Kontali - Comprehensive Analysis Report
Summary
Kontali is a global competence center and data provider specializing in aquaculture and fisheries. Founded in Kristiansund, Norway in 1987, the company began by offering knowledge-based consultancy and data to the Norwegian fish farming industry, developing the first production and market simulation models and an extensive salmon database.
Kontali's mission is to maintain the deepest understanding of the aquaculture and fisheries realm, encompassing various species and their interconnections, and to share this seafood knowledge to foster a more balanced world. Its vision is for the seafood sector to thrive and invest in providing food for more people while safeguarding oceans. Kontali is a significant industry player, serving as a trusted source for market insights, forecasts, and analysis, empowering decision-makers across the global seafood value chain.
1. Strategic Focus & Objectives
Core Objectives
Kontali's primary strategic objective is to solidify its position as the leading provider of data and insights for the global seafood market. This involves accelerating its digital transformation, expanding its offerings to cover additional species and geographies beyond its core salmon expertise, and scaling up operations. The company aims to triple its revenues within three years by integrating advanced technological and commercial capabilities with its existing seafood expertise.
Specialization Areas
Kontali specializes in salmon, warm water shrimp, sea bass, and sea bream, with continuous efforts to broaden its competence to include other commercially interesting species. Its unique value proposition lies in its decades of experience, proprietary data, and advanced analytical models, which provide comprehensive and unparalleled seafood data and insights.
Target Markets
Kontali targets a diverse range of stakeholders across the entire seafood value chain. This includes fish farmers, fishermen, feed producers, processors, exporters, banks, brokers, hedge funds, insurers, public authorities, research institutions, and various organizations.
2. Financial Overview
Funding History
Kontali was acquired by Arendals Fossekompani in 2020. This acquisition saw Arendals Fossekompani acquire a 71% stake, making Kontali the first company in the portfolio of Alytic, a newly established subsidiary focused on developing and scaling data-driven companies. Other investors have included Bølgen Invest and Imarex, with Imarex previously acquiring an 86% stake in Kontali Analyse in 2009. The acquisition by Alytic was a strategic move to accelerate Kontali's digital transformation and strengthen its market leadership. Alytic's strategy includes augmenting Kontali's seafood expertise with technological and commercial competence to triple Kontali's revenues within three years. The company is shifting its business model towards a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model to facilitate faster global growth and recurring subscription revenues. Kontali also completed the acquisition of Dutch competitor Seafood TIP BV in 2020. Kontali Analyse's most recent deal was a Buyout/LBO with Nasdaq (Salmon Index) on February 1, 2024.
3. Product Pipeline
Key Products/Services
Kontali Edge Platform
Description: This flagship platform serves aquaculture market stakeholders, providing comprehensive salmon insights. It simplifies complex data, offering accessible and timely information for strategic decision-making.
Development Stage: Fully operational and continually enhanced.
Target Market/Condition: Global salmon industry stakeholders, including farmers, processors, financial entities, and regulators.
Key Features and Benefits: Provides data on global harvest volumes, year-over-year changes, stock biomass, smolt releases, and market trends. It offers future insights on salmon trends, forecasting from 3 to 18 months, and tracks price shifts through data from Nasdaq and Fish Pool price indexes, as well as major global wholesale markets. It acts as a business intelligence platform offering exclusive insights from curated models and trusted sources.
Proprietary Models
Description: Kontali utilizes unique market and production models for the global salmon sector, with this methodology being replicated for new species.
Development Stage: Continuously developed and refined.
Target Market/Condition: Used internally to generate forecasts and insights for various species, serving all client segments.
Key Features and Benefits: Crucial for predicting market trends and developing accurate forecasts, forming the backbone of Kontali's analytical offerings.
Data Collection and Analysis Services
Description: Systematic collection of production/catch, market (price and volume), and productivity (cost structure) data for various species, coupled with bespoke reports, expert consulting, and in-depth analyses.
Development Stage: Ongoing service.
Target Market/Condition: Clients requiring customized data, detailed market intelligence, and expert insights.
Key Features and Benefits: Decades of data collection for salmon and large trout (since 1992), and for cod, herring, sea bass, and sea bream (since the early to mid-2000s). Services include bespoke reports crafted to client specifications, expert consulting, and in-depth analyses that combine public and private data, industry connections, and expertise.
4. Technology & Innovation
Technology Stack
Kontali leverages decades of expertise, proprietary data, and advanced analytical models to deliver comprehensive seafood data and insights. Its work relies on professional expertise and extensive information storage and retrieval systems that underpin its databases. This involves regular contact with over 150 sources in more than 40 countries, alongside the harmonization of product codes, categories, and the application of weight conversion factors.
