Masago Capelin Roe Supply Startup Costs: $791K Cash Need
Based on the researched plan, the masago roe supply startup cost is not just the $365,000 CAPEX for trucks, cold storage, machinery, lab equipment, portal development, and furniture Total funding need can reach about $791,000 in Month 2 because inventory, receivables, freight timing, payroll, compliance, and cold-chain operations must be financed before cash collections catch up The first operating year assumes $161 million in revenue, $506,000 in EBITDA, and breakeven in Month 2 Treat these ranges as researched planning assumptions for a US seafood distributor, not fixed market prices or guaranteed quotes
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Startup cost summary
Startup costs cover refrigerated equipment, processing gear, portal build, and excluded operating reserve for a masago roe distributor serving food service.
Highlighted CAPEX$340,000Base planning example
Excluded cash needs$791,000Outside CAPEX total
Funding need$1,131,000CAPEX + excluded cash needs
Cost Category
Base Estimate
Main Cost Driver
CAPEX Calculator
Refrigerated Delivery Truck Fleet
$120,000
Fleet size and refrigerated spec
Yes
Cold Storage Racking and Insulation
$45,000
Storage buildout and insulation scope
Yes
Packaging and Curing Machinery
$85,000
Processing line capacity and automation
Yes
Laboratory Testing Equipment
$30,000
Quality control and food safety testing scope
Yes
B2B E-commerce Portal Development
$60,000
Portal features and integration depth
Yes
Operating Reserve
$791,000
Month 2 cash runway, deposits, and receivables timing
No
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Estimates capitalized startup assets only, not working capital or operating costs.
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Scope limits This calculator includes capitalized startup assets only. It excludes inventory, freight deposits, payroll runway, receivables, debt service, working capital, licenses, and launch marketing, so those funding needs should be modeled separately.
Cold storage, delivery, and inventory depth change the cash need fast in this seafood business. Lean keeps fixed costs low, Base matches the model's $791,000 minimum cash need, and Full adds regional scale and more working capital.
Lean, Base, and Full launch cost comparison for masago supply.
Scenario
Lean LaunchLowest fixed risk
Base LaunchBalanced control
Full LaunchRegional scale
Launch model
Use third-party frozen storage, outsourced delivery, and a small opening inventory to keep CAPEX and fixed rent light.
Use owned cold storage, local delivery, and the model's core buildout to balance control and cash use.
Add owned logistics, deeper freezer capacity, stronger lab controls, and more sales coverage to support regional distribution.
Typical setup
Keep owned equipment limited and avoid long route commitments until order flow is steady.
Start with the $365,000 source CAPEX, $23,000 monthly fixed overhead before payroll, $445,000 Year 1 payroll, and $791,000 minimum cash need.
Build for wider route density, more inventory depth, and higher service levels from the start.
Cost drivers
third-party frozen storage
opening inventory
outsourced delivery
order frequency
customer credit terms
owned CAPEX
monthly fixed overhead
payroll
inventory turns
customer credit terms
route density
freezer capacity
owned logistics
lab controls
sales headcount
Planning rangeCAPEX only
Below base caseLower cash need
$791,000Core buildout
Above base caseHigher capital need
Best fit
This fits founders testing demand in one metro and protecting cash.
This fits operators who want direct control over service levels and a standard launch plan.
This fits operators targeting multi-city distribution and enough volume to use owned infrastructure efficiently.
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Planning note: These ranges are researched planning assumptions, not vendor quotes; one scenario will not fit every US market.
How do you fund a masago supply business?
If you’re starting Masago Capelin Roe Supply, build the funding plan around the $791,000 Month 2 minimum cash need, not just the $365,000 CAPEX. That target should also cover inventory buys, pre-opening setup, payroll runway, freight timing, insurance and compliance deposits, and slow receivables. In this model, Year 1 revenue is $161 million, EBITDA is $506,000, break-even hits in Month 2, and payback is 13 months.
Start-up cash uses
$365,000 CAPEX first
Then fund inventory purchases
Cover payroll runway early
Hold cash for freight timing
Operating math
100% raw roe sourcing
35% processing materials
40% cold-chain freight
20% commissions and fees
Here’s the quick math: those cost lines leave the model tight, so lenders will care more about cash runway and inventory turns than revenue alone. Keep the structure covenant-ready by showing enough cash to bridge receivables and freight lag, plus clear monthly inventory turnover assumptions.
