AQUARIUS
Commercial fishing is under pressure — from rising fuel costs, tightening regulations, and shrinking margins. Aquarius is building the technology that makes trawling more profitable, more compliant, and more sustainable — so fleets can keep feeding the world.
By flying instead of dragging, the Aquafoil slashes hydrodynamic drag — directly cutting the fuel burn that represents a trawler's largest operating expense.
Precise gear control can eliminate seabed contact. This helps fleets meet evolving environmental regulations — turning compliance into a competitive advantage, not a constraint.
Active steering lets crews position the net with intent — the right height, every haul. More catch, less guesswork.
Engineers obsessed with a better way to fish.
Aquarius began as a student engineering team in Québec, circling one stubborn question: how do you make commercial fishing radically more efficient without tearing up the ocean? The answer became the Aquafoil — a controllable glider that provides accurate height control the the entire footrope of the trawl.
We design, assemble, and dive-test every prototype ourselves — and the work has been recognized with a number of different entrepreneurial & innovative Awards such as the Climate Trailblazer prize.
AQUA‑3
The Aquafoil — an autonomous glider that flies the net through open water and answers to the helm.
Autonomous control
Onboard control surfaces adjust pitch and roll in real time, holding the net's depth without crew intervention.
User Interface
The Aquafoil sends information to the vessel in real-time. The operator knows the height, angle, wing usage and more - in real time.
Off the bottom
Because the foil flies, gear no longer needs to contact the seafloor — leaving sensitive habitats undisturbed.
Built for the working deck.
Watch the Aquafoil behave.
The scaled-down model tested in a flume tank demonstrates how the geometry of the net is kept intact while the footrope is accurately controlled.
From the lab, to the lake, to the sea.
These are real test days, real builds, real conditions.
A cleaner haul is a bigger one — for crews and for the ocean alike.
Targeted reduction in fuel burned per haul. *
Footrope-to-seabed proximity, without any contact. *
Autonomous operation through the working day.
Bycatch reduction for flat fish.
* Estimated targets pending field validation
Award-winning from the start.
2025 — Climate Trailblazer Prize
Since 2024 — Ocean Startup Project
Fowler Global Social Innovation Challenge — Finalist & Public Choice Award
Les Anges du Génie — 1st place & Public Choice Award
Concours Créatek — 1st place in Innovation Category
NRC — IRAP — Backed since 2025
Horizon Europe — Beneficiary
MEIE Québec — Beneficiary
MITACS — Beneficiary
The next generation of fishing starts here.
Fisheries, research partners, and investors — we'd love to bring an Aquafoil to your waters.