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For the last month or so I've been travelling through Argentina and Chile, exploring what is an incredibly beautiful and important region for the world ocean economy, but one that we don't really hear much about, particularly in Europe and North America. Through the last four weeks or so, I have connected with lots of brilliant, brilliant people, from founders and entrepreneurs to experts and activists. Some of these in-person conversations will be turned into podcast episodes, and this is the first episode of this Patagonia Special series. My first guest is Daniela Allerbon, who is the CEO of Aquit, a startup that developed preventative treatment for infections in farmed fish that replaces antibiotics.

The WHO predicted that by 2050 more people could die from super-resistant bacteria than cancer. Antibiotic overuse, a lot of which happens in animal production, including aquaculture, is one of the main causes of this global problem. Something that reduces the use of antibiotics could have a big positive impact.  We recorded the interview at their office in Buenos Aires, but the company operates down here in Patagonia, mostly on the other side of the Andes, in Chile.

Daniela's Bio:

Daniela is an economist specialising in the marketing and development of science-based products, with a focus on sustainable aquaculture and biotechnology. She has 15 years of experience as an entrepreneur, 4 of which were devoted to developing and commercialising feed additives, utilising pre-clinical trials for human health products. She has also worked across the private and public sectors, as well as with NGOs and international organisations. 

Prior to founding Aquit in 2022, Daniela led research and development initiatives at Silvateam, where she managed the launch of a new business unit and coordinated international research on the microbiome and COVID-19. 

She has received several notable recognitions in the sector, including her participation in the Hatch Blue and Conservation International Ventures "Women in Ocean Food" program, and her completion, coming up first place, of the BIGinBIO program with the Ganesha Lab, focusing on biotechnology management. 

Daniela holds a bachelor’s degree in Economics from Universidad de San Andrés and has completed postgraduate studies in management and policy in culture and communication.

Timestamps:

00:00:00 - Introduction to The Ocean Age and Patagonia Special Series

00:01:04 - Guest Introduction: Daniela Allerbon and Aquit

00:02:23 - Innovation Park and Team Dynamics

00:03:57 - Daniela's Early Career and the 2001 Economic Crisis

00:08:16 - Adapting to Change and Entrepreneurial Spirit

00:13:12 - Public Perception of Aquaculture and Communication Challenges

00:19:10 - Daniela's Career Transition to Aquit

00:31:16 - Aquit's Mission: Farming Fish Without Antibiotics

00:37:31 - Innovation Challenges and Award Recognition

00:41:03 - The Science Behind Aquit's Product

00:46:24 - Expanding Technology to Other Species and AI's Role

00:49:25 - Compelling Reasons for Farmers to Adopt New Solutions

00:54:00 - The Global Issue of Antibiotic Resistance

01:05:03 - Radical Empathy: Advice for Entrepreneurs

01:06:43 - Ocean Entrepreneurs and the Impact-Profitability Challenge

01:10:37 - Being a Latin American Startup with Global Ambitions

01:21:11 - Unconscious Bias in Venture Capital

Useful Links & Resources:

Aquit’s website

Aquit on LinkedIn 

Daniela Allerbon on LinkedIn

Daniela mentioned the book "Reinventing Organizations" by Frédéric Laloux