Report: Investment in Seaweed Industry Sees Major Growth

Research by Phyconomy has shown that a vibrant seaweed industry is emerging outside of Asia, and investors are taking notice. The industry saw the number of investment deals double in 2021, from 17 to 34, and the amount invested has grown by 36% to $168 million.

While these numbers are small compared to fish and shrimp aquaculture investment, the upward trend is distinct. The number of seed rounds grew from 12 to 20, and the number of Series A or B jumped from 1 to 9, which shows the seaweed industry is beginning to break out of its hatchling stage.

The startups that garnered the biggest rounds in 2021 included Norwegian biorefinery Alginor ($33M) and Australia’s Sea Forest ($26M), tackling livestock methane emissions. Rounding out the top five were New Wave Foods ($18M – plant-based shrimp), Ocean’s Halo ($16M – seaweed snacks), and Notpla ($13.5M – bioplastics).

Other report highlights:

• While traditional venture capital firms are starting to discover seaweed, impact investors are still overrepresented in the space
• Europe has the most vibrant seaweed startup ecosystem, but North American startups find it easier to attract capital
• The number of new seaweed startups has grown by 50% in the past two years
• The midstream of the value chain is still underserved: processing and distribution is a field that is lacking innovators and entrepreneurs.

As a crop that doesn’t use land, fresh water or fertilizer but instead takes up CO2 and excess nutrients from the ocean, seaweed is billed as the biomass of the future, with applications in food, feed, pharmaceuticals, textiles, personal care, soil health, construction, packaging, energy, carbon sequestration, and bioremediation.

“Seaweed is an important part of the earth’s ecosystem, and it has the potential to be a powerful tool to absorb carbon emissions and slow warming,” said Frances Wang, program manager of carbon dioxide removal for ClimateWorks Foundation, which supported the report. “Phyconomy’s report illuminates how resources are flowing to this burgeoning industry, which has important implications for the development of seaweed as a climate solution.”

For detailed analysis, read Phyconomy’s State of the Industry 2022: https://phyconomy.net/state-of-the-industry-2022/

About Phyconomy

Phyconomy is an information portal for the seaweed industry. Established in 2020 to track the emerging seaweed economy, Phyconomy aims to support the industry’s advancement by improving the information flow: researching, analysing, organising, and sharing knowledge.

Source

Phyconomy, press release, 2022-01-17.

Supplier

Alginor
Notpla
Ocean's Halo
Phyconomy
Sea Forest

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