Aruna, an online fishery and marine platform for Indonesian fisherfolks, has announced a US$30 million Series A follow-on funding led by Vertex Ventures Southeast Asia & India.
Existing investors Prosus Ventures, AC Ventures, East Ventures (Growth Fund), Indogen Capital, SMDV and SIG Venture Capital also joined the round.
This brings Aruna’s total Series A financing to US$65 million. The round follows a US$35 million Series A round led by Prosus Ventures and East Ventures (Growth Fund) in July 2021.
Aruna will use the fresh funds to expand into new geographies in the archipelago and grow the team.
Founded in 2016, Aruna serves as a one-stop shop for Indonesia’s fishermen to connect with restaurants and exporters. Its goal is to help create fair fish trading, improve the livelihood of local fishermen, and bring affordable and high-quality seafood to communities.
Through Aruna, local fishermen can export their products to countries in Southeast Asia, East Asia, North America, and the Middle East.
Also Read: Growing up in coastal villages, Aruna believes in empowering fishermen as the key to prosperity
In 2021, Aruna developed 100 communities with over 26,000 registered fisherfolks. It also generated 5,000 job opportunities in the rural areas to support their operations.
Last year, Aruna sold 44 million kilograms of seafood to more than eight countries. Currently, the company operates in 27 provinces in Indonesia.
“We have a vision of making Indonesia the centre of the world’s maritime economy. We hope to achieve this by revolutionising the marine and fisheries industry chain, encouraging financial inclusion, and promoting sustainable fishing industry practices,” said Farid Naufal Aslam, CEO of Aruna.
“Our mission is to make the sea a better livelihood for all by promoting the Sea For All campaign. We will invest in building the infrastructure to support sustainable fishing practices as we believe that profitability should be achieved through balancing the needs of both people and planet,” said Utari Octavianty as Chief Sustainability Officer of Aruna.
In August 2020, Aruna received US$5.5 million from East Ventures, AC Ventures, and SMDV.
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Image Credit: Aruna
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