{"id":12114,"date":"2026-09-24T11:38:23","date_gmt":"2026-09-24T10:38:23","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.worldfishing.net\/icefish-conference\/?p=12114"},"modified":"2026-10-01T10:15:59","modified_gmt":"2026-10-01T09:15:59","slug":"new-ventures-in-100","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.worldfishing.net\/icefish-conference\/news\/news\/new-ventures-in-100\/","title":{"rendered":"New Ventures in 100%\u00a0"},"content":{"rendered":"

Dr. Alexandra\u00a0detailed the successful of Kerecis,\u00a0an Icelandic medical technology company that creates wound-healing grafts from the skin of Atlantic cod\u00a0and which was dubbed\u00a0Iceland’s first-ever tech “unicorn”. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She then went on\u00a0to pose the question, “who’s going to be the next Kerecis?”, before discussing, “how and why they were so successful, how can we replicate\u00a0it and how do we ignite the next generation on entrepreneurs.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

This was followed by a presentation from Benedek Regoczi, founder of\u00a0Norwegian biotechnology company, HAVDIS.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

He revealed that he had grown up in a family of doctors which meant that at dinner time he, “1) learnt to keep my food down and 2)\u00a0new innovative treatments can be life-changing…”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\"\"In a presentation subtitled, “Sourcing fish sperm to save lives ” Benedek explained that the company\u00a0is seeking to turn fish by-products into high-value healthcare ingredients with what it describes as “the world\u2019s first cod-derived PDRN.\u201d\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

PDRN, or polydeoxyribonucleotide, is extracted from fish DNA and is described by HAVDIS as “a molecule that jumpstarts the body\u2019s own repair process,\u201d supporting new blood-vessel formation, reduced inflammation and tissue regeneration.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

The company sees significant potential in chronic wound treatment, noting that 1.5-2 million people in Europe have wounds that will not heal on their own, while wound management accounts for an estimated 3% of healthcare expenditure.\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benedek revealed some stark wound images showing the treatment’s successful effects and handed out samples of products.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

HAVDIS plans to supply PDRN directly to cosmetic formulators and pharmaceutical ingredient buyers, using wild-caught Atlantic cod from Norwegian fisheries. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Benedek summed the exciting venture as, ” Rooted in nature, refined by biotechnology.”, going on to say, “We are hoping to move from cosmetic to medical, we are seeking to scale our sperm solutions.”<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Alaskan entrepreneur Sara Erickson is the Founder of AlaSkins\u00a0which\u00a0takes wild salmon, cod and halibut skins previously discarded by processors and turns them into products including pet treats, meal toppers, canned pet food, halibut oil and skincare. Human-grade fish skin chips are also planned.<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She began her presentation by saying. ” My father was born and raised in China and once said to me that the fish skin is the most nutritional part of the fish and this is what has stuck with me all these years, leading me to build Alaskins,\u00a0the perfect case study on how to do more, even when you have less!<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

She was keen to tell delegates that \u201cutilization is not the same as high-value utilization,\u201d\u00a0and she\u00a0encouraged businesses to find multiple uses for the same raw material. <\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Sara presented\u00a0four strong messages,\u00a0<\/span>\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n