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Japanese aquaculture startup ARK has raised approximately JPY 1.3 billion, equivalent to $8.5 million, in a Series A round that combined equity investments from multiple venture capital firms and corporations with loans from three financial institutions, the company said in a statement issued September 17. Lead equity investors included UntroD Capital Japan, Beyond Next Ventures and BP Capital, which manages the Tokyo University of Agriculture and Technology Fund, while additional participants comprised Shizuoka Gas, Kobashi Holdings, Ignis, Hase-Tora Group, Station Ai with Deepcore, and W Ventures. Loans came from Resona Bank as lead lender together with Hokkoku Bank and the Japan Finance Corporation.
ARK develops modular closed-loop recirculating aquaculture systems designed to make land-based fish farming accessible to non-specialists anywhere, operating under the concept of letting oceans rest by creating small seas on land, according to the company’s announcement. Founded in 2020 and headquartered in Hiratsuka, Kanagawa Prefecture, the firm manufactures its own hardware, software and filtration units, with commercial deployments already in place across several Japanese prefectures for species including shrimp and native fish. The company has also established an Asia-Pacific base in Malaysia this month to tackle regional fisheries resource and food security issues.
Proceeds from the round will support strengthening ARK’s business foundation, accelerating technology and product development for its systems, constructing additional land-based facilities and recruiting global talent, the statement detailed. In June 2026 ARK secured selection under a Japanese Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry subsidy programme for small-scale demonstration and feasibility studies on its modular RAS technology in the UAE and Indonesia. The firm plans to use its expertise in grouper aquaculture and resilient systems suited to harsh environments to contribute to sustainable seafood supply and food security in those markets.
“We are delighted and greatly encouraged to have successfully closed this round with such strong partners who share our vision and support our business strategy,” Yosuke Kurihara, co-founder and CEO of ARK, said in the announcement. “The core of our international strategy is our work in the Global South, including Abu Dhabi in the UAE,” he added. “At a key hub along the emerging India-Middle-East-Europe Economic Corridor, we will leverage our RAS technology, which is resilient in harsh environments, and our expertise in grouper aquaculture to build a sustainable seafood supply hub and contribute to food security in each region.”
A Global Market Insights assessment placed the Southeast Asia recirculating aquaculture systems market at USD 1.6 billion in 2025 and projected expansion to USD 2.6 billion by 2035 at a compound annual growth rate of 5 percent, driven by demand for sustainable production methods amid pressure on natural resources.[[1]](https://www.marketresearch.com/One-Off-Global-Market-Insights-v4130/Southeast-Asia-Recirculating-Aquaculture-System-43535965/) Indonesia accounted for 58 percent of that regional total last year, reflecting its large aquaculture base and policy emphasis on efficiency and water conservation. The Indonesian Ministry of Marine Affairs and Fisheries has separately targeted deployment of 40,000 mini-RAS units by 2029 to stimulate inland village-level production, with each site expected to yield 30 metric tons of fish annually.
The technology centres on compact, self-contained units such as the Ark Zero, which requires a footprint of only about 60 square metres and can be operational within six months without large-scale construction, a Japanese government feature on the company noted. Such systems recycle water through advanced filtration, maintain stable conditions using artificial seawater and reduce environmental discharge compared with traditional methods. ARK also sells the farmed seafood itself through direct operations, joint ventures and contract production while offering related services to help operators manage water quality and operations.
This latest capital infusion builds on ARK’s earlier seed and accelerator support, bringing its total known equity funding into the range of several million dollars while positioning the firm for broader commercial rollout beyond Japan, company profiles indicate. The timing aligns with heightened regional interest in controlled aquaculture to enhance biosecurity, reduce reliance on wild stocks and stabilise supply chains for premium species.
