Few founders can say their entrepreneurial journey began with the ocellaris clownfish (Nemo) and close calls with great white sharks.
For Perth’s Ben Brayford, those early encounters with the ocean not only shaped his career as a marine scientist but also sparked two businesses: a global subsea robotics company, and his latest venture, Living Oceans, which aims to reinvent the aquarium industry.
“I was drawn to marine aquariums and Nemo clownfish while working in a local aquarium shop during high school,” Mr Brayford told Business News.
“I could see a clear business opportunity. Customers were captivated by marine life like nothing else, but aquariums were simply too complex, costly, and unsustainable.
“Since then, I have been on a mission to make them simple, sustainable, and accessible for everyone.”
However, before he could throw himself into this business venture, there was another marine business to establish.
As a young marine scientist and commercial diver, Mr Brayford had his fair share of close encounters with sharks and other underwater hazards.
Those risks pushed him to explore safer, technology-driven alternatives. In 2010, he founded Geo Oceans, a subsea robotics company based in Western Australia that replaced the need for divers in dangerous environments.
Geo Oceans grew rapidly into the oil and gas sector, winning multiple awards, including Australian Exporter of the Year in 2022.
In that same year, and with the aquarium business idea still at the forefront of his mind, Mr Brayford left Geo Oceans and started creating the business that would become Living Oceans (while taking on another business development role in a related industry).
By 2024, he had assembled the seed funds and starting team and was ready to commit full time. At the outset, he wanted it to be set up like a startup.
“Our model is built to scale like a tech company,” Mr Brayford said.
“Minimal marginal investment, maximum global impact.”
Essentially, Living Oceans’ systems are made up from proprietary ‘living blocks’ and ‘living ecosystems’, engineered to support thriving corals, fish and marine environments, while reducing the cost and complexity for users.
It all comes in one box, which the buyer can set up themselves or have the Living Oceans team do the installation. From there, the aquarium looks after itself, requiring minimal effort.
To test demand, Living Oceans launched a pop-up activation at Karrinyup Shopping Centre over Christmas.
Mr Brayford said the company sold 24 aquariums in 30 days, generating $95,000 in revenue, while a home show expo delivered six more sales in three days. Alongside that, more than 950 expressions of interest were awaiting follow-up.
Commercial clients have also come on board, including mining companies, schools and research centres.
The team has since shifted to a showroom commission model.
“By partnering with home décor and pet retailers, and using third-party logistics, we can scale without [the need for] heavy infrastructure,” Mr Brayford said.
The startup’s offices are in Osborne Park, where its new laboratory opened last month.
Mr Brayford said WA provided an ideal base for the business, with its pristine reef systems, cultured coral farms and world-class research institutes.
“WA is the best place in the world to be a founder. Everything you need to have global impact is here,” he said.
Having undertaken a steep learning curve about business and startup life, Mr Brayford’s advice to other potential founders is to “move quickly and test the product and market before you scale”.
“Focus on outcomes, not just products: customers want simplicity and reliability more than technical detail,” he said.
“Scalability and low marginal-cost models are what attract investors.”
Looking forward, Mr Brayford is positioning Living Oceans to expand into Asia, establishing a regional base in China to combine low-cost supply chains with Australian technology and branding.
The longer-term goal is entry into the US and EU markets.
“Our aim is to transform the global aquarium industry and become the world’s first unicorn aquarium company,” Mr Brayford said.
• Charlie Gunningham has spent 25 years in WA’s startup sector, is on the WA government’s Innovation Advisory Board, and is chair of Startup WA
