SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC

What SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC does

SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC is a Mexican nonprofit civil association (Asociación Civil sin fines de lucro) founded in 2013 and headquartered in La Paz, Baja California Sur. It operates with a 15-person team and is funded primarily through grants and donations from international and Mexican foundations, including the Packard Foundation, Walton Family Foundation, Walmart Foundation, BuildersVision, Resources Legacy Fund, FMCN, and a 2022-2024 Ocean Innovation Challenge grant from UNDP, Norad, and Sida. Its mission is to transform small-scale fisheries in Mexico by connecting fishing cooperatives with responsible buyers and embedding sustainable practices into seafood supply chains.

The organization's core product is the Value Rescue Model (VRM), a codified, multi-stage methodology (scoping, assessment, capacity development, ownership) supported by tools such as the Value Rescue Index (VRI) and the Nadir digital traceability system (developed with Plenumsoft Marina). Complementary programs include the Buyer Engagement Program (Enlace Empresarial), an 8-stage advisory framework that helps retailers, distributors, hotels, and restaurants develop sustainable seafood purchasing policies, and a VRM Replication service that transfers the methodology to other NGOs. Its commercial spin-off, Comercializadora HealthyFish SAPI (a certified B Corporation founded in 2015 by the same founders), operates SmartFood retail stores in Mexico City and channels product to hotels, restaurants, and U.S. exports.

SmartFish AC serves two horizontal customer segments: small-scale fishing cooperatives across at least seven Mexican states (Baja California Sur, Sonora, Chiapas, Nayarit, Yucatán, Oaxaca, Veracruz) seeking quality improvements and market access, and enterprises such as Chedraui (retail), Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos Pedregal (hospitality), and DÜM Restaurant seeking verified responsible seafood supply. Documented outcomes include 771 individuals trained, 52 jobs created (75% held by women), 11.7 million pesos generated through VRM projects, and Chedraui's certified seafood products growing 47% over three years. The organization has won multiple recognitions, including MIT Solve (2020), St. Andrews Prize finalist (2020), CONAPESCA Sustainable Fishing and Aquaculture Awards (2025 for 29 de Agosto cooperative, 2026 for Los Agostaderos de Topón), Razón de Ser 2025, and BBVA Momentum (2015).

Name

SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC

Legal name

Smartfish Rescate de Valor, AC

Website

https://smartfishac.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC is a Mexican nonprofit that transforms small-scale fisheries by connecting fishing cooperatives with responsible buyers through its Value Rescue Model, traceability systems, and enterprise advisory programs, funded primarily by international foundations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Sustainable Fisheries Advisory and Capacity Development

NAICS

Aquaculture (11251), Other Aquaculture (112519)

SIC

Fishing, Hunting And Trapping (900)

akta.pro primary industry

Aquaculture Farm Services & Operations Support (net cleaning, diving, grading, harvesting) (AFAEAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Aquaculture Harvest, Processing & Packing (Farmed Finfish/Shellfish; On-Farm Plants) (AFANADAL)

Keywords

• Sustainable fisheries consulting
• Fishing cooperative development
• Seafood traceability systems
• Responsible sourcing advisory
• Fishery improvement projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Mexico

HQ country

Mexico

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donor and Grant Funding: As a nonprofit organization (Asociación Civil sin fines de lucro), SmartFish AC operates primarily through donations, grants, and funding from foundations and institutional donors to support its mission of promoting sustainable fishing in Mexico.
2. Training and Technical Assistance Services: SmartFish AC provides capacity development and technical support to fishing cooperatives and organizations. The organization trains other organizations in the Value Rescue Model methodology through guidelines, protocols, and consulting services.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC is a Mexican nonprofit that delivers the Value Rescue Model (VRM), a four-stage methodology combining training, assessment tools (including the Value Rescue Index), and the Nadir digital traceability system to help small-scale fishing cooperatives improve seafood quality, strengthen business capacities, internalize sustainable management practices, and gain access to preferential markets. The organization also runs a Buyer Engagement Program that advises retailers, distributors, hotels, and restaurants on developing and implementing sustainable seafood purchasing policies, and executes Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) that link fishing communities to responsible buyers.

