CDTI Innovación invests in KOA Biotech alongside Swanlaab

Innvierte SICC of CDTI Innovación invests in KOA Biotech, together with SWANLAAB INNVIERTE AGRIFOOD TECH, F.C.R., to develop devices that drive preventive health monitoring in aquaculture. The contribution of CDTI Innovación in this operation amounts to €500,000.

Founded in 2021 as a spin-off of Pompeu Fabra University, KOA Biotech was born with the mission of revolutionizing aquaculture through cutting-edge technology. The company is transforming health management in the sector by shifting from reactive diagnostics to proactive health management. Its proprietary platform integrates real-time biosensing with data-driven predictive models, providing continuous pathogen monitoring directly on the farm.

The KOA team, made up of experts in synthetic biology, engineering, and data science, combines its knowledge to develop innovative solutions such as KOA Lens, an analysis device that brings advanced biotechnology into the daily operations of fish farmers.

KOA Lens integrates state-of-the-art microbiology techniques with artificial intelligence (AI) to provide detailed, real-time monitoring of the farm’s microbial environment. It is a practical on-site monitoring tool that helps producers conduct preventive surveillance, anticipate potential bacterial imbalances, and make timely decisions before an outbreak occurs.

CDTI Innovación, through Innvierte, has closed an investment deal in this company alongside SWANLAAB INNVIERTE AGRIFOOD TECH, F.C.R., with a total investment of €500,000. With this participation, CDTI Innovación contributes to the development of intelligent pathogen detection for aquaculture.

SWANLAAB INNVIERTE AGRIFOOD TECH, F.C.R.

This fund is managed by SWANLAAB VENTURE FACTORY, SGEIC, S.A., a venture capital firm with more than 20 years of investment experience across diverse sectors such as B2B software, agrifood-tech, and search funds. The Swanlaab team is composed of professionals who have founded and led their own startups, managed renowned VC funds, and supported the launch of more than 200 companies as advisors and consultants, with a clear purpose: to help Spanish entrepreneurs succeed globally.

Innvierte

Innvierte is an initiative aimed at promoting business innovation by supporting venture capital investment in technology-based or innovative companies. This program is managed through the closed-end collective investment company Innvierte Economía Sostenible SICC S.M.E., S.A., self-managed and supervised by the Spanish National Securities Market Commission (CNMV), with CDTI Innovación as its sole shareholder.

To date, CDTI Innovación has committed €2.661 billion to 61 investment vehicles that have invested in more than 622 companies, and through its co-investment line has directly committed €723 million to 190 companies.

Innvierte is part of the Spanish Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation 2021–2027, approved by the Council of Ministers in September 2020. This strategy sets out the objectives, reforms, and measures to be adopted in the R&D&I field to boost its growth and impact, and is one of the pillars of the Government’s R&D&I policy for the coming years.

CDTI Innovación

The Centre for the Development of Technology and Innovation (CDTI E.P.E.) is the innovation agency of the Spanish Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities, whose mission is to promote technological innovation in business. Its goal is to ensure that Spanish companies generate and transform scientific and technical knowledge into growth that is globally competitive, sustainable, and inclusive. In 2024, under its new strategic plan, CDTI provided more than €2.3 billion in support to Spanish companies and startups.