The self-described "moonshot factory," Alphabet X, has gained notoriety over the years for the range of technological solutions it has adopted and the issues it has taken on. The hybrid research facility/accelerator has created energy-producing kites and balloons for rural internet.
Midway through July, Tidal quietly broke away from the department with the lofty goal of "feeding humanity sustainably." As far as objectives go, it's broad and ethereal, therefore the recently established business is starting out by concentrating on one particular area: salmon aquaculture.
As per the World Wildlife Foundation, "the fastest-growing food production system in the world is salmon aquaculture, which currently accounts for 70% (2.5 million metric tons) of the market."
Located in Mountain View, close to Trondheim, Norway, Tidal approaches the market in a manner reminiscent of Google. To provide farmers with a more complete image of their harvests, a combination of sensors, robots, data analytics, and AI is being used. The system keeps an eye on the fish, provides yield predictions, and is made to identify possible problems, such as sea lice, before they do significant harm.
The company has already worked with farmers in Chile, Brazil, and its home country of Norway. 230 Tidal systems are now in use in Norway.
In a statement linked to the story, X head Astro Teller stated, "Tidal empowers fish farmers around the world to make more sustainable decisions in an industry where feed is the largest environmental and economic cost." "Tidal is graduating to become an independent company with support from financial and strategic partners who share our vision, now that it is well on its way to commercializing its technology."
Imagine Future was informed by a Tidal representative that a spinout has always been a part of the strategy. Following reductions in staff at the highly-secretive company, Alphabet has begun to tighten the screws on its "other bets." After selling John Deere a suite of technologies, the robotic agriculture company Mineral was transformed into a licensing initiative in recent months. Helped clothing company Skip separate last month.
Post-spinout relationships with Alphabet differ throughout companies. Regarding Tidal, the tech behemoth continues to have a minority stake, and the firm has initiated efforts to secure outside finance. In its latest round, Ichthus Venture Capital and Futurum Ventures backed Perry Creek Capital. It hasn't revealed the exact amount of money.
According to Tidal, it is in "full growth mode" right now and intends to double or triple the number of systems it has put in place over the course of the next few years.