Product overview

SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC operates as a nonprofit organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs centered on transforming sustainable fishing in Mexico. The core offering is the Value Rescue Model (MRV), a comprehensive methodology combining training and tools for fishing cooperatives to improve quality, strengthen business capacities, and access preferential markets. Complementary programs include the Buyer Engagement Program (Enlace Empresarial) that advises companies on sustainable seafood sourcing, and Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) that address environmental and social challenges in fisheries. The organization also provides VRM Replication services to transfer its methodology to other organizations. Through the SmartFish Group alliance, HealthyFish serves as the commercial arm, operating SmartFood retail stores in Mexico City and distributing products to hotels, restaurants, and export markets. The organization also developed the Nadir digital traceability system for supply chain transparency.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Value Rescue Model (VRM) A four-stage methodology (scoping, assessment, capacity development, project ownership) combining training programs and tools designed to help fishing cooperatives improve seafood product quality, strengthen business capacities, internalize sustainable management measures, and access preferential markets that reward environmental and social responsibility.
• Buyer Engagement Program (Enlace Empresarial) An advisory program guiding retailers, distributors, hotels, and restaurants to integrate sustainable seafood concepts into their corporate culture through an eight-stage model that includes supply-chain risk assessment, sustainable sourcing policy development, and staff training on sustainability topics.
• Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) Multi-stakeholder collaborative projects addressing social and environmental challenges within fisheries, leveraging market power to incentivize positive changes through identification of improvement areas, support for meeting international standards, and connecting fishing communities with sustainable buyers.
• VRM Replication Service Knowledge transfer service providing guidelines, protocols, and consulting to help other organizations replicate the Value Rescue Model methodology in coastal communities where they work, enabling acceleration of access to preferential markets.

