Driven by Science – Built for Business

Originating from Finland — the land of thousands of lakes — Paras Aqua has expanded from local waters to the international stage. We combine strong technological expertise with production economics, fish welfare, and environmentally sustainable solutions — the core of our competence and our passion.

Built on solid scientific evidence and proven results, the technology was developed to address the key challenges of conventional aquaculture and recirculating aquaculture systems, enabling more sustainable food production.

From Healthy Fish to Smarter Business

One of the most critical factors influencing productivity in aquaculture is fish welfare. Fish have always been a big part of our lives. They have provided us with food, experiences, and livelihoods. Paras Aqua was born out of this passion, and our goal is to ensure the best possible conditions for fish also in aquaculture facilities. Fish welfare has strongly guided the development of Paras technology, and through this technology we have solved many challenges that affect fish health.

Building on these principles, we developed the Paras Precision Hybrid Flow-through System — a solution that ensures healthy, thriving fish while making aquaculture a more profitable and sustainable business.

Paras Precision HFS technology was officially launched in 2025, following years of dedicated research and development.

Patented Innovation for Scalable Efficiency

Paras Precision HFS enables a new level of control, flexibility and water reuse intensity compared to less water intensive hybrid flow-through systems on the market.

Our Technology

All water parameters, including temperature, are fully controllable and optimized according to the specific needs of the fish in each tank.

Optimal flow conditions enable changes in swimming direction and speed, creating a more stimulating and welfare-enhancing environment.

Operation without biofilters eliminates long start-up phases, continuous alkalinity and oxygen dosing, and sensitivity to process disturbances.

Enables the implementation of an “all-in, all-out” production strategy, with all structures fully visible and easy to disinfect between fish batches.

Research and Results at the Core of Development

The Paras Precision Hybrid Flow-through System has been developed through many years of dedicated research. Development of the concept began in 2019. The innovation was developed at the Natural Resources Institute Finland (Luke) and is based on extensive research and prototyping.

Building on the convincing results achieved through this work, Paras Aqua Oy was founded in the autumn of 2023.

Our Way of Working

Paras Aqua is focused on international growth and building strong strategic partnerships that enable us to meet facility requirements around the world.

Quality is a core value in everything we do. Through collaboration with long-established European partners, we ensure that our solutions meet high-performance standards and can be scaled to suit a wide range of operational demands.

We aim to build strong partnerships in every project. We support our customers throughout the entire lifecycle — from planning and implementation to optimizing operational facilities — and remain involved well beyond commissioning to ensure performance meets its targets.

The People Behind Paras Aqua

Our team is united by a strong passion for aquaculture and the opportunities that new innovations can bring to the industry, combined with a solid scientific and research-driven approach. Our technology is built on robust scientific evidence and high-end engineering, offering unique opportunities to improve both the sustainability and economic performance of aquaculture.

Sondre Høidalen

Chief Executive Officer (CEO)

sondre@parasaqua.fi

+479 0133 832

Master of Science (Process Technology)

10 years CEO-experience in the land based aquaculture industry
30 years of leadership experience across aquaculture, process industry, iron foundries, solar industry, oil & gas and large‑scale construction

“Paras Aqua’s approach includes many of the elements I have been looking for in this industry for a long time. Modularity and a high degree of prefabrication bring significant efficiency and predictability to projects,” says Sondre Høidalen.

He brings decades of international experience in land-based aquaculture, having led the development and execution of large-scale recirculating aquaculture systems across multiple markets. He has served as CEO of several prominent industry companies and has been closely involved in the design and construction of more than 20 land-based fish farms. His background spans both production and project-driven business, combining operational insight with strategic execution.

His path into the aquaculture industry was not originally planned. “I entered the industry by coincidence,” Sondre explains. “What has kept me here is the opportunity to work in a sustainable business that contributes to improving a healthy and responsible feed chain.”

For Sondre, the company represents a shift toward a more industrialized and scalable model for aquaculture development—one that simplifies complexity while maintaining high performance. This combination, together with strong sustainability credentials, positions Paras Aqua to play a meaningful role in the future of global food production.

Tapio Kiuru

Chief Technology Officer, Founder

tapio@parasaqua.fi

+358 40 750 1883

Master of Science (Aquaculture production)

20 years of experience in the land-based aquaculture industry
35 years of experience on 4 continents in aquaculture R&D

“One moment that has really stuck with me during the development of the Paras technology was the experiments conducted with prototypes. Waiting for the results was intense, and when they came in, they were so good that we initially suspected an error. The feed conversion ratios were excellent, and after rechecking, we had to believe they were correct,” Tapio recalls one of the most memorable and impactful moments of his career.

Tapio has over 30 years of diverse experience in aqua culture development, and for the past 15 years, he has focused especially on land-based aquaculture. He could be described as a visionary in the field: the ideas and initial impulses for development projects typically originate with him and are then pushed forward with the help of the team.

“Paras Aqua was an opportunity that simply couldn’t be passed up,” Tapio says about the founding of the company. “At first, the expectations around recirculating aquaculture systems weren’t being met in development work, and I began to consider how a new, simpler, and more environmentally friendly solution could address the challenges of land-based aquaculture systems.

Kalle Sinisalo

Chief Operating Officer (COO)

kalle@parasaqua.fi

+358 40 520 1100

Master of Science (Technology)

Master of Resource Management

Structural design and engineering
Aquaculture technology incl. submersible net cages, S-CCS, RAS, HFS

Jani Pulkkinen

Chief Research Officer

jani@parasaqua.fi

+358 40 520 1414

Doctor of Philosophy (RAS)

Aquaculture microbiology and water quality
Reducing the environmental impact of aquaculture
Nutrient recovery and recycling
Fish biology

“Now I get to be involved in work that truly makes an impact, where research turns into real-world results. I took this up as a challenge – this really is something completely new.”

Jani’s career in the world of fish began after high school, when he was considering what field to pursue. Drawn by his interest in nature and fishing, he applied and was accepted to study fish biology and fisheries science at the University of Jyväskylä. After graduating and working on various projects, he ended up at MTT (now part of the Natural Resources Institute Finland, Luke), researching inland aquaculture and later was asked to join a research group for recirculating aquaculture systems (RAS).

Alongside his work, Jani completed a doctoral degree from the microbiology of recirculating aquaculture systems, which was also the first doctoral thesis related to RAS in Finland.

He joined Paras Aqua team at Tapio’s request. Jani’s role in the company is to serve as research manager, mainly overseeing Paras Aqua’s research projects.

This is How it Flows

We can help you with all stages of your project.

Objectives and concept

Site selection, production plans

Design and Project Plan

Required number of modules, water consumption etc.

Permits and Financing

System’s economic and environmental performance data

Construction and installation

Key technology delivery or turnkey delivery

Operation and optimization

Training, on-site and remote support, software and hardware updates, R&D-support