Ace Aquatec and the EIC Accelerator: Sea Lice Tool Still to Come

Ace Aquatec, a Dundee company founded in 2007, makes in-water electric stunners for humane fish slaughter, predator deterrents and biomass cameras for fish farms. In June 2022 the EIC Accelerator selected it for a grant for "a modular sea lice removal system utilising electro-anaesthesia, low-pressure pumping and waterjets to gently remove lice without inducing stress and compromising fish welfare", according to the EIC's list of selected companies. No project for this award appears on CORDIS.

The system, the A-ELECTROLICER, is still listed under "Future innovations" on Ace Aquatec's website. In November 2020 the company had said it would bring the system to market "in the first quarter of next year", Fish Farming Expert reported. The company's 2024 accounts at Companies House show cash of £555,417, down from £1.58 million, and say the need to raise funds "represents a material uncertainty which may cast significant doubt on the Group's ability to continue as a going concern". In April 2025 it secured £4.85 million from investors.

Where Ace Aquatec Stands Now

Ace Aquatec issued new shares in April and May 2025 and registered a new charge over its assets in March 2026, Companies House records show. It also sought a 12-month loan at 8.55% interest through the crowdlending platform Goparity. Its accounts for 2025 were due by 30 September 2026. The company's electric stunning and predator control products are on sale; the sea lice system is not listed among them.

The Technology: Electric Fields Instead of Heat and Force

Fish are drawn out of the pen through a tube by a low-pressure pump, pass through a low-voltage electric field that relaxes them and loosens lice and eggs, then through waterjets and a final hot and cold shower before returning to the pen. Lice and eggs are filtered and destroyed. Ace Aquatec says combining treatments reduces the risk of lice becoming resistant, and cites industry figures putting the cost of managing sea lice at €1.15 billion a year.

What the EIC Project Promised, and What CORDIS Shows

CORDIS has no grant agreement for the award, so there is no budget, work plan or report. The only public measure is whether the system reached customers. It had been in development since 2017, when Ace Aquatec and a partner won a European Maritime and Fisheries Fund grant, and nine years later it is not on sale.

1. Grant agreement on CORDISAbsentNo record found.
2. Sea lice system on saleNot yetListed as future innovation.
3. Follow-on fundingDelivered£4.85M, April 2025.
4. Company growthUnverifiedRevenue not filed.

The Money

Ace Aquatec files without a profit and loss account. Its 2024 balance sheet shows share premium rising from £6.68 million to £12.07 million, accumulated losses growing from £2.21 million to £4.57 million, and long-term creditors falling from £5.25 million to £2.20 million. It carried £5.14 million of development costs as an asset at the end of 2024.

What Cannot Be Checked

Why Europe Should Care

Ace Aquatec cites industry data that managing sea lice costs fish farms €1.15 billion a year, or 9% of revenue. A treatment that avoids stress and resistance would matter to both. The EIC selected one, and nine years after development began farmers still cannot buy it.

The Verdict

Ace Aquatec and the EIC have not been asked for comment for this article. It is based entirely on public records and published statements, linked throughout.