The investment firm focuses on ocean, food, agriculture and energy solutions. The financing will support Mara’s expansion of its sustainable omega-3 platform, expand R&D capacity and continue to scale its ability to address critical gaps across global nutrition supply chains.
“At Mara, we are committed to transforming the way the world sources vital nutrients like omega-3s,” said company CEO Harry Boot. “Our partnership with S2G strengthens our ability to meet growing global demand with reliable, high-quality alternatives that protect aquatic ecosystems, reduce reliance on wild fisheries and support the health of people and animals alike.”
Omega-3 DHA is a critical nutritional lipid that plays an essential role in maintaining overall health. It supports cognitive function, vision, cardiovascular performance and prenatal development, among other health benefits. Despite its crucial functions, 85% of the global population is deficient in omega-3.
Fish-free alternative
Conventional omega-3 production relies on a long food chain that starts with microalgae, consumed by zooplankton, then by fish. Mara offers a fish-free alternative that avoids reliance on vulnerable marine ecosystems and instead depends on microalgae, the original DHA source.
Mara’s patented precision fermentation process, which enables microalgae to grow efficiently in controlled environments, ensures a reliable, high-quality supply of omega-3, while providing a sustainable solution that alleviates pressure on marine ecosystems, the company said in a statement. In 2024, Mara supplied enough algal DHA to offset an estimated 6.7 billion anchovies from the supply chain.
“In our view, Mara is solving a fundamental supply chain challenge with precision and scale,” said Larsen Mettler, managing director of S2G’s oceans strategy. “They have built an end-to-end platform that delivers consistent, clean, and high-quality omega-3s without relying on depleted fisheries.”
Additional investments
Founded in 2012, Mara has received notable financing in recent years. In 2022, global seafood giant Thai Union sought to diversify its sources of omega-3 and invested CAD$10 million in Mara. In 2022, the company raised over $39 million in growth equity to continue its mission to harness the “power of the ocean without harvesting its resources.”
Two years later, Mara joined forces with Alameda, CA-based Checkerspot to create a sustainable fish oil alternative through a sugar-to-oil precession fermentation process.
“By joining our biotechnology platform with Mara Renewables, we are equipped to accelerate the development and commercialization of next-generation omega-3 alternatives, ushering in a new era of responsible nutrition,” Scott Franklin, chief science officer and cofounder of Checkerspot, previously told NutraIngredients.
While demand continues to grow—driven by health-conscious consumers and expanding applications in food, supplements and functional foods—the supply of omega-3 DHA, traditionally sourced from wild-caught fish, still meets only a fraction of what is needed, Mara said.
