Hanseatic Shrimp

What Hanseatic Shrimp does

HanseGarnelen AG, trading as Hanseatic Shrimp, is a privately held German aquaculture company (Aktiengesellschaft) founded around 2019–2020 and headquartered in Glückstadt, Schleswig-Holstein, with administrative offices in Hamburg. The company operates a land-based recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) on a ~1.5-hectare site through its operating entity Damm Aquakultur GmbH & Co. KG, cultivating White Tiger Prawns (Litopenaeus vannamei) in controlled 28–29°C tropical conditions. Its core technology is the proprietary Omega3001 Bio-Filter, a two-stage biological water purification system that recycles approximately 99% of water and pairs with carbon-neutral heating drawn from a neighboring paper factory. Production is HACCP-certified, uses zero antibiotics or artificial additives, and is described by the company as Europe's largest sustainable shrimp farm.

The commercial offering centers on fresh, never-frozen HanseGarnelen in 440g, 660g, and 880g packages, complemented by frozen XXL, S, and easy-peel variants. Revenue is generated through a hybrid model: direct-to-consumer e-commerce on hansegarnelen.de with Wednesday/Friday 24-hour GO! Express delivery and a 1.5-hectare on-site farm store (Hofladen), plus a dedicated B2B sales channel targeting restaurants, hotels, caterers, fishmongers, and retailers with long-term price guarantees. Additional revenue streams include HanseGarnelen Gin powered by SEAL GIN (London Dry Gin, 0.5L, 44% ABV), co-developed Mediterranean shrimp seasoning with The Secret Sense, a premium shrimp peeler tool, gift vouchers, and monthly guided farm tours with shrimp and gin tastings (€49–€69 per person).

The go-to-market blends content marketing (blog, recipes, newsletter), earned media (NDR, Chefkoch, Eatsmarter, Fischmagazin, Sternefresser, SAT.1 Regional), active social channels (Instagram, Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube), and trade events such as Gastromesse 370° and the Schleswig-Holstein Gourmet-Festival. The company holds the Seafood Star 2023 (Best Fish Product), the Arbeitgeber der Zukunft 2023 employer award, and Slow Food Deutschland supporter status. With ~20 employees and no disclosed external funding, HanseGarnelen is preparing a 2026 rebranding to 'landgarnele', previewed at Gastromesse 370° in March 2026, signaling a sharpened commercial focus on the gastronomy segment.

Name

Hanseatic Shrimp

Legal name

HanseGarnelen AG

Website

https://hansegarnelen.de

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HanseGarnelen AG is a German land-based aquaculture company that farms White Tiger shrimp in a proprietary recirculating system, selling fresh and frozen shrimp, gin, and accessories to premium consumers and foodservice customers in Germany.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land-based Aquaculture Seafood

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (3117), Fish and Seafood Retailers (44525), Fish and Seafood Merchant Wholesalers (42446)

SIC

Prepared Fresh Or Frozen Fish & Seafoods (2092), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200)

akta.pro primary industry

Crustacean Farming (e.g., shrimp, prawns, crab) (AFAEAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Seafood Markets & Fishmongers (CRAHAHAC)

Keywords

• Land-based shrimp farming
• Recirculating aquaculture systems
• Sustainable seafood production
• Fresh shrimp wholesale
• Aquaculture farm tours

Headquarters

HQ city

Glückstadt

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Fresh Shrimp Sales: Direct sales of fresh White Tiger shrimp to consumers via online shop with 24-hour delivery on Wednesdays and Fridays. Products sold in 440g, 660g, and 880g packages with free shipping.
2. Frozen Shrimp Sales: Sales of frozen shrimp products including XXL, S-size, and easy-peel varieties. Available year-round as complement to seasonal fresh offerings.
3. Farm Tours and Tastings: Monthly guided tours of the aquaculture facility with shrimp tasting experiences. 49€ per person for 3-course menu, 69€ for tour with gin tasting.
4. HanseGarnelen Gin: Co-branded London Dry Gin (0.5L, 44% ABV) with SEAL GIN featuring Thai basil, coriander, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime. Manufactured by Czernys Küstendestillerie.
5. Shrimp Accessories: Sales of complementary products including shrimp seasoning (by The Secret Sense), shrimp peeler tool, and gift vouchers.
6. B2B Wholesale: Bulk sales to restaurants, hotels, fishmongers, and retailers. Long-term price guarantees offered to business partners independent of global supply chains.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

HanseGarnelen AG is a German land-based aquaculture company that cultivates White Tiger shrimp (Litopenaeus vannamei) using a proprietary Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) with the Omega3001 Bio-Filter. The company sells fresh, never-frozen shrimp direct-to-consumers via its online shop and to business customers such as restaurants, hotels, and retailers, complemented by frozen shrimp variants, a co-branded London Dry Gin, accessories, and on-site farm tours.

Product overview

HanseGarnelen operates as a sustainable land-based aquaculture company producing fresh White Tiger Garnelen (Litopenaeus vannamei) in Germany. The product portfolio centers on fresh shrimp (Frische HanseGarnelen) in various sizes as the core offering, supported by frozen variants (Gefrostete HanseGarnelen XXL, S, and easy peel) for extended shelf life. Complementary products include shrimp-related accessories (Garnelen-Gewürz spice blend, HanseGarnelenschäler peeler tool), the HanseGarnelen Gin powered by SEAL GIN, gift vouchers, and farm tour experiences with tastings. Bundled packages combining fresh shrimp with accessories are also offered. The company sells directly to consumers via online shop and to business customers (restaurants, retailers) through dedicated business customer services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• landgarnele: New brand name announced in March 2025 at Gastromesse 370° in Hamburg, representing a rebranding of HanseGarnelen planned for summer 2026 launch. Targets the business customers (Gastronomie) and broader market.

