The software firms Naviaq and Seacloud, both under the ownership of Bluefront Equity, have chosen to merge to deliver a more expansive and cost-efficient data-driven service offering to customers in the aquaculture sector.
These companies are associated with two critical aspects of the aquaculture technology industry, making their merger a logical match. Seacloud specializes in cloud-based software and sensor technologies for analyzing and utilizing environmental data in aquaculture. Meanwhile, Naviaq provides software solutions that standardize, secure, and streamline industry workflows.
This description highlights a complementary merger, which has been consistently guided by Bluefront, a key player in the process. Bluefront is the major shareholder of both companies, so the merger of the two becomes one of the largest and strongest SaaS (software as a service) players in the fishing industry.
"Prior to investing in companies, we always consider which structural measures are available that can unlock powerful business combinations and add value to the aquaculture industry. Combining Naviaq and Seacloud is a no-brainer as their technologies and customer offerings are highly complementary," said Kjetil Haga, partner at Bluefront.
The merger brings forth a beneficial impact for customers and streamlines the operations of fish farmers through a unified interface. As Jens-Harald Jenssen, CEO of Seacloud, aptly puts it, "Our company provides sensors and software that describe the condition of the fish, while Naviaq's solutions offer an overview of equipment, operations, and logistics." This system blends together aggregated data, transforming it into valuable information that empowers users to make informed decisions. As a result, the integration of data simplifies the process.
"For fish farmers and vessel operators, this merger facilitates a more holistic product offering that will provide enhanced operational insights and enable more cost-efficient operations. Moreover, our colleagues will benefit from combining two highly competent teams that can develop even better software systems and help create more new jobs," said Lisbeth Plassen, managing director of Naviaq.
For the time being, Naviaq and Seacloud will operate under their current brands until further notice.
Naviaq's journey began with addressing map drawing exchange challenges in aquaculture, resulting in a comprehensive tool for documenting and sharing processes. A pilot project refined workflows and introduced the Naviaq mooring feature for data collection. This evolved into a solution for documenting diverse processes, ultimately saving users time and resources.
Founded in 2016 as Tialta AS, Seacloud AS, under the leadership of Jørn-Roar Pedersen, has cultivated a dynamic ocean-oriented environment. The company's recent name change reflects its mission to lead in cloud-based management data for farming and maritime operations. Seacloud AS, with offices in Alta, Tromsø, and Trondheim, actively commits to delivering innovative solutions.
About Bluefront Equity
Bluefront Equity is the only independent, Nordic private equity firm that focuses solely on the seafood industry. Thus, the fund invests in small and medium-sized seafood companies that can make the future seafood industry more sustainable. Kjetil Haga and Simen Landmark established Bluefront Equity, and the company is in Oslo.
