FAQs

Who should apply to the Global Aquaculture Challenge?

The invitation to apply is broadly promoted by collaborating organizations. The invitation is open to innovators from industry, academia and public institutions:

Early-stage to late early-stage startups
Innovators in research organizations, public and private, NGOs
Innovators in seafood farming companies or seafood industry
Innovators in supply chain, compliance, and public policy
Technologists who have an application relevant to aquaculture

We want to include as many aquaculture partners as possible to shape a comprehensive, diverse and collaborative approach to address aquaculture pressing issues with technology. The challenge is species agnostic and invites participants from all over the globe. We aspire for a circular aquaculture approach that makes economic sense while delivering ecological and social benefit to communities.

The Global Aquaculture Challenge invites innovators from across all aspects of the supply chain and species that employ technology and data oriented solutions. Innovations in science, combined with data and predictive analytics, will provide farmers with better decision-making tools while supporting sustainable practices that eliminate waste, improve animal health, and propel economic productivity. Selection will favor applicants that include metrics to measure the impact on the environment and production economics.

The Challenge would like to see more innovations in areas such as, and not limited to:

• Water Management Solutions and Resource Usage in farming systems

• Supply Chain, Cold Chain and Traceability systems

• Smallholder Farms’ economically viable systems

• Tropical Species Diversity and Efficiency

• Regenerative systems, Seaweed, Microalgae, Integrated Multi-Trophic Aquaculture

• Environmental Footprint Metrics

• Recirculating Aquaculture Systems, Sensors, Monitoring and other systems (IoT, AI, ML)

• Zootechnics, Animal Health, Disease Management, Feed and Nutrition

• Public Policies including Compliance, Certification, Traceability

To apply, click here to the application in F6S. There you will find a form that you submit online. No proprietary information is asked for.

How is the initial selection made and final winners selected?

The Global Aquaculture Challenge utilizes The Yield Lab unique subject-matter expert filtering system to screen innovations. We leverage our network of global partners, mentors and advisors.

At the final investor conference the teams will pitch their technologies to the market; the winners, as judged by the blue-ribbon panel, will receive the prizes offered.

Prizes anticipated are designed to attract and award innovators from industry, from academia and from public institutions.

Who can apply?

Winners selection?

Who are the mentors, and what is their role?

This non-dilutive accelerator program identifies innovative aquaculture solutions and coaches the most promising ones with relevant deep subject-matter expert mentoring. This will help them to achieve their maximum technical, environmental and global impact through business and market development.

The selected 8 teams will each be paired with mentors experienced in industry technology and markets. On top of the on-going mentorship, the teams and mentors will meet 2-3 times during the year, preferably coincident with major global conferences (global circumstances permitting).

The Challenge will focus on increasing collaboration among established industry, experts, and the selected innovators.

As appropriate, advisors and mentors will identify farms or labs to test and prototype concepts.

Is it an on-site program?

This program is non-residential. You will be required to travel 2-3 time to the respective aquaculture conferences where the mentoring meetings will take place and to the final pitch (global circumstances permitting).

What are the expected outcomes of The Global Aquaculture Challenge?

The Global Aquaculture Challenge anticipates numerous outcomes that are effective and efficient for the industry and small holder farmers.

Stimulate and accelerate innovation with global velocity
Innovators, both individual and institutional, are stimulated by knowing there is a market for ideas and there is support for those ideas. Innovations are accelerated through The Yield Lab’s global network capabilities.
Access for the cohort to follow-on investment opportunity
Give experts an opportunity to have impact
The global pool of experienced advisors will have the opportunity to put their vast experience to the betterment of the industry.
Extract in-depth industry insights
Industry players interested and willing to collaborate will have speedy access to new technologies and growth opportunities.
Improve consumer interest and trust
Publicity around the Challenge will develop industry and public interest in the mission to improve our water-derived sustenance, traceability and safety.

The Yield Lab Institute and The Yield Lab Asia Pacific envisions innovation that can make aquaculture cleaner, more profitable, and give it a platform to scale. In this way a major outcome of The Global Aquaculture Challenge is advancing innovation which increases the aquaculture industry economic viability.

Who can help and How can you help?

We want to include as many aquaculture partners as possible to shape a comprehensive, diverse and collaborative approach to address aquaculture pressing issues with technology. We are a welcoming and inclusive organization and we are always on the lookout for more partners and sponsors for our projects.

