nemo's garden (oceanreefgroup)

What nemo's garden (oceanreefgroup) does

Nemo's Garden, operated under Ocean Reef Group via the Italian entity NG S.r.l (incorporated 2021), has developed the world's first commercial underwater greenhouse system since 2012. The technology consists of transparent biospheres anchored 6-11 meters below the sea surface in sheltered waters, with a pilot plant of nine units located 80 meters off the shore of Noli on the Italian Ligurian coast. Each biosphere houses a 10-meter segmented hydroponic spiral with approximately 100 seedbed positions and uses natural seawater evaporation and condensation to produce fresh water for irrigation, eliminating the need for external freshwater input. The system runs on renewable energy and is monitored via a Land Control Unit with 10+ IoT sensors per pod tracking temperature, humidity, light, and oxygen.

The company monetizes through four distinct streams: (1) consumer underwater tourism experiences at the Noli pilot (guided dives at €150/person, snorkeling at €50/person, underwater aperitivos at €180/person); (2) custom biosphere design, production, and deployment projects for luxury resorts and research institutions, with three product models (BioSphere 1.1, BioTunnel 2.1, GeoSphere 3.0) and one Middle East and one US installation completed to date; (3) research-platform rentals on minimum one-month SLAT contracts for pharmaceutical, cosmetic, and biotech customers; and (4) premium consumer products under the Aroma of the Sea sub-brand, including aromatic herb-infused chocolate pralines and 1.5 Bar Gin distilled from underwater-grown botanics. Customers include luxury resort groups, Michelin-starred restaurants, master chocolatiers, and cosmetic and pharmaceutical companies.

The business operates as a privately held subsidiary of Ocean Reef Group (a diving equipment manufacturer founded by Sergio Gamberini), supported by a 2021 technology partnership with Siemens (Xcelerator portfolio), a 2025 distribution agreement with Qatar-based NAAAS Holding Group, and a 2025 crowdfunding campaign. Geographic operations span Italy, the United States (Gilboa Quarry installation, 2023), and the Middle East (two installations, 2024). Regulatory milestones in 2025 include GlobalGAP certification for the Noli pilot and entry in the Guinness World Records. The company pursues regions facing climate stress, water scarcity, or limited arable land as its primary addressable market.

Name

nemo's garden (oceanreefgroup)

Legal name

OCEAN REEF Inc.

Website

https://nemosgarden.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Nemo's Garden develops and operates the world's first underwater hydroponic greenhouse biosphere system for sustainable agriculture, serving luxury resorts, research institutions, individual tourists, and climate-stressed regions through custom installations, research rentals, and consumer experiences.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Underwater Agriculture Systems

NAICS

Greenhouse, Nursery, and Floriculture Production (1114), Nursery and Floriculture Production (11142)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Hydroponic & Soilless Greenhouse Production (NFT, DWC, Substrate Grow Bags) (AFAGAHAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Greenhouse Herb & Microgreens Production (Culinary Herbs, Microgreens) (AFAGAHAC)

Keywords

• Underwater agriculture
• Hydroponic farming systems
• Marine biosphere design
• Sustainable agri-tech
• Underwater greenhouse modules

Headquarters

HQ city

Vista

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Underwater Tourism Experiences: Revenue from guided diving, snorkeling, and night dive experiences. Direct booking at fixed price points per person for various tour types.
2. Research Facility Rental: Rental of underwater biospheres as research platforms for organizations exploring plant behavior, biotechnology, or environmental science applications. Customized SLAT (Service Level Agreement Template) prepared for each project. Minimum rental period of one month.
3. Custom Biosphere Solutions: Design, production, and deployment of custom underwater biosphere installations for resorts, hotels, and private clients. Includes location scouting, farm design, custom production, deployment, and ongoing support.
4. Consumer Products - Aroma of the Sea: Premium product line featuring chocolate pralines with underwater-grown aromatic herbs. Also includes 1.5 Bar Gin distilled from underwater aromatic plants. Limited edition products distributed to consumers.
5. Corporate & Team Building Events: Exclusive venue rental for corporate events, team building activities, and special experiences including underwater aperitivos at 1.5 Bar.
6. Crowdfunding/Donations: Community support donations through GoFundMe platform to sustain the pilot plant ecosystem, maintenance, and accessibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Nemo's Garden develops, manufactures, and operates the world's first underwater greenhouse modular system, comprising transparent biospheres anchored to the seabed and equipped with hydroponic cultivation technology. The company sells and installs custom biosphere systems (BioSphere 1.1, BioTunnel 2.1, GeoSphere 3.0) for enterprise clients, leases biospheres as research platforms, and runs direct-to-consumer guided diving, snorkeling, and corporate event experiences at its pilot plant in Noli, Italy. It also distributes premium consumer products (Aroma of the Sea chocolate pralines and 1.5 Bar Gin) made from underwater-grown herbs.