Quantifiable outcome

• Annual sustainable seafood volume increased from 24.5 to 71.3 tons (nearly 3x increase)
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WWF-MéxicocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2025SmartFish and WWF-México collaborated to professionalize fishing and aquaculture cooperatives in Yucatán and Nayarit. Five SmartFish staff conducted 14 training sessions for 93 people across six cooperatives. Project transferred Value Rescue Model knowledge to WWF-México team for continued support of cooperatives.
• Waldorf Astoria Los Cabos PedregalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025The hotel joined SmartFish's Buyer Engagement Program in March 2025, committing to sustainable seafood sourcing. Analysis revealed 60% of their seafood purchases come from low environmental risk sources. The hotel is developing a Responsible Purchasing Policy for Seafood Products with a goal of 75% responsible sourcing by 2026. 99% of seafood is sourced domestically, with 71% from Baja California and Baja California Sur.
• ChedrauicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Chedraui became the first supermarket chain in Latin America to adopt a sustainable seafood purchasing policy in 2020. Updated policy in 2025 prioritizes traceability and sustainable products. Certified products grew 47% in three years. Score in 'Del Mar al Supermercado' report improved from 5.97 to 7.2, ranking as second retailer in Mexico for sustainable seafood commitment.
• Niparajá ACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the Islote de Agua Verde cooperative in establishing and monitoring fish refugia and Fishery Improvement Project.
• Pronatura México ACminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the Islote de Agua Verde cooperative in fishery improvement efforts.
• The Nature Conservancy MéxicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting the Islote de Agua Verde cooperative in fishery improvement efforts.
• Centro Intercultural para el Estudio de Desiertos y Océanos (CEDO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ocean Innovation Challenge project, working on Value Rescue in Small-Scale Fisheries in Mexico.
• Fondo Oaxaqueño para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FOCN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ocean Innovation Challenge project for Value Rescue in Small-Scale Fisheries.
• Comercializadora HealthyFishcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthyFish was created in 2015 by SmartFish founders as a solidarity intermediary to connect cooperatives with responsible buyers. It operates SmartFood stores in Mexico City, distributes to hotels and restaurants, and exports to the USA. As a certified B Corporation, it ensures transparency and fair trade practices.
• Confederación Mexicana de Cooperativas Pesqueras y AcuícolasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ocean Innovation Challenge project for Value Rescue in Small-Scale Fisheries.
• IluméxicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Ocean Innovation Challenge project for Value Rescue in Small-Scale Fisheries.
• AbalobiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSouth African social enterprise that transforms small-scale fisheries through digital tools, market access, and social justice. SmartFish participated in global exchange organized by Abalobi in South Africa.
• Conservación Internacional MéxicominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed to the construction of Los Agostaderos de Topón processing plant and capacity development program.
• REBIEN-CONANP (Reserva de la Biosfera La Encrucijada)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThrough PROCODES program, supported Los Agostaderos de Topón cooperative's certification process and processing plant construction.
• Comité de Sanidad Acuícola de Chiapas (CESACH)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with SmartFish to implement Best On-Board Handling Practices protocols with Los Agostaderos de Topón cooperative since 2019.
• Comité de Sanidad Acuícola de Yucatán (CESAY)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in WWF-México and SmartFish collaboration training sessions for cooperatives in Yucatán.
• Alianza Kanan KayminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitution participating in WWF-México and SmartFish collaboration training sessions for cooperatives in Yucatán.
• Escuela Nacional de Ingeniería Pesquera / CICIMAR-IPNminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with SmartFish and cooperatives Ignlogar and Llano del Tigre on study of bycatch species in artisanal white shrimp fishery in Marismas Nacionales Biosphere Reserve.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Conservación Internacional México: International conservation organization with a Mexico presence; supported construction of the Los Agostaderos de Topón processing plant. Operates broadly in conservation, finance, and policy rather than solely on sustainable seafood supply chains.
• The Nature Conservancy (México): Global conservation NGO supporting the Islote de Agua Verde cooperative in fishery improvement efforts. Like WWF and CI, TNC operates across many geographies and ecosystems; SmartFish is a focused specialist in comparison.
• Sustainable Fisheries Partnership: Global NGO that operates Fishery Improvement Projects (FIPs) worldwide — same core methodology as SmartFish's FIP work, but at global scale rather than Mexico-focused.
• WWF-México: Large international conservation NGO with a Mexico fisheries program. SmartFish is collaborating with WWF-México (not direct competitor in this segment) to transfer VRM to cooperatives in Yucatán and Nayarit — WWF operates broader conservation mandates while SmartFish focuses on small-scale fisheries.

Direct peers

• ThisFish: Technology partner providing traceability solutions for small-scale fisheries. Functionally comparable — both build digital traceability infrastructure for sustainable fishing cooperatives, with ThisFish as a tech-forward peer and SmartFish pairing its methodology with Plenumsoft's Nadir system.
• Abalobi: South African social enterprise that transforms small-scale fisheries through digital tools, market access, and social justice. Closest functional peer — SmartFish and Abalobi have participated in joint global exchanges and co-presented at Seafood Expo Global 2026.

Emerging players

• Wholechain: Traceability technology company that co-presented with SmartFish on the Seafood Expo Global 2026 panel on traceability in small-scale fisheries. Adjacent in the supply-chain transparency space; emerging SaaS peer.

Regional players

• Niparajá AC: Mexican nonprofit supporting the Islote de Agua Verde cooperative in establishing and monitoring fish refugia and Fishery Improvement Projects. Direct regional peer working on the same small-scale fishery improvements in Baja California Sur.
• Fondo Mexicano para la Conservación de la Naturaleza (FMCN): Mexican environmental fund that funds cooperative exchanges and has supported SmartFish programs. Peer in the sense of being a key Mexican conservation ecosystem actor, though primarily a funder rather than operator.
• Pronatura México: Mexican conservation NGO supporting the Islote de Agua Verde cooperative alongside SmartFish. Operates primarily in Mexico across multiple conservation themes; comparable regional focus but broader mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXqA3_1_5KSH7XqK6_dJ6J9w
• Facebookfacebook.com/SmartFishAC
• Instagraminstagram.com/smartfish_ac
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/smartfishac

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SmartFish Rescate de Valor, AC