The Story of BlueTrace
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The story of BlueTrace, told by Co-Founder, Cat Gamin
]*> src="https://www.maineventurefund.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/08/Cat_headshot-240x300.jpg" alt="Cat Gamin, Blue-Trace Co Founder" width="240" height="300" />Maine Venture Fund first invested in Oyster Tracker back in 2019. Since then, the company has driven significant traction and growth, and recently rebranded as BlueTrace to better reflect their ever-broadening value proposition across the seafood supply chain.
Below, Co-Founder and Product and Operations lead Cat Gamin elaborates on these latest exciting changes.
Four years ago, we had the idea of helping oyster farmers improve their operations. Today, we have over 120 clients in 12 states and 4 countries. We have employees, investors and even won a major grant from NOAA. All this would not be possible without the support of so many. Thank you!
As we have grown, we have learned a ton. A few things keep sticking out to us:
Labor Costs: For most farms and dealers, this is the single biggest cost.
Regulations Matter: The cost of regulatory compliance is significant. The cost of not complying with regulations is huge.
Oysters aren’t everything: Mussels, clams, scallops, geoducks...are all growing industries and have many of the same dynamics.
Over the last couple of years the Oyster Tracker name began reaching its limits. Although the bulk of our business is Oysters, we have a ton of other shellfish going through our platform. Our fastest growing solutions are all around Traceability.
Why change the Oyster Tracker name?
We are broader than Oysters. Oysters were a great place to start and will always be our home, but time to leave the harbor.
Clients are asking us to help comply with regulatory requirements that apply to all shellfish and will apply to other seafood.
Our technology has broader applications.
We have broader aspirations.
Why BlueTrace?
Blue = Ocean. We care deeply about the health of our oceans, the people who make a living on it and the seafood consumers.
Trace: Tracking seafood from the tideline to the table builds trust with consumers, meets important regulatory requirements, keeps consumers happy, and grows the entire market.
What does this mean in practice?
Improving Products: Our products will do the same things they do today and we'll keep making them better, we'll just stop using the name Oyster Tracker and we'll start using BlueTrace.
Cool schwag, like hats, stickers, and t-shirts. Let us know if you want one.
About Maine Venture Fund
Maine Venture Fund invests in dynamic businesses that have the potential for significant growth and impact in Maine. For more information, visit maineventurefund.com.
Inquiries:
Terri Wark
Maine Venture Fund
(207) 924.3800
terri@maineventurefund.com