How much money do you need to start a masago supply business?
You need about $791,000 to start Masago Capelin Roe Supply safely, not just the $365,000 CAPEX equipment plan; see the owner economics in How Much Does Owner Make From Masago Capelin Roe Supply?. The model shows $1.61 million Year 1 revenue, $506,000 EBITDA, break-even in Month 2, and payback in 13 months.
Startup cash need
$365,000 for CAPEX and buildout
Cold storage, trucks, machinery, lab setup
Systems, insurance, regulatory costs
Initial masago inventory and freight timing
Cash risk
$23,000/month fixed overhead before payroll
$445,000 Year 1 payroll
Accounts receivable can delay cash collection
Payment terms and inventory turns can raise need
What hidden costs come with starting a masago supply business?
Starting a Masago Capelin Roe Supply business needs much more cash than the buildout alone. The model shows $791,000 minimum cash in Month 2 versus $365,000 of CAPEX (capital spending), because deposits, freight timing, cold storage, spoilage, and slow restaurant payments hit cash first; see What Does It Cost To Run Masago Capelin Roe Supply?. One clean warning: $23,000 in fixed monthly costs before payroll and $445,000 in Year 1 wages can squeeze cash even when sales look fine.
Hidden cash drains
Supplier deposits lock cash early.
Minimum order quantities raise upfront buys.
Freight timing hits before revenue.
Cold storage and monitoring keep running.
Runway pressure points
Spoilage allowances and replacement credits matter.
Insurance deposits add startup cash need.
Receivables from restaurants can lag payment.
Compliance records add cost and admin time.
Key Takeaways
Separate freezer buildout CAPEX from monthly storage rent.
Inventory cash need rises with slow flavored turns.
Verify seafood licensing and recall coverage before launch.
Systems, payroll, and training need separate runway.
Masago Capelin Roe Supply Core Five Startup Costs
Cold Storage And Freezer Setup Startup Expense
Cold room fit
Frozen roe needs a site that can hold $6,500 a month in cold storage rent, plus a lease deposit and utility setup. Check loading access, pallet racking, insulation, freezer capacity, temperature logging, backup monitoring, and power redundancy before you sign. If the room cannot keep records and cutoffs clean, freshness slips fast.
CAPEX split
Keep buildout cost separate from monthly burn. The stated facility CAPEX is $45,000 for cold storage racking and insulation, but the quote should tie to pallet positions, number of stock keeping units (SKUs), pallet turns, delivery cutoffs, storage volume, and required monitoring records. Rent and utilities sit outside CAPEX.
Lower cash burn
Leasing cold space, building a freezer area, or using third-party frozen storage changes the cash need. Lease when you need speed, build only if volume is steady, and outsource if order flow is still thin. The main drivers are storage volume, SKU count, pallet turns, and delivery cutoff times.
Timing risk
Do not lock the plan until the landlord and state rules are clear. Some sites need more time for insulation, loading access, and power work, and that can move launch dates. Keep temperature logs, backup monitoring, and power redundancy in scope from day one, because one outage can damage frozen product fast.
Initial Masago Inventory Startup Expense
Stock Cash
This is not CAPEX. Initial masago inventory is working cash that sits in frozen stock, then becomes accounts receivable after sale. Using Year 1 demand of 32,000 units, product cost at 100% of revenue is about $1.61M (20,000×$45 + 5,000×$55 + 4,000×$60 + 3,000×$65); processing materials at 35% add $563.5K if bought upfront.
Size the Buy
Start with the opening mix: 20,000 orange units at $45, 5,000 black at $55, 4,000 wasabi at $60, and 3,000 yuzu at $65. Then layer in supplier minimum order quantities, domestic or import terms, frozen freight timing, safety stock, spoilage allowance, and replacement credits. Faster turns cut cash need.
Match MOQ to each flavor.
Track freight cutoffs weekly.
Limit safety stock by turn.
