{"data":{"type":"company_profile","id":70123,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:70123","attributes":{"canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne","generated_at":"2026-06-16T14:32:35Z","updated_at":"2026-06-16T05:02:28Z","entity_ids":{"company":"wefunder:company:70123","slug":"wefunder:company_slug:aquaborne"},"profile_visibility":{"owner_published":true,"public_search_results":true,"site_search_listed":true,"privacy_mode":"promote","invite_only":false},"provenance":{"source":"wefunder_public_company_profile","as_of":"2026-06-16T14:32:35Z","claims":{"total_amount_raised":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#amount_raised","last_verified_at":"2026-06-16T05:02:28Z","as_of":"2026-06-16T14:32:35Z","confidence":"high"},"total_investors":{"source":"FrontCompanySummary#number_of_investors","last_verified_at":"2026-06-16T05:02:28Z","as_of":"2026-06-16T14:32:35Z","confidence":"high"},"active_raise_states":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil)","last_verified_at":"2026-02-17T00:59:24Z","as_of":"2026-06-16T14:32:35Z","confidence":"high"},"latest_fundraise_state":{"source":"Fundraise.visible(nil, nil).order(funding_started_at)","last_verified_at":"2026-02-17T00:59:24Z","as_of":"2026-06-16T14:32:35Z","confidence":"medium"}}},"company":{"id":70123,"entity_id":"wefunder:company:70123","slug":"aquaborne","name":"Aquaborne","tagline":"Producing Eco-Friendly Leather From Discarded Fish-Skins.","elevator_pitch":"Aquaborne produces exotic leather from discarded fish-skins. We will be using innovative eco-safe tanning processes to convert raw fish-skins into high-valued leather applicable in many industries, such as fashion, interior décor, automotive, marine, etc. The company plans to launch its first commercial scale eco-friendly aquatic leather tannery in California, United States. We see a need to produce environmentally conscious leather using fish-skins derived from aquafarming.","story":"The company plans to launch its first commercial scale eco-friendly aquatic leather tannery in California, United States. We see a need to produce environmentally conscious leather using fish-skins derived from aquafarming, to provide various industries with a superior alternative to existing leather options.Our company is in a production ready stageOur tanning process is fully developed and testedCurrently, there is no known competition in North America There is an abundant ongoing supply of fish skin generated from aquaculture operations The U.S. and Mexico leather imports is about $1.3B per year combinedSolution\u0026nbsp;Aquaborne promotes sustainable upcycling by transforming discarded fish skins derived from aquaculture\u0026nbsp;into exotic leather. Our product will offer an alternative solution to traditional leather with more superior properties, that won’t harm the fragile ecosystems. In fact, our product will reduce the need for killing endangered species to be used in leather goods production.\u0026nbsp;Just like our ancestors who honored the entire animal, we at Aquaborne wish to continue the practice of valuing every part of the\u0026nbsp;nature given resource, also known as nose-to-tail.The Story of AquaborneThe story of Aquaborne (meaning \"derived from water\") was inspired by the time when humans and animals once coexisted in harmony. Our ancestors used the gifts of nature by utilizing every part of an animal or fish in their lives. Nothing was wasted because the entire animal was used. At the same time nature managed to replenish its resources and men had the opportunity to enjoy them without disturbing the delicate balance. With the development of industrialization and global trade, people increasingly began to neglect their intimate relationships with the world of flora and fauna. Responding to the frivolous demands of fashion, the black market and consumer interests on a mass scale, often only the parts that brought most value were used from the slaughtered animal (elephant tasks, shark fins, alligator skins, sturgeon caviar, etc.) The Earth’s natural balance became compromised and ecosystems endangered.AdvantagesAquatic leather offers many advantages over traditional leather of sheep, cow, or pig skins. The products made from fish skin are much superior than those from most mammals due to structural properties of its fibers. It is in many times stronger than animal hides of the same structural thickness and can withstand enormous pressure. The unique patterns and rich color schemes make the skin of fish a desirable material. Fish skin is soft to touch, elastic, waterproof and durable.\u0026nbsp; These types of leather properties are in high demand in the world market.Product potential\u0026nbsp;The aquatic leather applicable in many industries and such as fashion, interior décor, automotive and marine, just to name a few. Most of the famous and luxury brands are all sourcing exotic materials for their collections and fashion shows.Consumers worldwide are ready for an environmentally friendly exotic leather alternative.