Halifax-based aquaculture technology company Marin X Inc. – better known as Sensor Globe – has closed a pre-seed funding round co-led by Invest Nova Scotia and Calgary-based Tall Grass Ventures.

The company, which did not specify the size of the round, said that Cork, Ireland-based Hatch Blue and other strategic investors also participated in the round.

The funding will allow the company to accelerate development of its monitoring platform, expand its analytics capabilities, and grow its presence in key aquaculture regions, it said in a statement.

“For us, this is about more than funding,” said CEO Sheamus MacDonald in a LinkedIn post. “It’s about validating the work our team has been doing to help farmers improve fish welfare, reduce risk, and bring new technology into everyday operations.”

Founded in 2023, Sensor Globe has developed sensor-based technology that provides real-time insights into fish welfare during high-risk operations such as crowding, transfers, and handling. The system measures environmental and welfare indicators, giving farmers information intended to reduce deaths, improve operational efficiency, and help meet welfare compliance standards.

The technology is already in use in commercial aquaculture operations in Norway and other major salmon-producing regions. Sensor Globe says the platform generates data that can support decision-making and improve transparency across the aquaculture value chain.

“Aquaculture is the world’s fastest-growing food production sector, but farmers face pressure from regulators, consumers, and insurers to improve fish welfare and reduce environmental impacts,” the company said in announcing the deal. Traditional monitoring tools, it added, are limited in capturing data during the most stressful points in fish farming.

MacDonald said the investment will be used for continued R&D on its analytics offering as well as commercialization growth in Norway. “With this backing, we’re positioned to accelerate product development, strengthen our analytics, and expand both our team and footprint across key aquaculture regions,” he said in the statement.

The company’s founding team combines backgrounds in fisheries, aquaculture operations, seafood sustainability, sensor engineering, and artificial intelligence-driven analytics. The company now employs seven people in Halifax and Norway.

Aquaculture has become a critical source of protein worldwide, with salmon among the most valuable farmed species. As the industry grows, companies are under increasing scrutiny to demonstrate higher welfare standards and minimize losses. Sensor Globe said its technology is intended to allow farmers to act proactively by providing continuous, real-time data rather than relying on post-event observations.