Products and services

• Frische HanseGarnelen (Fresh HanseGarnelen) Fresh White Tiger Garnelen (Litopenaeus vannamei) sold in 440g, 660g, and 880g packages. Never frozen, harvested in Germany, and delivered to consumers within 24 hours.
• Gefrostete HanseGarnelen XXL Frozen XXL-sized White Tiger shrimp (>40g) sold in 2x500g packages, shock-frozen after harvest for extended shelf life. Available year-round.
• Gefrostete HanseGarnelen S
• Gefrostete HanseGarnelen Easy Peel
• HanseGarnelen Gin powered by SEAL GIN London Dry Gin (0.5L, 44% ABV) with Thai basil, coriander, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime botanicals. Co-developed with SEAL GIN and manufactured by Czernys Küstendestillerie.
• Garnelen-Gewürz von The Secret Sense
• HanseGarnelenschäler (Shrimp Peeler Tool)
• HanseGarnelen-Bundle
• HanseGarnelen-Gutschein (Gift Voucher)
• Anlagenbesichtigung mit Verkostung (Farm Tour with Tasting)
• HansGar – die Plüschgarnele (Plush Shrimp)

Quantifiable outcome

• 99% water recycling rate in aquaculture system
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• SEAL GIN / Jan Czerny (Czernys Küstendestillerie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2022Co-development partnership for the HanseGarnelen Gin powered by SEAL GIN. Jan Czerny contributed expertise in distillation and production at Czernys Küstendestillerie, producing the London Dry Gin with shrimp botanicals. The gin contains Thai basil, coriander, lemongrass, galangal, and kaffir lime.
• The Secret SensecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to develop a Mediterranean shrimp seasoning blend made from 100% natural ingredients without preservatives, colorings, or garlic. The blend includes lemongrass, turmeric, mustard seeds, dill, and paprika.
• Loick Trade GmbHcoreTechnology or IntegrationPackaging development partner for the KlimaBox sustainable packaging solution. Two-year co-development resulted in 100% renewable, recyclable or compostable packaging that maintains optimal cooling temperatures.
• Schleswig-Holstein Gourmet-FestivalflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerHanseGarnelen serves as exclusive shrimp supplier for the annual gourmet festival, showcasing products to high-end restaurant professionals and food enthusiasts.
• Gastromesse 370°flagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerExhibited at Hamburg trade show March 13-16, 2026 to preview new 'landgarnele' brand and products launching summer 2026.
• Slow Food DeutschlandcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerOfficial supporter of Slow Food Deutschland organization promoting sustainable and local food culture. Aligns with company's sustainability values.
• HSV Frauen (Hamburger Sport-Verein)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSponsorship of HSV women's football team regionalliga, appearing on team warm-up shirts. Marketing partnership to increase brand visibility.
• GO! Express & Logistics Deutschland GmbHcoreOthersPrimary logistics partner for fresh product delivery within Germany. Delivers between 08:00-12:00 (latest 14:00) on delivery days.
• DHL Paket GmbHminorOthersSecondary logistics partner for accessory products and frozen goods when GO! Express is not used.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Atlantic Sapphire: Denmark-headquartered publicly listed land-based salmon RAS operator with flagship facilities in Denmark and the USA. Not a shrimp producer, but the most scaled land-based RAS aquaculture player globally, demonstrating the technology paradigm HanseGarnelen uses at a larger and more capital-intensive scale.
• Thai Union Group: One of the world's largest seafood producers (Chicken of the Sea, John West, King Oscar) sourcing frozen and value-added shrimp globally. Competes indirectly with HanseGarnelen via frozen imported shrimp in German retail and foodservice channels, but operates at a vastly different scale and cost structure.
• Charoen Pokphand Foods (CPF): Thailand-headquartered global aquaculture and seafood conglomerate with integrated shrimp farming, feed, and processing operations across Asia and Latin America. Indirect competitor setting the global commodity shrimp price benchmark that HanseGarnelen's premium product is priced against.

Direct peers

• Oceanloop: Munich-based RAS shrimp farming venture using closed-loop systems to produce Pacific white shrimp in Bavaria. Direct competitor with the same species, same RAS technology paradigm, and overlapping DACH premium seafood target market.
• Crusta Nova: German land-based RAS shrimp producer based in Düsseldorf farming Pacific white shrimp for the European market. Directly comparable to HanseGarnelen on species (Litopenaeus vannamei), production method (closed-loop RAS), and target customer base (premium German gastronomy and DTC consumers).
• SwissShrimp: Swiss land-based RAS shrimp farm producing fresh, antibiotic-free Pacific white shrimp for the Swiss and DACH gastronomy market. Closely mirrors HanseGarnelen's premium, sustainable land-based positioning and direct-to-restaurant plus DTC business model.

Emerging players

• King Prawn Company: UK-based land-based shrimp producer focused on sustainable, traceable Pacific white shrimp for the British foodservice and retail market. Comparable species, RAS approach, and premium sustainability positioning; serves a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCCDjMhDMAGuqiPXZGS6oR9g
• Facebookfacebook.com/FrischeGarnelen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hansegarnelen
• Instagraminstagram.com/hansegarnelen

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

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 Hanseatic Shrimp