Trim Waste
Keep slow flavored inventory light. Orange turns should fund the bigger buy; small wasabi and yuzu runs can sit longer and raise freezer, spoilage, and write-off risk. Use tighter reorder points, shorter import lead times, and vendor replacement credits where possible. One clean rule: fresh turns beat deep stock.
Buy to sell-through, not pride.
Hold less of slow flavors.
Use credits for bad cases.
Timing Gap
With cold freight and B2B terms, cash leaves before cash comes back. That gap is the real startup strain, not just the invoice. If a case sits too long in the freezer, you pay twice: storage cost now and write-off risk later. Keep buffer stock small enough to move before quality slips.
Seafood Distribution Compliance And Insurance Startup Expense
Compliance Cost
For frozen seafood, treat compliance as a budget line, not legal advice. A working model uses $3,500 per month for insurance and regulatory compliance, plus $30,000 for lab equipment and $2,200 per month for QC lab maintenance. The real cost depends on state rules, sourcing, repacking, labeling, and customer demands.
What It Covers
This bucket can include state wholesale seafood licensing, food facility obligations, importer duties if product comes from outside the United States, HACCP planning, traceability records, temperature logs, liability insurance, and product recall coverage. Here’s the quick math: the monthly run rate is $5,700 before any extra state-specific or import costs.
How To Control Cost
Keep the scope tight at launch. If you are only storing and reselling sealed product, costs are usually lighter than if you handle or repack seafood, since HACCP and extra testing can add more overhead. Ask the state agency early, get quotes, and verify license needs with qualified food safety counsel before launch.
Launch Check
Track the rules by state, not by guesswork. If your model changes from simple wholesale to repacking or importing, the compliance load can change fast, so build in time for licensing, recordkeeping, and recall readiness before you book first inventory.
Systems And Staffing Readiness Startup Expense
Launch control stack
For launch, budget $60,000 CAPEX for the B2B portal and $1,800 a month for ERP and inventory software. That stack should handle lot tracking, temperature records, invoicing, route coordination, and customer ordering, so ops stays tight from day one. The key test is simple: if the system cannot trace a lot fast, it is not ready.
Build cost shape
The portal build covers sales materials, ordering, and workflow setup, while the monthly software pays for control after go-live. Use one CAPEX quote for development, then add 12 months of software in the runway model. That keeps systems spend split cleanly: fixed build cost upfront, then recurring operating cost.
Quote the portal build first.
Model software for 12 months.
Keep controls tied to lots.
Staffing runway
Year 1 payroll is $445,000 for the Chief Executive Officer at $160,000, Supply Chain and Logistics Manager at $95,000, Quality Assurance Specialist at $80,000, and B2B Sales Director at $110,000. The account coordinator starts in Month 13, so don’t fold that role into Year 1 cash need.
Operating spend
Add $4,000 a month for marketing and trade shows, but keep it tied to customer acquisition, not broad brand spend. Here’s the quick math: $60,000 CAPEX plus $21,600 annual software plus $48,000 marketing before payroll. If hiring slips, cash burn drops; if training runs long, launch timing slips too.
Refrigerated Delivery And Cold-Chain Logistics Startup Expense
Fleet CAPEX
Use $120,000 as fixed CAPEX for a refrigerated truck fleet when routes are dense and repeat often. Owned trucks make sense with a tight delivery radius, high stop count, and steady restaurant orders, but the budget still needs fuel, maintenance, loading access, and backup coverage when a vehicle breaks down.
Per-order freight
Model cold-chain freight and logistics at 40% of revenue, separate from the truck fleet. Estimate it from route density, delivery radius, stop count, fuel, maintenance, and labor per drop. If orders are small and spread out, the per-order cost climbs fast, so this line can become the biggest operating drag.
Lean launch
Leased vans, courier partnerships, third-party cold storage, and frozen fulfillment fit a lean launch because they keep cash out of fleet CAPEX. The tradeoff is less control, so require temperature records, proof of delivery, and clear replacement rules. Missed drops get expensive fast when product spoils or a customer rejects a warm case.
Delivery controls
Set backup delivery options before launch. A second carrier, a spare route, or nearby cold storage can limit failed delivery costs and protect recurring restaurant accounts. Owned trucks work best when repeat stops and tight delivery windows justify the fixed asset; otherwise, outsourced logistics usually keeps the first budget lighter.