Product overview

Nemo's Garden is a modular underwater greenhouse system pioneering sustainable agriculture, comprising three core biosphere models: the BioSphere 1.1 (foundational 2m diameter unit with hydroponic system for 100 plants), the BioTunnel 2.1 (scaled linear production unit with 4x planting capacity for 7-8 operators), and the GeoSphere 3.0 (3m diameter underwater-assembled sphere). The system is supported by infrastructure including the Control Tower/Land Control Unit for real-time monitoring and the Tree of Life sculpture housing vital systems. Experience products include guided dives, snorkeling tours, night dives, and the Underwater Aperitivo at 1.5 Bar. Research services offer underwater biospheres as research platforms. The Aroma of the Sea sub-brand distributes premium products including chocolate pralines and 1.5 Bar Gin made from underwater-grown botanicals. The entire system operates as a hydroponic-based, self-sustainable ecosystem that naturally produces fresh water through evaporation and condensation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Aroma of the Sea: Premium brand created to promote products from the world's first underwater greenhouse, including chocolate pralines combining aromatic sea plants with exquisite chocolate.
• 1.5 Bar

Products and services

• BioSphere 1.1
• BioTunnel 2.1
• GeoSphere 3.0
• The Looking Glass
• Nemo's Garden Guided Dive Experience
• Nemo's Garden Guided Snorkeling Tour
• Nemo's Garden Guided Night Dive
• Underwater Aperitivo at 1.5 Bar
• Underwater Agriculture Research Platform
• Corporate & Team Building Events
• Aroma of the Sea Chocolate Pralines
• 1.5 Bar Gin

Quantifiable outcome

• 31.52% higher antioxidant activity compared to soil-grown plants
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature8 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• SiemenscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2021Global technology leader supported Nemo's Garden with Xcelerator portfolio providing advanced digital tools for experimentation, prototyping, and simulation. The collaboration helped improve design and engineering of underwater farming solutions.
• NAAAS Holding GroupmajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDistribution agreement for Qatar region. Partnership showcased during MWC GSM Expo 2025 in Doha for regional expansion of Nemo's Garden solutions.
• Balich InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration to create underwater replica of Tree of Life design (originally inspired by Michelangelo's historic design, reimagined by creative director Marco Balich). Balich permitted adaptation for underwater context.
• CeRSAA (Centro di Ricerca e Sviluppo in Agricoltura)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrivate research institute conducted chemical analysis on underwater basil showing higher essential oil content (72.94% vs 57.13% standard crop) in 2013.
• Ocean Reef GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent company founded by Sergio Gamberini. Ocean Reef Group (diving equipment company) provides technological support, resources, and infrastructure for the project development.
• Master ChocolatiersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for developing Aroma of the Sea brand - aromatic herb-infused chocolate pralines using underwater-grown herbs.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Sundrop Farms: Australia/Portugal-based grower that pioneered seawater-fed greenhouse agriculture using solar desalination. Most directly comparable to Nemo's Garden in combining desalination with greenhouse hydroponics to address freshwater scarcity, though operates on land rather than underwater.
• Plenty: U.S. vertical-farming operator using hydroponic and aeroponic systems to grow leafy greens and herbs indoors. Comparable in target crops (basil, salad, microgreens), hydroponic cultivation model, and premium customer focus.
• AeroFarms: U.S. indoor vertical farming company using aeroponic technology for herbs and leafy greens. Competes for the same premium herb/microgreen customers as Nemo's Garden and operates a similar sustainability narrative.
• 80 Acres Farms: U.S. indoor vertical farm producing leafy greens, herbs, and microgreens with hydroponics. Comparable in crop mix, controlled-environment agriculture model, and supply to retail/foodservice customers.
• Gotham Greens: U.S. urban greenhouse operator using hydroponic systems to grow herbs, leafy greens, and salad crops. Directly comparable in hydroponic greenhouse production model and premium fresh-produce positioning.
• BrightFarms: U.S. operator of hydroponic greenhouses supplying supermarkets with locally grown leafy greens and herbs. Comparable hydroponic greenhouse infrastructure and leafy-green/herb crop focus.
• Local Bounti: U.S. controlled-environment agriculture company using hydroponic greenhouse technology to grow leafy greens and herbs. Comparable in controlled-environment hydroponic cultivation of similar crops.

Emerging players

• Ocean Farm 1 (SalMar): Norwegian offshore salmon aquaculture operation pioneering large-scale ocean-based food production. Comparable as a pioneer of marine-based food/farming systems, though in aquaculture (salmon) rather than terrestrial plant cultivation.
• Sea6 Energy: India-based ocean agriculture company cultivating seaweed offshore. Comparably pursues ocean-based agriculture and shares the marine-environment novelty angle, though focused on seaweed rather than terrestrial plants.
• Sky Greens: Singapore-based vertical farming pioneer using rotating hydroponic towers for leafy greens. Comparable in resource-efficient hydroponic production and focus on tropical/water-stressed regions, although operating on land.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@OceanReefGroup
• Facebookfacebook.com/NemosGarden
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nemo-s-garden-oceanreefgroup
• Instagraminstagram.com/nemosgarden_official

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 nemo's garden (oceanreefgroup)