\u0026nbsp;We understand that a leather producing industry needs to respond to the evolving market that demands its products to be sustainable and eco-friendly. Forecast Disclaimer: These projections cannot be guaranteed.Aquaborne offers an opportunity to generate annual distribution income by investing in our business model to sell aquatic leather worldwide.Lab Tested\u0026nbsp;On Aug, 21, 2020 the company received lab analysis results from the University of Cincinnati Leather Research Laboratory (report # 28843R1) which confirmed the absence of any trace of Chromium 6 and other heavy metals in our sturgeon leather.TeamTHANK YOU!","location":"Sacramento, CA","website":"https://www.theaquaborne.com","total_amount_raised":113349,"total_investors":95,"is_funded":true,"is_active":true,"quality_score":3,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/aquaborne","https://www.theaquaborne.com"]},"media":{"share_image_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/70123/xxl_cropped_Aquaborne_Logo_blue_rectangular.jpg","logo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/logo/70123/large_cropped_Aquaborne_Logo_blue_ellipse.jpg","header_media_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/70123/standard_cropped_Aquaborne_Logo_blue_rectangular.jpg","cover_photo_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company/header_media_photo/70123/standard_cropped_Aquaborne_Logo_blue_rectangular.jpg","profile_video_url":"https://wefunder.wistia.com/medias/d762xqf2hm"},"links":{"company_url":"https://www.theaquaborne.com"},"highlights":[],"quick_facts":[{"index":1,"claim_id":"claim-fact-1","value":"🐟 The first commercial scale eco-friendly fish tanning facility in the USA"},{"index":2,"claim_id":"claim-fact-2","value":"💪 No known competitors in North America in $500B industry"},{"index":3,"claim_id":"claim-fact-3","value":"⚙️ Our company is in a production ready stage"},{"index":4,"claim_id":"claim-fact-4","value":"🔱 Proprietary eco-friendly process to convert fish-skins into high-valued leather"},{"index":5,"claim_id":"claim-fact-5","value":"♻️ Our solution reduces the need for killing endangered species to be used in leather goods production"}],"team":[{"id":1163387,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:1163387","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:1121447","role":"founder","name":"Nodar Narsavidze","title":"Founder / Managing Partner ","bio":"Nodar has an extensive background in the sturgeon caviar production, trading and exporting. Maintains strong relationships with aquafarms that offer access to fish-skin supply. As a former partner at AmStur has achieved two Guinness Records in Dubai.","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/1163387/square_cropped_Nodar.jpg?1614119423","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/nodarnarsavidze","linkedin_url":"https://www.linkedin.com/in/nodar-narsavidze","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/nodarnarsavidze"]},{"id":1176668,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_role:1176668","user_entity_id":"wefunder:user:1136490","role":"founder","name":"Sergei Zharkov","title":"Co-Fonder / Business Development ","bio":"Sergei brings 15 years of managerial experience in large multinational corporations. He is a business development strategist that oversees creative aspects of sales, project management and procuremet. Has a degree in Engineering Physics.","avatar_url":"https://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/company_role/custom_photo/1176668/square_cropped_Sergei.jpg?1614055198","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/sergeizharkov","linkedin_url":"http://linkedin.com/in/sergei-zharkov-y","related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/sergeizharkov"]}],"featured_investors":[{"id":5384,"entity_id":"wefunder:company_investor_profile:5384","investor_profile_id":896723,"investor_profile_entity_id":"wefunder:investor_profile:896723","subject_entity_id":"wefunder:user:1363652","name":"Patrick Cole","bio":"Mr. Cole is a seasoned merchant banker, previous FINRA broker-dealer, venture capitalist and financier.","avatar_url":"http://uploads.wefunder.com/uploads/user/avatar/1363652/medium_cropped_1557791192359.jpg","profile_url":"https://wefunder.com/patrickcole","investment_total":5000,"investment_info":"Invested $5,000 this round","is_lead_investor":true,"related_urls":["https://wefunder.com/patrickcole"]}],"investor_memos":[],"tab_counts":{"posts":0,"ask_questions":12,"featured_investors":1,"faq_entries":5},"active_fundraises":[{"id":38876,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:38876","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","funding_type":"note","structure":"safe","security_type":"equity","currency":"USD","testing_the_waters":false,"min_purchase":100,"max_purchase":9,"funding_target":75000.0,"funding_started_at":"2021-02-19T01:06:50Z","funding_closed_at":"2022-05-24T01:02:01Z","auto_close_at":"2022-05-01T03:59:59Z"}],"latest_fundraise":{"id":38876,"entity_id":"wefunder:fundraise:38876","state":"successful","offering_type":"4(a)(6)","structure":"safe","testing_the_waters":false,"can_invest_now":false,"funding_started_at":"2021-02-19T01:06:50Z","funding_closed_at":"2022-05-24T01:02:01Z","terms":{"eb":null,"nb":"$3M","txt":"valuation cap"}},"recent_posts":[],"q_and_a":[{"id":139681,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:139681","question":"I see Carp, Salmon, Tilapia, Sturgeon leather etc. for sale on Ebay. How do you beat these suppliers in the market?","author_name":"Jeff