-The WHO?

Industry … looking for innovative solutions and watching the forefront of technology
Investors … looking for the next new thing
Policy makers … looking to fit to the future of food supply chains
Impact organizations … looking for the direction of the Sustainable Development Goals
Accelerators … looking for technologies to attract
Sovereign and Global agencies … committed to innovation
Innovation centers … looking for programs for their participants
Conference organizers … looking to spot trends in technology
NGO’s with missions related to: water, oceans, smallholders, developing economies, etc
Researchers … interested in circular systems that apply to ag and aqua industries

- The HOW

COMMUNICATE. Refer the Challenge to prospective applicants
ADVISOR / MENTOR. Share your expertise with innovators; click ‘Join us’
TECHNICAL LEADERSHIP. Manage quantitative analysis of the technologies
IN-KIND SUPPORT. Defray cost of innovators’ travel, conferences fees, media coverage, etc.
PROGRAM CO-SPONSOR. Financial support
NAME AN AWARD FOR YOUR ORG. Financial support
CO-BRANDING OF THE ENTIRE CHALLENGE. Financial support

Mentors role

On site prog

How an Who can help

Expected outcomes

Who initiated this Challenge?

It's The Yield Lab Institute and The Yield Lab Asia Pacific, both part of The Yield Lab global network of funds and accelerator programs.

THE YIELD LAB CHALLENGE COLLABORATIVE

The Challenge format is a global approach, to global issues. The most compelling problems are present in every geography, as are the innovators who harbor impactful ideas, and companies that can take a new idea and scale it for maximum global impact. The Challenge format is intended to bring out innovators from any source: industry, academia, NGOs, producers, or policy makers. The Challenge pairs viable, sustainable and high impact innovations with experienced experts during the entire program. The relevant technical and go-to-market mentoring create added value for the innovations as well as appealing investment opportunities. The collaboration between The Yield Lab Institute and the investment arm of The Yield Lab, through this Challenge, become a global open-source pipeline for viable and sustainable innovations, as well as creating new market or securing existing market for those innovations.

THE YIELD LAB INSTITUTE

The Yield Lab Institute is the think-tank arm of The Yield Lab global network of Venture Capital funds and accelerator programs. The Yield Lab Institute drives sustainable AgTech innovation globally. We believe that sustainably feeding the global population will require an increase in diverse innovation in AgTech, including aquaculture. We saw the need and the opportunity to engage AgTech entrepreneurship in a meaningful way outside of the barrier of a venture capital model.
The Yield Lab Institute is focused on driving more effective innovation to the market. This can be done by attracting a greater diversity of innovators into the AgTech space, and by clearly communicating the needs of stakeholders. We do this in a multitude of ways, from researching, advising, and consulting in specific ecosystems, to stimulating and assisting entrepreneurship. The Yield Lab Institute stimulates innovation by connecting stakeholders (entrepreneurs, producers, distribution channel partners, agribusiness experts, investors, researchers, and consumers) globally. Our Challenge programs are a proven and effective way to stimulate innovation.

For more information, visit theyieldlabinstitute.org

THE YIELD LAB ASIA PACIFIC

The Yield Lab Asia Pacific (TYLAP) will administer the Global Aquaculture Challenge 2020. Globally, and especially in this region, aquaculture desperately needs technology and data-driven solutions to improve the production, environment and supply chains that provide the world with the original and healthy protein... seafood. TYLAP is a Fund and non-residential Accelerator that serves all of Asia Pacific, from a base in Singapore, and is focused on Food and AgTech innovations, including aquaculture. The Yield Lab system utilizes a vast global network of subject matter experts to select, mentor and drive global market access thereby maximizing the impact and value of targeted investments. TYLAP foresees tremendous value and opportunity in collaborating with The Yield Lab Institute to stimulate global aquaculture innovations from Asia Pacific.
TYLAP is the Asia Pacific unit of The Yield Lab global network of funds and accelerators founded in 2015 which also includes: The Yield Lab North America I and II, The Yield Lab Europe, The Yield Lab Latin America and The Yield Lab Global Opportunity Fund, for more advance Series investments.

For more information, visit theyieldlab.asia

TYLI

Strategic Advisors