About Decameal
Restoring marine ecosystems through a sustainable business model
— transforming invasive crab into high-value ingredients.
The Founders
Decameal was started by Happylan Natkunarajah and Leander Hessner. Both founders are biologists with a specialisation in the management and ecology of aquatic ecosystems, and a deep passion for our oceans. During Decameal’s first funding round, Mikkel Kongsfelt joined the founder team, bringing in both business and startup experience as well as scientific expertise.
Happylan is head of production development and handles most of the new production methods and testing. Leander is head of administration, communications and outreach, and handles all contact with partners, projects, and customers. Mikkel is in charge of IP, funding, legal, and investor communications.
In 2025 the team was joined by Kübra Yilmaz and Peter Slemming-Adamsen — chemical & bio-tech engineers in charge of laboratories and extraction process, development, and pilot implementation.
Healthy marine ecosystems, and sustainable and stable future food systems.
Restoring a healthy marine life through a sustainable business model.
- Create real, measurable sustainable impact
- Build and scale economically
- Stay socially responsible
Our Journey
Decameal was started through a course in “Bio-entrepreneurship” at Aarhus University in 2020, where the initial idea was hatched. Ever since the two original founders graduated in 2021, the team has been working around the clock to make Decameal a reality. The hard work has resulted in soft funding from Fonden for Entreprenørskab, Food & Biocluster Denmark, Innovationsfonden, AgriFoodTure, GUDP, and many more.
In November 2022, Decameal received an “Innofounder” grant from Innovationsfonden that enabled both original founders to work full-time.
In 2024 and 2025, Decameal was supported by the AgriFoodTure grant, which awarded 4.2 million DKK to build a pilot production and validate the entire value chain — from fisherman to finished feed.
In 2026, Decameal is funded by public funding and equity investments from public and private institutions as well as private shareholders. Decameal, DTU, Aller Aqua, and DTI received GUDP funding in 2025 for the project “CRABEX” — a three-year project of 1.4 million EUR for the development of sustainable extraction methods for chitosan and astaxanthin from crab shells.
Today
Decameal now operates a pilot production in Grindsted, where protein extraction and production take place, alongside offices and laboratories at Agro Food Park in Aarhus.
Decameal ApS · CVR DK43700405 · Products approved for sale October 2025
Board of Directors
- Cees Kuypers (Chair) — Former DLG Director, Chair Merkur Andelskasse
- Mathias Brink Lorenz — Managing Partner, Delphinus Venture Capital
- Lene Hovmøller — Former senior director Vækstfonden, Former CEO Spiras