Stone","votes":2,"created_at":"2021-04-03T17:53:08Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-139681","answers":[{"id":140065,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:140065","answer":"Hi Jeff, thanks for your question. We do not intent to compete on the eBay market. We intend to be a manufacturer, not just a supplier. Most of our clientele is B2B. Our goal is volume production of high quality eco-friendly aquatic leather on a commercial scale, which will enable us to provide a better price that smaller suppliers would not be able to match. Cheers","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-04-06T06:13:15Z"}]},{"id":136231,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136231","question":"Hi, this is a very intriguing idea. I was not aware of fish leather but it checks many boxes in my sustainability portfolio. Could you comment on the following: 1) How long have the founders been working together?; 2)Your future plans for the company in 5-10 years i.e IPO or acquisition; 3) Have you identified smaller/newer fashion houses already focused on sustainability/upcycling to partner with?; 4)What are your plans for expansion to international markets where there is already competition in Europe and Africa (https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47806892) and 5) What your primary driver for sales in the retail finished goods market will be as you scale in that space vs wholesale leather i.e will it be more fashion or other industries you mentioned in the investor panel video? Thanks!","author_name":"Joseph Yawe","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-03-19T17:45:12Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-136231","answers":[{"id":136786,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136786","answer":"Hi Joseph, yes it’s a truly fascinating concept and the product itself has a “Wow” effect when one sees the leather in person. 1) We’ve been collaborating together for last 5 years developing eco-friendly tanning process based on variety of ingredients with different species of fish-skins that required different steps and treatments. Once we were comfortable with our results, we started finetuning our process to make sure it is commercially scaleable and in August 2020, Aquaborne was founded. Now we are in the production ready stage raising capital for our equipment. 2)Your future plans for the company in 5-10 years i.e IPO or acquisition; I believe that every company has a desire for an IPO, so this is more of a long-term plan until we reach high revenues. That said, within 5-10 years we anticipate to do a few acquisitions of leather manufactures of finished products and some strategic mergers along the way. We are planning to scale our business by expanding into various industries, starting with fashion and furnishing, and further expanding into interior décor, automotive, marine and others. 3) Have you identified smaller/newer fashion houses already focused on sustainability/upcycling to partner with?; Absolutely, last February, before COVID, we visited Magic International (in Las Vegas), and Textile \u0026amp; Leather trade shows (in Los Angeles), met with quite a few designers, manufacturers of leather goods, and received excellent feedback about our leather. Almost everyone without exception requested to provide them with an X-number of samples. So, by creating this demand we understand that we’d have to fulfill these requests, and to do that we need to get our company in the production mode. That’s why we here :) Also, we’ve established relationship with a manufacturer in Los Angeles that is capable to produce large volumes of finished products (jackets, bags, clothing, etc..) as well as prototypes made from our fish-leather. As you can imagine, due to COVID, the chain of supply was somewhat interrupted. While some countries have closed their borders, many brands are now rethinking their sourcing and withdrawing their orders from foreign counties, as well as trying to find local and eco-friendly materials for their fashion lines. 4)What are your plans for expansion to international markets where there is already competition in Europe and Africa (https://www.bbc.com/news/business-47806892)? Currently, North America is our target market. It is the international leader in the exotic leather consumer market with customers who are seeking traceability of the environmentally friendly materials. Also, the USA has a vast number of fisheries and aquaculture sources. The U.S. alone covers 4.38 million square miles of the fishing area, which is the largest in the world. So, we are strategically located in the most lucrative market with a vast number of fish-skin sources. We are familiar with our competition in Europe and Africa and are applauding that companies are utilizing fish-resources to their best abilities. Nonetheless, to our knowledge our competitors are using a different tanning process that still involves a chemical such as Chromium 6 and this is a reason why they have barriers to enter the North American market. Once we establish in the U.S, we will, no doubt, expand into the overseas with a cleaner product, that offers full traceability and most importantly, with leather made out fish-skins that’s only available in the U.S. 5) What your primary driver for sales in the retail finished goods market will