Private equity firm Broodstock Capital has poached Kristoffer Jordheim from Norwegian investment bank Pareto Securities, where he served as a partner.
In his new role with Broodstock, he will help the firm invest in land-based projects.
"It is clearly sad to leave Pareto after five-and-a-half years, but I look forward to keeping in touch with them from the customer side," Jordheim told IntraFish.
The investment group Broodstock Capital has been eyeing a move into land-based farming since last year, which was seen as a strategic shift from the group's focus on ancillary and support businesses to the sector.
Broodstock Capital announced the launch of a second seafood fund with a size of around NOK 200 million (€20.4 million/$24.7 million) in early 2018, aimed at focusing on small and medium-sized companies, with the support of the first fund.
"Broodstock has invested in technology, services and supplier companies close to the seafood industry but hasn't joined companies that actually own fish," Jordheim said.
"Now, we look at opportunities to invest in companies that produce fish onshore, a field we have a lot of knowledge on, including through the Billund Aquaculture ownership."
Broodstock will first look into land-based salmon projects before considering other species, Jordheim said.
He has been monitoring the sector closely ever since visiting Atlantic Sapphire's facility in Denmark in 2014.
"Atlantic Sapphire is a company that has had many challenges, but also managed to solve many of them," Jordheim said.
"We see big differences between the different projects within land-based and see great value in selecting the right projects."
In November, Broodstock Capital increased its stake in the Norwegian software solution firm Maritech to 98 percent.
The company first acquired 52 percent of the shares in Maritech in 2017. The company now bought the additional 36 percent of shares from Midvest Funds and another 10 percent from Bolgen Invest.
Broodstock Capital is also a principal owner of Akerbla, Billund Aquaculture, and Multi Pump Innovation.
Jordheim will start the new position on Feb. 1.
