Seafood investor Bluefront has acquired a majority stake in rapidly growing Meox AS, a provider of proprietary robotic cleaning solutions for the aquaculture and maritime industries.
‘Achieving an average annual growth rate of around 20% over the past five years clearly shows that the team that is doing many things right. Fish farming companies in Norway and internationally have increasingly adopted Meox’s solutions in recent years. We look forward to contributing with capital and competence to further strengthen and expand the products and services that Meox offer its customers,’ said Bluefront’s Simen Landmark.
Meox develops and delivers a range of proprietary underwater robotic systems that contribute to improved fish welfare and a more sustainable aquaculture environment. The company’s core products include specialised cleaning robots for net cleaning, as well as robotic solutions for cleaning of mooring lines and ropes, lice skirts, cage collars, vessel hulls and land-based aquaculture facilities.
In addition, Meox supplies remotely operated vehicles (ROVs) for inspection of nets, hulls and other technical equipment. The company also offers robotic solutions for retrieval of dead fish and sludge handling.
A key component of Meox’s cleaning technology is its patented cavitation-based method, in which air bubbles are pulsed into the water jet. This significantly reduces mechanical wear on the equipment that is being cleaned as the air bubbles perform most of the cleaning by effectively dislodging biofouling from nets and other surfaces.
‘We are the market leader for provision of cleaning robots to the aquaculture industry in Chile, and our market share is growing rapidly in Norway. A key reason for bringing Bluefront on board is to strengthen our service and aftermarket capabilities, including further expanding our capacity and footprint to provide even closer customer support. In addition, we share an ambition to expand internationally, including into Scotland and Canada,’ said Meox managing director Kristian Kåre Hjertvik.
