‘A new chapter’ – Private-equity firm acquires stake in Mosta-based AquaBioTech Group

Norwegian seafood private-equity firm Bluefront Equity announced that it is acquiring ‘significant stake’ in Mosta-based aquaculture consulting company AquaBioTech (ABT) Group.

Bluefront Equity’s investment will enable ABT Group to continue to rapidly develop its international expansion plans which include the opening of a major office in Norway and Singapore.

“I am very pleased to announce that Bluefront Equity will acquire a significant stake in our company through a combination of purchase of shares and new capital to accelerate growth,” ABT Group CEO Shane A. Hunter wrote on social media.

The ABT Group consist of three main divisions – an aquaculture, fisheries, and marine environment consulting, advisory, and training company, a contract research organisation division, and an engineering and development company.

“The last 25 years have seen us grow from strength to strength, but now we enter a new chapter and the planned investment by Bluefront Equity will enable us to speed up our international expansion plans,” Mr Hunter continued.

AquaBioTech Group was founded in 1996 and nowadays employers over 100 staff members from more than 25 countries.

Mr Hunter has served as ABT Group’s CEO and Technical Director since 1998. As of last January, he also took on the role of Senior Technical Advisor at Bluefront Equity.

Founded in 2020, the Oslo-based Bluefront Equity is headed by Co-Founding Partners Kjetil Haga and Simen Landmark.