An Irish aquatech company providing ground-breaking solutions for measurement of nitrates and nitrites in water has been named winner of the inaugural Aquatech Business of the Year award by Ireland's seafood Development Agency, Bord Iascaigh Mhara (BIM).
Based in Carlow, Ireland, Aquamonitrix provides real-time data on nitrate and nitrite levels in water for fish farmers. The company developed its solution for monitoring water quality two years ago, having spun out of environmental analysis firm TE Laboratories. Previously, it was impossible to measure such levels in real time, the company says.
Since then, the Aquamonitrix analyser has been bought by fish farms around the world, including aquaculture clients from Norway, the Netherlands, and Canada. The company now employs more than 50 people.
The award was announced at last week's conference "Aquatech - Ireland's Global Opportunity", which followed a two-week BIM Innovation Studio delivered by aquaculture accelerator Hatch Blue and supported by the European Maritime Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund.
Aquamonitrix Director, Mark Bowkett, said the award "means a lot to us, especially as we are new to the aquaculture sector. Our participation in the BIM Innovation Studio Programme was a gamechanger, and helped us to develop this opportunity. It has been a steep learning curve. But the Innovation Studio helped us to determine that we had a value proposition for the aquaculture industry.”
At last week's conference, participants heard that Ireland’s developing aquatech sector could make the country a global leader in the field, with Irish aquatech companies turning over €200m last year.
“Ireland is at a very exciting stage when it comes to aquatech," said BIM CEO Caroline Bocquel. "There are currently 62 aquatech companies operating here, all using technology to enable sustainable seafood farming at a time when the sector is facing many challenges.”
Congratulating Aquamonitrix on the award, she said the company is an example of the energy, innovation and talent that exists in the aquatech sector today.
The other two Aquatech Business of the Year finalists were Aqualicence, a marine and offshore windfarm consultancy firm supporting on all aspects of licensing applications and Konree Innovation, which uses artificial intelligence and machine learning to outsmart infestation by sea lice, a parasite that affects salmon and other fish.