Founded by Lukas Walton, Builders Vision has invested in sustainable ocean investment firm Bluefront Equity, which is focused on making the seafood value chain less wasteful.
Builders Vision, an impact platform founded by Walmart heir Lukas Walton, has invested an undisclosed amount in the second seafood impact fund of Norway-based Bluefront Equity. The new fund is focused on investments in solutions that boost long-term sustainability in the seafood industry.
“This is a great achievement for us,” Simen Landmark, a partner at Bluefront Equity, told Impact Investor. “It is a clear mark of quality when such a renowned investor invests in us from the other side of the world.”
Walton founded Builders Vision in 2021 as an impact platform with the aim to use philanthropic capital, investment and advocacy to support people and organisations building “a more humane and healthy planet”, with a particular focus on oceans, energy, and food and agriculture. According to Forbes, the firm has deployed $3bn since its inception.
Builders Vision is also working with Bluefront on forming an impact advisory council to boost the firm’s impact management and measurement efforts, the firm said.
“From the moment we met with Builders Vision and learned about their focus on advancing the blue economy and transforming food systems, we saw strong synergies between our goals and approach,” said Kjetil Haga, partner and CEO at Bluefront. “It was clear that their expertise in these areas would complement ours, and we thought that they would be an excellent partner for us.”
Aquatic gene freezing
As reported by Impact Investor in May 2024, Bluefront closed its first seafood fund in 2021 after raising $62m. It has almost doubled its fundraising target for its second fund to around NOK 1.25bn (€110m), and is aiming to close the vehicle this summer, according to Landmark, a former investment banker in Norway who co-founded Bluefront Equity with Haga in 2020.
“Shifting the value chains of major industries with practical, scalable solutions—like those in Bluefront’s portfolio—is essential for building a sustainable blue economy that can economically thrive while having an outsized positive impact,” said James Lindsay, investment director at Builders Vision.
Existing investors in Bluefront’s first fund, including the Bergersen family’s Havfonn foundation, the Steensland group, the 3S Invest family office, Klaveness Marine, TD Veen and Nordic private equity firm Cubera, also participated in Bluefront Capital II. Among the fund’s international investors are US-based asset manager Commonfund, and global investment firm Cambridge Associates.
Getting Builders Vision on board has had “positive benefits for us, also fundraising-wise”, said Landmark. Bluefront is currently involved in three different due dilligence processes with other known impact investors, Landmark added.
Bluefront’s second fund has already invested in two companies. Cryogenetics is a specialist in aquatic gene preservation, which freezes the genetic materials of, for example, salmon and trout in Norwegian rivers for biodiversity purposes. Horizon Software offers digital solutions that optimise biological conditions and production for fish farmers.
“By investing in companies tackling critical challenges such as fish welfare, ocean health, and sustainability, they’re improving efficiency, reducing mortality, and addressing issues like lice, disease, and waste—all while driving strong returns and supporting long-term ocean resilience,” said Lindsay.