be as you scale in that space vs wholesale leather i.e will it be more fashion or other industries you mentioned in the investor panel video? Initially our main sales strategy will be direct B2B wholesale, about 75%, that will cover fashion and partially interior design sector. About 25% would go toward our retail finished goods model (custom footwear, jackets, etc.). There is an incredible opportunity to explore full potentials of this amazing resource that is applicable in various industries including a medical field. Thanks for your questions!","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":6,"created_at":"2021-03-21T21:12:48Z"}]},{"id":136152,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136152","question":"One of the differences between using a traditional leather like from a cow versus a fish is the size of the animal itself. For example, you mention 2 lbs of salmon can yield 5.3sqf of leather, but what's the average size of those pieces? Something like a leather jacket, or furniture upholstery may need to use large pieces of leather to not look quilted together and mismatched. Are you able to join multiple fish skins together into a larger piece for your B2B customers without looking mismatched? Or is the target applications mostly going to be limited to smaller items like belts, shoes, handbags, etc?","author_name":"Robert Proulx","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-03-19T16:03:23Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-136152","answers":[{"id":136327,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136327","answer":"Hi Robert, you are correct in terms of size disadvantage in cow vs fish, since most fish have smaller bodies, you’d need more pieces of leather to make larger items (jackets, couches, etc..). However, fish is so versatile and knowing in advance what kind of a finished product one is making skins can be selected and sewn into panels of various sizes. This could simplify a process for a manufacturer. Also, we have access to varieties of larger-size fish that grow to 6ft and will yield larger pieces of leather. For example, 12-15yr old sturgeon from a caviar production is quite large. Pacific halibut can get to 70-100lbs — both of these species are harvested on a commercial scale. You agree that distinctive patterns of fish-skins are unique and exotic and can’t be found in most animals used in leather production (lamb, cow, pig) which in turn can compensate for the size. The fish-leather covers different segments of the market and is applicable in a number of various industries, from fashion to furnishings to decor. Thanks for your question!","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":6,"created_at":"2021-03-19T21:10:21Z"}]},{"id":135977,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:135977","question":"Hello. I love your idea but would like to know more about the process of creating fish leather? What is the environmental impact of your curing process? What kind of waste is produced? Thank you.","author_name":"Amber Van Mason","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-03-19T02:12:05Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-135977","answers":[{"id":136021,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136021","answer":"Hi Amber, thanks for your questions. Since we are in California which has some of the most stringent environmental regulations, our tanning process was developed with that in mind. We don’t use any harmful chemicals such as Chromium 6 or similar, which is typically used in the leather production industry. The fish is a cold-blooded species, and the fish-skin properties, for example, fibers and collagen are completely different from warm-blooded animals, therefore the process of tanning aquatic leather can’t be achieved by using traditional tanning methods. In terms of waste, we are not a typical leather tannery where you see a lot of discharge or hair pulp, chromium tan, etc., EPA is very strict about effluent discharge. We don’t have these issues. Our process is fully compliant with regulations. We have much less water/energy usage due to sizes of our skins in comparison to traditional leather tannery, however we are more efficient from the output stand point, (i.e. about 2 lbs. of (cow hide) can yield approx. 1.6sqf of leather, however 2 lbs. of fish-skins (salmon) can yield approx. 5.3sqf. From our production waste stand point, nothing from our process (fish products) is intend to be wasted, even the fish-scales are recovered and used in the decor elements. Thank you","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":6,"created_at":"2021-03-19T08:19:24Z"}]},{"id":135810,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:135810","question":"This is very interesting idea. I may be one of the few people who own a fish skin belt so I can attest to the quality feel and unique look provided from the fish skin. I have two questions: (1) Can you share more about the \"proprietary\" drying process, in particular, if any of the IP you mentioned in the investor video is protectable? (2) Can you clarify where you are positioning yourselves in the leather supply chain. Do you anticipate generating the majority of your revenues through a wholesale/B2B model where you sell unfinished goods to other manufacturers, or do you anticipate manufacturing and selling the finished consumer products? Thanks for your time! Jeff","author_name":"Jeffrey Alan Scharf","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-03-18T17:27:33Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-135810","answers":[{"id":136019,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136019","answer":"Hi Jeff, thank you, great questions! 