NewFish develops a range of “reimagined” local seafood products that blend plant and animal proteins, led by chef co-founder Vaughan Mabee and founded in 2020. Its commercially available product is a pāua saucisson made from hand-dived blackfoot abalone, kurobuta pork, kelp and sauvignon blanc using natural fermentation. A second product, an all-plant ‘ocean mortadella’ built from native seaweeds and microalgae, is due to hit shelves soon. The company is partnering with New Zealand’s Cawthron Institute to screen native microalgae strains for taste, texture and nutrition and eventually to convert superior strains into novel proteins and bioactives via precision fermentation. NewFish positions its offerings as “transitional” foods intended to appeal to a broad audience rather than as direct meat analogs, and it sees inbound interest from foodservice and manufacturers across Hong Kong, Singapore, Sydney, Taipei and Tokyo. Financially, the startup has emerged from stealth and closed NZ$1.3 million (US$816,000) in pre-seed funding to advance its product pipeline.

Total raised

$1M

Funding rounds

1

Latest round

Seed

Latest activity

May 2022