Raptis Seafood, the privately-owned, Australia-based, fish and seafood group, is canvassing for investment.

The company, which supplies Australia’s retail and foodservice channels, has hired local advisory firm Kidder Williams to help it net investment.

Raptis Seafood’s interest in bringing in outside funding was first reported by The Australian Financial Review.

David Williams, the managing director at Kidder Williams, said the seafood processor was “open” to either majority or minority investment “depending on what an investor brings to the party and their rationale”.

He said there had already been a “fair bit of interest of the back of the AFR from off-shore fishers wanting a channel into the Australian market”.

Raptis Seafood, which has a product portfolio that includes the Ocean Pearl, Seaport and Agrios brands, wants to expand its range and broaden its geographic footprint, Mr Williams told Just Food.

He added potential investors could be from the “trade but a few PE have investments in the industry where this could be part of a roll-up”.

Founded in 1962, Queensland-based Raptis Seafood is vertically integrated business. The company has 19 vessels and catches seafood from four fisheries in Australia.

In recent years, Australia's seafood sector has seen two of its major names snapped up by overseas players.

Two years ago, Tassal Group, the Australian seafood company, was acquired by Canada-based Cooke. Tassal rears Atlantic salmon and prawns sold as branded products in Australia and for export.

A year earlier, Brazil-based meat giant JBS bought Australian seafood processor Huon Aquaculture.