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Quick-Fire Q&A with Larsen Mettler, Managing Director of S2G Ventures, on Investment Opportunities in Blue Food
Offering a wealth of knowledge on investment trends and the seafood space, prior to joining S2G, Larsen was an owner and the Chief Financial Officer of Silver Bay Seafoods Director at KeyBanc Capital Markets where he led the firm’s Seafood Investment Banking and Corporate Lending practice. He has also held various positions with the United Nations.
We caught up with Larsen ahead of his panel ‘Investment Models: Attracting ESG, VC & Growth Capital into Blue Food Production’ at the Blue Food Innovation Summit this June 14-15.
What is the current state of investment in blue food production and ocean ecosystems?
Financial capital is beginning to flow into the blue economy at an uncharted pace across the capital stack. This is due to the hard work of entrepreneurs who are bringing new technologies to the forefront which sustainably de-risk the industry.
Are there any particular areas of innovation that you are excited about?
Digitization and automated technologies are bringing a new suite of meaningful solutions for the largest pain points in harvesting, processing, and distribution.
Innovations in Ocean data will enable the collection and processing of information over the next decade to exceed that collected in the history of humankind. The impact of this data will drive a deeper understanding of interrelated ecosystems, and what we must do as a species to form a symbiotic relationship with our planet.
Which areas of the blue economy still lack sufficient funding, and how do we attract further investment into the space?
While new capital is rapidly coming into the industry, it is still wildly underfunded across all sectors. The growing alignment of shared values and goals across industry, government, and consumers will further attract capital and demonstrate substantial financial returns.
It is fantastic to have you involved with the first Blue Food Innovation Summit – Who are you hoping to meet? Are there any areas of the agenda (besides your own panel) that you are excited for?
I’m very excited to learn more about the efforts of those focused on blue carbon and how we can support them. The Ocean is the most underutilized tool in our battle against greenhouse gases, however we must leverage its power in a well informed and sustainable manner.
Larsen will be joined on his panel at the Blue Food Innovation Summit by leaders from Aqua-Spark, Hatch Blue, Katapult Ocean, and DNB. See the full agenda here.