Doug Grant
Atlantic Fish Co. – SEED Fall 2024
Published July 9, 2025
As part of our ‘Meet Our Founders’ series today, we introduce Doug Grant, Co-Founder and CEO of Atlantic Fish Co. based in Raleigh, NC. Atlantic Fish Co. is developing Aquaculture 2.0 – scalable, cultivated seafood production to meet the 21st century’s global demand.
Q: What problem are you trying to solve and what influenced you to start your company?
A: The world is running out of wild-caught fish. 90% of wild-caught fisheries are overfished or harvested at max capacity. This has driven a 36% increase in prices over the last decade, and the trend will continue. We are making seafood too expensive and destroying our ocean ecosystems. I grew up fishing and scuba diving on the Gulf Coast with my Dad. I want to do the same thing with my son.
Q: What are you most excited about right now? What keeps you up at night?
A: I’m a techno-optimist and excited about the future. There is a lot to be down on in the world, but we can solve many of our problems through technology. What worries me, specifically for our industry, are state level bans on our product. This is a challenge we are working on through our trade association and other industry advocates.
Q: How will your NC IDEA grant funds advance your company?
A: The grant funds are helping us lower our cost of production so that we can reach price parity with conventional seafood when we launch. Our target customers, restaurant chefs, are extremely price-sensitive and need to keep food cost under ~35% of total operating cost.
Q: When did you know you wanted to take an entrepreneurial path?
A: I was in the Navy for 10 years and never thought about starting a company. I went to business school at Georgetown and got the entrepreneurship bug. I started a health care company with a couple of classmates right after we finished the MBA program. Now its a big part of my identity.
Support Atlantic Fish Co. and Doug by:
- Our goal is to be as asset-light as possible. We’re seeking more bioprocess scale-up infrastructure in North Carolina. Any introductions to potential partners would be very helpful.