Proprietary Developments
Kontali has pioneered the development of production simulation models and established a renowned salmon database. The company's digital transformation, initiated after its acquisition by Alytic, underscores its commitment to implementing new technology and maximizing existing systems for product development and modern delivery of aquaculture insights worldwide.
Scientific Methodologies
Kontali's methodologies involve systematic data collection, advanced analytical modeling for market and production trends, and the application of rigorous data harmonization and quality assurance processes across its extensive network of sources.
Technical Capabilities
The company's technical capabilities include sophisticated data aggregation, advanced analytics for forecasting and trend prediction, and the development and maintenance of platforms like Kontali Edge for delivering insights to clients.
5. Leadership & Management
Executive Team
Kjetil Angell Kjerstad - CEO
Professional Background: Appointed CEO of Kontali on April 1, 2024. Previously served as Head of Business Development and Strategy B2C at Telia Norway and Head of Google Ads in Norway. Held executive positions at Microsoft Norway and Telenor. Holds a master's degree in business administration from Oxford Brookes University, with training in International Marketing at BI Norwegian Business School and Business Administration at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology.
Key Contributions to the Company: Responsible for implementing the strategy to position Kontali as a leading provider of global seafood market data and insights, and tasked with commercializing technology in combination with content.
Jo Helge Grepstad - Chief Commercial Officer (CCO)
Professional Background: Joined Kontali as CCO on February 1, 2026. Previously led Commercial at the consulting firm TheVIT and has broad experience from strategic commercial roles at Riverty and Telenor, with a focus on customer strategy, growth initiatives, and market development.
Key Contributions to the Company: Responsible for leading Kontali's commercial strategy, strengthening client relationships, and driving growth across offerings and markets.
Recent Leadership Changes
Kontali has experienced notable changes in its leadership team. Kjetil Angell Kjerstad was appointed as the new CEO, effective April 1, 2024, at a time when Kontali was entering a "scale-up phase" following its digital transformation under Alytic's majority ownership. More recently, Jo Helge Grepstad joined Kontali as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) on February 1, 2026, assuming a role focused on global commercial growth and customer engagement. An earlier report from January 16, 2025, indicated Ole Magnus Waage was appointed as CCO effective January 6, 2025, suggesting a change in this role. Waage's previous responsibilities involved overseeing the commercial team, focusing on revenue growth, client relationships, and the development of the Edge platform, leveraging his experience from the software sector.
6. Talent and Growth Indicators
Kontali is in an "exciting phase" and a "scale-up phase" driven by its digital transformation, with an ambitious goal of tripling revenues within three years. This indicates a strong growth trajectory and a likely increase in hiring. Alytic, Kontali's parent company, has actively recruited leading analysts and tech-teams to transform existing products, create new ones, and enhance client and market understanding. Commercial teams have also been hired to improve and scale marketing and sales. As of 2024, Kontali Analyse had 31 total employees. The appointments of a new CEO and CCO with strong backgrounds in commercializing technology and driving growth further support these aggressive expansion plans. Key areas for recruitment are likely to include technology, data science, analysis (for new species and geographies), and commercial roles to support global expansion and revenue growth.
7. Social Media Presence and Engagement
Digital Footprint
Kontali maintains an active online presence, utilizing platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn to disseminate news releases, reports, and market insights. The company's official website emphasizes customer and partner engagement. Its leadership team's prior experience at major tech and telecom companies like Google, Microsoft, and Telia Norway suggests a sophisticated understanding of digital platforms and communication strategies. Kontali regularly shares updates on industry forecasts and strategic collaborations, solidifying its position as a thought leader within the aquaculture and seafood sectors.
8. Recognition and Awards
Industry Recognition
Kontali is recognized as a world-leading expert and a leading competence center in aquaculture and fisheries data and insights, with an unparalleled depth of insight.
9. Competitive Analysis
Major Competitors
Kontali operates in the specialized market for seafood analysis and insights. While specific direct global competitors beyond those acquired like Seafood TIP BV are not explicitly named, the broader aquaculture market includes major players such as Thai Union Group PCL, MOWI ASA, Maruha Nichiro Corporation, Cooke Aquaculture Inc., and SalMar ASA. These large seafood producers can be both clients of Kontali's independent analysis and, to some extent, internal gatherers of their own data.
