Atlantic Fish Co secures US$305,000 NSF grant to scale cultivated black sea bass

Atlantic Fish Co, a North Carolina startup developing cultivated seafood, has been awarded a US$305,000 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant from the National Science Foundation (NSF). The funding will support the company’s efforts to scale production of premium white fish using cellular agriculture.

“This NSF award is more than just capital – it’s validation from rigorous scientific reviewers,” said Doug Grant, Co-Founder & CEO of Atlantic Fish Co. “It represents the culmination of over a year of foundational R&D and proposal development.”

The Raleigh-based company is focused on producing cultivated black sea bass that mimics the taste, texture, and nutritional value of wild-caught fillets. The goal is to provide a sustainable alternative to conventional seafood without relying on marine ecosystems.

With this latest NSF grant, Atlantic Fish Co’s total non-dilutive funding now exceeds US$700,000. The company previously received SBIR funding from the US Department of Agriculture, a significant achievement amid a tighter funding landscape for early-stage deep tech startups.

Atlantic Fish Co is part of a growing cohort of alternative seafood companies using cellular agriculture to address challenges such as overfishing, pollution, and climate-driven disruption of ocean ecosystems. By cultivating fish cells directly, the company aims to deliver clean, traceable seafood that supports both human nutrition and environmental resilience.