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Founders Fund’s outlier bet on humanely killed fish
At a recent TechCrunch StrictlyVC event in El Segundo, Shinkei Systems founder Saif Khawaja and Founders Fund partner Delian Asparouhov discussed Shinkei's robot, Poseidon, which automates the Japanese technique *ike jime* to humanely kill fish on boats. The machine uses computer vision to identify species, pierce the brain, and sever gills, preventing a slow death that degrades flavor and shelf life. Shinkei gives Poseidon machines to fishermen for free, pays them a premium for the catch, and takes full possession. The fish is processed at a 16,000-square-foot plant in Tacoma, Washington, and sold under the consumer brand Seremoni as "ceremony grade" fish. The company now supplies restaurants with a combined 50 Michelin stars and claims Japan has imported American-caught fish—a first. A pilot with Erewhon grocery chain sells Seremoni Miso Black Cod, marketed as sustainably and humanely harvested. Khawaja emphasized quality over animal welfare: fish with a typical 5–7 day shelf life can last 12–14 days. Shinkei’s new sensor system projects individual shelf life, addressing the ~18% spoilage loss from dock to store. The company aims to reshore seafood processing, which often involves shipping to China for labor-intensive work, tying to forced labor concerns. Founders Fund sees Shinkei as fitting its pattern of backing founders outside trendy categories like generic AI. Asparouhov noted the fund’s AI and defense exposure is only 15–20%, while physical-world bets like Shinkei, Halter (cattle collars), and Ohalo Genetics show its appetite for food and agriculture. Though SpaceX remains the fund’s biggest win, Asparouhov predicts a broader venture shift toward hardware. Whether Shinkei succeeds as a robotics manufacturer, seafood processor, and consumer brand is still uncertain.