1. There is not much “proprietary” in the drying stage, the most crucial and proprietary I’d say would be steps prior to drying, (soaking, neutralizing, tanning, etc..). Note, that we intend to do this on a commercial scale, and depending on our final facility design and resources we’ll be using either drying tunnels or an overhead conveyor chain for drying our aquatic leather. Regarding the IP protection, the only protection we see at this point is to not disclose it :) Filing for patents would require us to outline and describe our process / formulation in details which opens an aquatic door :) The main goal is first to market. 2. We see positioning our aquatic leather as an alternative to traditional and exotic leather. As we are setting up our tanning facility, our initially sales strategy will be producing aquatic leather. Attracting users is mainly direct B2B wholesale, about 75%, directly with large leather goods manufacturers and designer houses, and 25% would go toward our retail finished goods model. Overtime we plan to shy away from wholesale model and focus more on the retail and finished goods to increase our margins. What type of fish-skin belt do you own?","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":6,"created_at":"2021-03-19T08:08:16Z"}]},{"id":135053,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:135053","question":"Hi Aquaborne Team, can tuna skin be used for leather goods? How about sward fish? Thanks! -John Hwung","author_name":"John Hwung","votes":1,"created_at":"2021-03-16T00:44:55Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-135053","answers":[{"id":136018,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136018","answer":"Hi John, thank you for your question and for your support! Our process is suitable to effectively convert various species of fish-skins into a premium leather. Most difficult so far to work with we found skins of sturgeon fish (from caviar production) due to its unique pattern and hundreds of bony scutes along its bodies which makes the process a bit challenging. However, its uniqueness makes the skins of sturgeon most appealing and exotic. We haven’t tried sword-fish skins yet. Our main focus is to use fish-skins from aquaculture and commercial fisheries production. Trust me there is no shortage there ;)","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":5,"created_at":"2021-03-19T08:05:16Z"}]},{"id":304581,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:304581","question":"Hi Nodar! Can we expect a financial update this year? Hope production is going well / that you've reached or surpassed breakeven. Cheers","author_name":"Derek Clark","votes":0,"created_at":"2025-03-24T19:07:12Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-304581","answers":[]},{"id":235259,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:235259","question":"Is this leather available for purchase yet?","author_name":"Lloyd Neilson","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-02-17T09:21:35Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-235259","answers":[{"id":249264,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:249264","answer":"Hi Lloyd! I apologize for my late reply. Please feel free to contact us directly at (contact@theaquaborne.com) if you have any further questions in the future. Our aquatic leather will be available for sale in approximately one month. Thanks for your interest.","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":0,"created_at":"2023-06-05T06:59:48Z"}]},{"id":200887,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:200887","question":"Hello! I was curious about your participation in species re-population efforts. Is this something you're currently engaged in, or will that occur later in the company's timeline? Additionally, who are some of the groups you're partnered with/seeking to partner with in species re-population? I ask, as Salmon (referenced a fair bit as a supply) is a keystone species to much of the regional habitat, and carries cultural/spiritual significance to the indigenous cultures.","author_name":"Matthew Bogert","votes":0,"created_at":"2022-04-12T23:05:03Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-200887","answers":[{"id":200898,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:200898","answer":"Hello Matthew, thank you for your question. We are planning to be actively involved in species re-population program once we are in the full production and generating revenues, allocating certain % of proceeds for our re-population efforts where it is needed the most. We did reach out to agencies such as Fish \u0026amp; Wildlife Services and NOAA to better understand their regulations and oversights on a release. It seems that laws and regulations are very confusing, vary from state to state, habitats and species. My preferences would be to collaborate with indigenous communities in repopulation efforts, determining