About TransparentSea
TransparentSea raises prawns on an indoor farm and sells them to shoppers through an online store. The farm makes its own saltwater. Its proprietary technology lets it reuse almost all of its water.
TransparentSea is based in San Diego. Steve Sutton, a former fisherman and fisheries biologist, is president and chief executive officer. Doug Ernst is chief technology officer, Andrew Liao is chief financial officer, and Gift Mitrananda is operations manager. Products are out of stock and are expected back in the second half of 2027 or so.
Funding Rounds (SEC Form D)
| First sale | Filed with SEC | Amount sold | Investors | Avg. check | Terms | Filing |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 7, 2026 | Oct 22, 2026 | $1,109,991of $3.4M target | 8 | $138K | EquityRule 506(b) | Form D ↗ |
First sale is the date the first investor in the offering committed to invest. Companies must file Form D within 15 days of that date, so filing dates run later.
Why Investors Backed TransparentSea
TransparentSea sells prawns raised on an indoor farm. Founder Steve Sutton ran aquaculture farms overseas for close to a decade before starting it. The company is now raising money from public and private investors. It has secured land.
The problem it targets
TransparentSea's case is that traditional shrimp fishing and farming damage the environment and that most shrimp on the market has unclear quality and origin. Sutton's account is that he saw environmental damage, fraud and chemical use while managing farms overseas. He named the company so buyers can know exactly what their seafood is and where it comes from.
What the product does
The farm recycles and cleans its saltwater 9 to 12 times a day. It does not discharge into rivers or oceans. Sutton teamed up with engineer and scientist Douglas Ernst to build the farming system. The company's stated approach is to build scientific systems that copy natural ones and to use humane methods to harvest prawns. Later it plans to reuse even more water and to produce plants and fertilizers as secondary products.
Progress so far
The company has run a pilot facility. In January 2026 it secured land and began a private and public fundraise. The company's view is that five years of work substantially cut its technology and market risk. It expects profits to start in year 3 or 4.
Who backs it
Founder Steve Sutton and his family own more than half of the company. The rest is spread among co-founders and original angel investors. A Regulation CF campaign on WeFunder has a $500,000 goal, and investors can reserve shares from $100. Accredited investors can invest directly into the cap table. The company seeks a $15 million pre-money valuation for its Series A round. It built that figure from pilot facility numbers and a 4x revenue multiple. The company names its own risks: shrimp are live organisms, California rules are outside its control, and shares may never be resalable.
How the market is moving
TransparentSea points to other indoor agriculture companies that have raised at valuations of $21 million, $100 million or even $500 million or more. The company has focused its plans on reaching profitability rather than pushing its valuation.
We wrote this summary from public statements by TransparentSea and its investors. It is not investment advice.
TransparentSea in the News
Leadership Team
Executive officers and directors listed on TransparentSea's Form D filed Oct 22, 2026.
