kuterra

What kuterra does

Kuterra is a privately-held land-based aquaculture company founded in 2013, operating a single-product steelhead farm on Northern Vancouver Island, British Columbia. The company produces land-raised steelhead trout using a closed Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) that continuously recirculates, filters, and oxygenates water drawn from on-site wells. The RAS reuses approximately 98% of water and uses biofiltration and ultraviolet treatment to remove harmful organisms, eliminating the need for chemical inputs. Solid waste is filtered out and composted for use as fertilizer, and every fish is fully traceable from egg to plate. The facility sits approximately one kilometre from the ocean.

The company sells fresh steelhead through two channels: British Columbia Safeway stores (its primary retail anchor) and select fine dining restaurants and hotels in the region. Kuterra operates with a six-person team led by General Manager Cody Smith, with Production Manager John Burton (nearly 30 years of aquaculture experience, Fleming College-trained) and Aquaculture Specialist/Consultant Gary Robinson (over 45 years of salmon aquaculture experience). The company holds three independent sustainability certifications: Monterey Bay Aquarium's Green Ranking, SeaChoice's Best Choice designation, and Ocean Wise designation. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and there is no reported venture capital or private equity funding.

Kuterra is a subsidiary of Whole Oceans, the strategic operating parent that is replicating the Vancouver Island operating model at a new farm under construction in Bucksport, Maine, extending Kuterra's land-based steelhead approach to the US East Coast. Revenue is generated solely through direct sales of fresh steelhead, with no disclosed contract structure, recurring revenue mechanism, or non-fish revenue streams.

Name

kuterra

Legal name

Kuterra

Website

https://kuterra.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2013

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Kuterra is a privately-held land-based aquaculture company that raises steelhead using recirculating aquaculture systems on Northern Vancouver Island, selling fresh fish through British Columbia Safeway stores and select fine dining establishments.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Land-based Aquaculture / Sustainable Seafood

NAICS

Finfish Farming and Fish Hatcheries (112511), Aquaculture (1125)

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

• Land-based aquaculture
• Steelhead farming
• Recirculating aquaculture systems
• Sustainable seafood production
• Land-raised fish

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Steelhead Fish Sales: Kuterra generates revenue through direct sales of its land-raised steelhead fish to retail customers (grocery stores) and foodservice customers (restaurants and hotels). The product is sold as fresh fish in British Columbia.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels1 record

Core offering

Kuterra produces and sells land-raised steelhead trout raised in a closed Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) on Northern Vancouver Island. The fish are sold fresh through retail grocery (British Columbia Safeway) and foodservice (fine dining restaurants and hotels) channels, with complete farm-to-plate traceability and independent sustainability certifications.

Product overview

Kuterra is a single-product land-based aquaculture company founded in 2013. The company's sole offering is Kuterra Steelhead, a premium steelhead trout raised in a closed Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) on Northern Vancouver Island. This technology allows approximately 98% water reuse and eliminates the need for chemical treatments. Kuterra Steelhead is distributed through British Columbia Safeway stores and select fine dining establishments in the region. The company's parent organization is Whole Oceans, which is applying the same approach at a new facility under construction in Bucksport, Maine.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kuterra Steelhead Premium steelhead trout raised on land in a closed Recirculating Aquaculture System (RAS) on Northern Vancouver Island, approximately one kilometre from the ocean. Fish are humanely raised in optimal conditions, isolated from wild populations, and fully traceable from farm to plate. Sold fresh through British Columbia Safeway stores and select fine dining restaurants and hotels.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% water reuse rate through RAS technology

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Whole OceanscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhole Oceans is the parent company of Kuterra. The successes of Kuterra's operations on Vancouver Island have led Whole Oceans to apply the same approach to a new farm venture in Bucksport, Maine. Whole Oceans is expanding Kuterra's land-based aquaculture model to the US East Coast.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Atlantic Sapphire: Land-based RAS salmon producer operating the world's largest RAS facility in Florida. Direct peer: same core technology (closed RAS), same product (premium salmon), same sustainability narrative targeting North American retailers and foodservice.
• AquaBounty Technologies: Land-based RAS salmon producer with facilities in Indiana and Prince Edward Island. Direct peer in recirculating aquaculture of premium salmon, focused on indoor, sustainable production for North American markets.

Others

• Whole Oceans: Parent company of Kuterra building a RAS salmon facility in Bucksport, Maine. Closely related as the strategic operator applying Kuterra's playbook at scale, but functions as an expansion vehicle rather than a competing brand.

Emerging players

• Salmon Evolution: Norwegian land-based RAS salmon producer with its Indre Harøy facility in operation. Comparable as a capital-funded RAS salmon operator pursuing sustainability-certified premium salmon, though serving European rather than North American markets.
• Pure Salmon (8F Asset Management): Global RAS salmon platform backed by 8F Asset Management with facilities in development across multiple geographies. Comparable as a multi-site land-based salmon operator pursuing similar ESG and premium positioning.
• Kingfish Zeeland: Land-based RAS producer farming yellowtail kingfish in the Netherlands. Adjacent RAS operator demonstrating the same closed-system, sustainability-certified, premium-seafood playbook in a different finfish species.

Broad incumbents

• Mowi ASA: World's largest Atlantic salmon producer, primarily ocean net-pen farming with growing interest in land-based. Broad incumbent in the same salmon category competing on volume and price, increasingly responding to ESG pressure Kuterra is built around.
• Cermaq: Global salmon farming company (subsidiary of Mitsubishi) producing farmed salmon primarily via ocean net-pens. Broad incumbent in the same salmon category with overlap in B2B salmon supply and growing exposure to sustainability questions.
• Grieg Seafood: Norwegian-Canadian salmon farming company with operations in BC, Norway, and Scotland. Regional incumbent competing in the same BC market where Kuterra sells its steelhead, with overlap in retail and foodservice channels.

Regional players

• Local Ocean (formerly Sustainable Blue): Canadian land-based RAS salmon producer on the East Coast (Nova Scotia). Regional peer with the same indoor RAS model and Canadian base, but distinct East Coast geography and species focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kuterra-salmon

Compliance3 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 kuterra