which fish-species (Salmon, Sturgeon, etc..) are endangered that needed to be replenished in their native habitats, regaining more meaningful cultural/spiritual significance to its local communities and future generation. I like the quote that is somewhat appropriate: \"Treat the Earth well. It was not given to you by your parents, it was loaned to you by your children.” With best regards, Nodar","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":0,"created_at":"2022-04-13T01:48:25Z"}]},{"id":181227,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:181227","question":"Hi Nodar, this is a really interesting product / market opportunity. Congrats! Nice job with the videos as well. I guess two questions - it is looking like you will be well below your target raise, which was primarily for expanding production. I see that you have a partial plan in place for lower amounts which I presume will provide some limited production. At those production levels, can you share what output could be achieved for 2022? Question 2, have you considered partnering in a more formal way with aquaculture or commercial fisheries as a potential way to raise additional capital and secure raw materials (though I gather that isn't much of an issue)?","author_name":"Stu James","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-11-25T15:13:56Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-181227","answers":[{"id":181672,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:181672","answer":"Hi Stu! Thank you, we are very excited about product potential, marketing it in various industries. 1) In our initial projections before we reduced our target amount, sturgeon leather was a focal point in our financials. Our estimated production output for Sturgeon leather was reduced (to about 1400 skins per year) due to needed specialized equipment that was included in our target raise. Sturgeon has unique skin that can’t be processed in a typical tanning drum or fleshing machine. However, the money that we were able to raise so far through Wefunder, will allow us to purchase main equipment that can effectively process large volumes of other fish-skins. Recently, we’ve solidified relationship with a seafood processor in California that agreed to provide us on a weekly basis with fish-skins of the following spices: 350lbs of raw-Salmon skins (will yield approx.. 4,000 skins/month); 300lb of Pacific Halibut (appox. 2,000 skins/month) and 200lbs of Seabass (appx. 500 skins/month). So, our conservative projected output for 2022 is roughly about 39,000 skins per year (about 3200/month) with estimated gross revenues of $688K. From our proceeds we intent to invest into customized sturgeon equipment and other needed machinery to increase our volumes. 2) You are right in your suggestion that forming a partnership with a commercial fishery would be a win/win. We’re in a discussion with several large fisheries and aquaculture facilities on the West Coast that are very intrigued about our solution. As you can imagine sometimes dealing with a smaller company is much easier to due to their flexibility vs. corporate decision-making policies of a large facility with amounts of discarded skins that we wouldn’t be able to handle, at least initially. We intend to approach them as we demonstrate viability of our commercially scaled process and potential volume. They would be a great partner to scale up our operation. Thanks again for your questions. Cheers, Nodar","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":2,"created_at":"2021-11-29T06:58:33Z"}]},{"id":143907,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:143907","question":"Hi, how did you reach the valuation figure with zero sale, no barrier of entry and no specific business relationships with buyers.","author_name":"Anand Swaroop Rastogi","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-04-22T22:20:06Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-143907","answers":[{"id":148159,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:148159","answer":"Hi Anand, Our pre-money valuation was determined primarily by the proprietary nature of our innovative process, team, market trends, competition, industry market size, including other factors: Know how: Proprietary clean process that transforms fish skins into eco-friendly aquatic leather. Competition: No known competition in North America on a commercial scale. It is the international leader in the exotic leather consumer market with customers who are seeking traceability of the environmentally friendly materials. Team: Our founders and technical team are fully committed and have significant senior executive experience specifically related to our proprietary technique to make aquatic leather and to develop customers for our business. Market: The United States is the largest leather market in North America and a global leader with 39% of leather market share in the $600 Billion industry. At this time, the fish leather represents only 1% of total worldwide leather production. Sources of supply: Access to aquaculture and fisheries for ample supply chain. The USA has a large number of fisheries and aquaculture sources, and is considered to be the largest in the world. We are strategically located in the most lucrative market with a significant number of fish-skin