Danish sustainable crab-startup secures investment from major Dutch investor

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Biologists Happylan Natkunarajah and Leander Hessner from Aarhus, are trying their hand in the commercial world with their expertise in the ecology of water-related ecosystems.

Decameal makes high-protein agrofood produced exclusively from the common shore crab. It has a crude protein content of up to 70% and the right composition of valuable amino acids, making it ideal for a wide range of feed applications across the sector.

In addition to the high protein content, valuable by-products such as crab shells are also extracted, which can be used in the medical or beauty industry as well.

“Co-founders Leander and Happylan have taken a complex protein extraction process based on a university project and turned it into a tangible pilot facility on a tight budget, and are already seeing positive ecological impacts on our oceans. The team has attracted strong partners, investors and suppliers in a very short time and we look forward to seeing their plans become reality,” says Mark Durno, Managing Partner of Rockstart AgriFood.

The project began in 2020 during the course “Bio-entrepreneurship” at Aarhus University, after which they completed their master’s degrees in 2021 and have been working hard on Decameal ever since.

The hard work has paid off with support from Innovation Fund Denmark, the Danish Foundation for Entrepreneurship and Food & Bio Cluster Denmark, which has enabled the company’s growth and development, and most recently an investment by Dutch acceleratorAn accelerator is an intensive program that provides startups with mentorship, education, resources, and sometimes funding to accelerate their growth. More Rockstart.

“Through the accelerator program, we hope to learn valuable lessons specifically in fundraising. As a founding team consisting of two biologists, any ‘business-related’ knowledge is extremely valuable to us. In our first month with Rockstart, we have gotten to know them as very professional and experienced, but also very interested in us as founders on a personal level,” Happylan says.

With its dedication to a green and sustainable future and the recent investment from Rockstart, Decameal is shaping up to be one of the future players in the food market.