Kontali's competitive advantage stems from its decades of specialized expertise, proprietary data, and advanced analytical models, particularly its deep understanding of the salmon industry. The company explicitly positions itself as a "world-leading expert" and "leading competence center" with a global presence, offering "unparalleled" depth of insight. Its ongoing digital transformation and shift to a SaaS business model through the Kontali Edge platform further differentiate its offerings by providing accessible, timely, and comprehensive data for strategic decision-making.
10. Market Analysis
Market Overview
The global aquaculture market is experiencing robust growth. It was valued at USD 239.33 billion in 2024 and is projected to reach USD 370.54 billion by 2034, growing at a CAGR of 4.47% from 2025 to 2034. Other estimates place the market size at USD 309.88 billion in 2024, growing to USD 489.03 billion by 2033 at a CAGR of 5.2%, or USD 607.13 billion in 2025, projected to reach USD 1150.64 billion by 2034 with a CAGR of 7.32%. This growth is primarily fueled by increasing global demand for seafood due to population growth, rising incomes, and greater awareness of its nutritional benefits. Overfishing and declining wild fish stocks also contribute to the necessity for alternative sources, making aquaculture a crucial sector.
Asia Pacific dominates the global aquaculture market, accounting for over 68% of global production value in 2025 and 42.55% of the revenue share in 2024. North America is identified as the fastest-growing region, supported by advancements in land-based recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS) and increasing venture capital investment.
Key industry trends include rising global seafood demand, the introduction of new aquaculture species, and technological advancements in farming systems such as RAS and biosecure facilities. There is also a growing focus on sustainability, disease management strategies, and the efficient utilization of by-products.
Kontali's research forecasts a significant expansion in global salmon farming, with production expected to increase by 27% by 2030 and 40% by 2033. This growth is anticipated to be driven by improvements in fish health, strategic investments, and a substantial rise in land-based production, which is considered a politically and environmentally sustainable alternative.
11. Strategic Partnerships
EUMOFA (European Market Observatory for Fisheries and Aquaculture Products)
Nature of partnership: Kontali has been a central member of the consortium since 2010.
Strategic benefits: Plays a key role in data collection, harmonization, quality assurance, market intelligence, and analyses for this market intelligence tool developed by the European Commission. This collaboration enhances market transparency and supports business decisions and policy-making within the EU seafood sector.
Sintef Ocean
Nature of partnership: Since 2013, Kontali has collaborated with Sintef Ocean on a project funded by the Norwegian seafood research fund (FHF).
Strategic benefits: This project analyzes the access and utilization of by-products from the Norwegian fishery and aquaculture industry, aiming to provide industry insights and stimulate activities to increase profitability.
Nofima AS
Nature of partnership: Since 2017, Kontali has worked with Nofima AS on another FHF-funded project.
* Strategic benefits: The objectives of this collaboration are not further detailed in the provided information but are related to seafood research.
12. Operational Insights
Current Market Position
Kontali holds a leading market position as a global competence center and data provider specializing in aquaculture and fisheries. It is recognized as a world-leading expert, particularly in the salmon industry, and is strategically expanding its coverage to other species and geographies.
Competitive Advantages
Kontali's competitive advantages include its decades of specialized expertise, proprietary data, advanced analytical models, and a robust network of over 150 sources globally. Its digital transformation and shift to a SaaS business model via the Kontali Edge platform provide timely, accessible, and comprehensive insights, further solidifying its differentiation.
Operational Strengths
Operational strengths lie in its systematic data collection, advanced analytical capabilities, and deep industry connections. The company's focus on digital transformation is enhancing its ability to deliver and scale its products and services globally.
Areas for Improvement
Not explicitly detailed in the provided information, but continuous expansion into new species and geographies, alongside further technological innovation, would be ongoing strategic areas for development.
13. Future Outlook
Strategic Roadmap
Kontali's strategic roadmap involves accelerating its digital transformation and expanding its offerings to cover more species and geographies beyond its core salmon expertise. The company aims to triple its revenues within three years by incorporating advanced technological and commercial capabilities with its existing seafood expertise. This includes leveraging a Software-as-a-Service (SaaS) model for faster global growth and recurring revenues through subscriptions.
Growth Strategies
Growth strategies are centered on scaling operations, expanding market intelligence to new species, increasing its global footprint, and continuously innovating its technological platforms, such as Kontali Edge, to provide even more comprehensive and accessible insights to stakeholders across the entire seafood value chain. The company also anticipates significant expansion in global salmon farming, driven by advancements in fish health, strategic investments, and the growth of land-based production, which presents both opportunities and challenges for its data and analytical services.
