• FISHCON GmbH: Austrian manufacturer of the FISHCON Fish Lock, a low-head dam fish passage system. FISHCON is both a direct competitor in fish passage and a strategic partner to Whooshh under their international cooperation agreement covering Canada, Sweden, Austria, and Germany.
• Smith Root Inc. Vancouver, WA-based manufacturer of electrofishing equipment and fish counting/identification systems used at dams and in fisheries research. Comparable as a supplier of hardware and electronic tools that fisheries agencies deploy alongside or instead of Whooshh's air-pressure systems and FishL Recognition.
• Vaki (Benchmark Holdings): Icelandic-origin maker of fish counters, size estimators, and species-identification cameras widely used at hydropower dams and hatcheries. Directly comparable to Whooshh's FishL Recognition system in providing AI-enabled fish imaging and monitoring for hydropower and aquaculture operators.
• Cflow: Norwegian provider of fish handling and live-fish transport systems for the aquaculture and hydropower sectors. Comparable to Whooshh as a maker of live-fish handling equipment serving overlapping customer segments in Northern European hydropower and salmon farming.
• Faivre: French manufacturer of fish counting, sorting, and handling equipment widely used at dams, fishways, and hatcheries across Europe. Comparable to Whooshh in the fish counting and selective handling niche, particularly for European hydropower and environmental agency customers.

Emerging players

• Innovasea: Boston-based aquatech firm providing fish tracking, acoustic telemetry, and aquaculture monitoring solutions. Comparable to Whooshh on the data and monitoring side, particularly for fisheries management and aquaculture customers, though it does not offer air-pressure transport technology.

Broad incumbents

• Normandeau Associates: Established US environmental consulting firm delivering fisheries studies, FERC relicensing support, and fish passage assessments. Comparable as a broader incumbent that utilities and agencies hire for fish passage projects, often competing for or shaping the same consulting and monitoring budgets as Whooshh.
• Alden Research Labs: Holden, MA-based hydraulic and biological testing laboratory that conducts efficacy studies for fish passage technologies. Already a Whooshh collaborator on the Pinopolis Dam American Shad project, and a peer in the sense that utilities and agencies routinely engage Alden to validate or evaluate fish passage solutions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/JustWhooshh

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds4 records

Investors

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 Whooshh Innovations