Decameal turns surplus shore crabs into protein and chitosan ingredients
- Pilot plant processes two tonnes of shore crabs per day and is fulfilling its first larger aquafeed order.
- Founders plan a seed round at the end of 2027 to fund a plant capable of processing up to 40,000 tonnes of crabs a year.
- The company has raised around €3 million to date in grants and equity from angels, VCs and corporate investors.
- Decameal uses a chemical-free mechanical and thermal separation that utilises the entire crab to produce protein ingredients and shell-derived chitosan.
Problem and opportunity
Overfishing in Denmark reduced shore-crab predators by about 90%, allowing crab populations to grow and disrupt coastal ecosystems while reducing value to fisheries. Shore crabs are frequently caught as by-catch and often discarded, creating a low-value but abundant resource.
Technology and products
Decameal applies a chemical-free mechanical and thermal separation process that uses the entire crab rather than reducing nutritional value. Outputs include protein ingredients for aquaculture and pet food and shell-derived chitosan that can help plants resist disease; the method could be applied to millions of tonnes of other crustacean discards.
Operations and scaling
The founders began in a shipping-container laboratory processing by-catch from Danish fishermen. The current pilot plant handles two tonnes per day and has secured its first larger-scale aquafeed order. The business plans industrial scale-up to a plant processing up to 40,000 tonnes per year, funded by a seed round planned for late 2027.
Funding and strategy
Decameal has raised about €3 million in grants and equity from business angels, venture funds and corporate investors and won the Ocean Bioresources category at BlueInvest Day 2026. The company is seeking investors prepared for capital-intensive projects and sees longer-term avenues for chitosan in pharmaceuticals and human nutrition.
Source: European Commission