sources. Product: Our process is fully developed and we have commercial samples on hand. Margins: High-Profit margin for sturgeon leather exceeds all other aquatic skin. Some of the top brands such as Nike and Adidas have already been using fish leather in their line of products. The demand for fish-leather, however, is difficult to predict at this point as more customers need to get more familiar with its superior qualities. With best regards, Nodar","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-05-10T06:41:05Z"}]},{"id":135844,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:135844","question":"What does the finished product smell like. I''m 68, but I still can smell the leather of a new baseball glove when Little League started. Also, as far as the Carp fish. Would you change the name or say, \"how does my Carp feel\"?","author_name":"John Michael Cranford","votes":0,"created_at":"2021-03-18T20:10:50Z","canonical_url":"https://wefunder.com/aquaborne#question-135844","answers":[{"id":136020,"entity_id":"wefunder:comment:136020","answer":"Hey John, our aquatic leather doesn’t have any fishy odor if that’s what you are referring to. It doesn’t feel Carpy either :) Most of the traditional leather in the industry has been treated by Chromium 6 chemical that is not considered eco-friendly. We don’t use any chromium or harmful chemicals in our tanning process. Our leather is very nice to touch, elastic, waterproof, with very pleasant aroma of naturally derived tannins (chestnut, mimosa, etc..). Thanks for your question.","author_name":"Nodar Narsavidze","votes":4,"created_at":"2021-03-19T08:12:46Z"}]}],"faq":[{"question":"Hi Aquaborne Team, can tuna skin be used for leather goods? How about sward fish? Thanks! -John Hwung","answer":"Hi John, thank you for your question and for your support! Our process is suitable to effectively convert various species of fish-skins into a premium leather. Most difficult so far to work with we found skins of sturgeon fish (from caviar production) due to its unique pattern and hundreds of bony scutes along its bodies which makes the process a bit challenging. However, its uniqueness makes the skins of sturgeon most appealing and exotic. We haven’t tried sword-fish skins yet. Our main focu..."},{"question":"This is very interesting idea. I may be one of the few people who own a fish skin belt so I can attest to the quality feel and unique look provided from the fish skin. I have two questions: (1) Can you share more about the \"proprietary\" drying process, in particular, if any of...","answer":"Hi Jeff, thank you, great questions! 1. There is not much “proprietary” in the drying stage, the most crucial and proprietary I’d say would be steps prior to drying, (soaking, neutralizing, tanning, etc..). Note, that we intend to do this on a commercial scale, and depending on our final facility design and resources we’ll be using either drying tunnels or an overhead conveyor chain for drying our aquatic leather. Regarding the IP protection, the only protection we see at this point is to not..."},{"question":"What does the finished product smell like. I''m 68, but I still can smell the leather of a new baseball glove when Little League started. Also, as far as the Carp fish. Would you change the name or say, \"how does my Carp feel\"?","answer":"Hey John, our aquatic leather doesn’t have any fishy odor if that’s what you are referring to. It doesn’t feel Carpy either :) Most of the traditional leather in the industry has been treated by Chromium 6 chemical that is not considered eco-friendly. We don’t use any chromium or harmful chemicals in our tanning process. Our leather is very nice to touch, elastic, waterproof, with very pleasant aroma of naturally derived tannins (chestnut, mimosa, etc..). Thanks for your question."},{"question":"Hello. I love your idea but would like to know more about the process of creating fish leather? What is the environmental impact of your curing process? What kind of waste is produced? Thank you.","answer":"Hi Amber, thanks for your questions. Since we are in California which has some of the most stringent environmental regulations, our tanning process was developed with that in mind. We don’t use any harmful chemicals such as Chromium 6 or similar, which is typically used in the leather production industry. The fish is a cold-blooded species, and the fish-skin properties, for example, fibers and collagen are completely different from warm-blooded animals, therefore the process of tanning aquati..."},{"question":"One of the differences between using a traditional leather like from a cow versus a fish is the size of the animal itself. For example, you mention 2 lbs of salmon can yield 5.3sqf of leather, but what's the average size of those pieces? Something like a leather jacket, or fur...","answer":"Hi Robert, you are correct in terms of size disadvantage in cow vs fish, since most fish have smaller bodies, you’d need more pieces of leather to make larger items (jackets, couches, etc..). However, fish is so versatile and knowing in advance what kind of a finished product one is making skins can be selected and sewn into panels of various sizes. This could simplify a process for a manufacturer. Also, we have access to varieties of larger-size fish that grow to 6ft and will yield larger pi..."}]}}}