Ten international startups will present their seaweed-based food and packaging innovations during the Seaweed Innovation Event on June 8.
For eight weeks, seaweed startups from all over the world had the opportunity to submit their pitch as part of the North Sea Farmers Seaweed Innovation Challenge. They received 30 entries, covering a wide range of categories from 13 different countries, including the Netherlands, Germany, the United States, the UK, Norway, Denmark, Mexico and many others. Together with the jury members from Amazon, Nestlé, Colruyt Group and DS Smith and Brave New Food, ten ambitious start-ups have been selected that will take the stage during the event.
Eef Brouwers, Operations Manager and co-founder of North Sea Farmers, responds to the entries:
“It was a fun and exciting process to find and recruit 30 new seaweed solutions. I am really impressed by the innovative companies and the wide range of sustainable food and packaging products. There is great value and potential for what they have to offer the industry and the world. Although only 10 startups will pitch as finalists at the event, the other 20 companies are also attracting interest from our jury and the business community. I hope this challenge will be useful to them all, and personally I can't wait to see the finalists pitch live on stage!”
The finalists:
BettaF!sh from Germany makes plant-based tuna made from seaweed that looks like tuna, tastes like tuna, works like tuna, but “doesn't cost a fortune.” Although there are thousands of species of seaweed, we currently only grow five in Europe. Their goal is to invest in research and development to start and scale up production of these other species so that they can develop seaweed-based alternatives for all food categories.
B'ZEOS is a Norwegian green technology company that develops new bio-based packaging solutions. Their products are 100% seaweed-based, biodegradable, and home-compostable. The seaweed pellets can be converted into a range of packaging solutions such as boxes, bags, and coatings. Their production technologies utilize energy-efficient processes and avoid the use of hazardous chemicals.
Dutch Seaweed Group claims to produce Europe's first organic wakame salad from the Netherlands. This local product not only has high nutritional value but also contributes to reduced CO2 emissions – due to local production – and to increased biodiversity thanks to nearshore cultivation. This company, founded in 2020, is looking for new partners open to collaborating with their locally and organically grown seaweed.
Dutch Weed Burger claims to make the best burger in the world, for the planet – from seaweed. 100% plant-based and packed with protein. These food rebels are staging a mutiny in the fast food industry by showing politicians, big corporations, NGOs, farmers, and consumers that new opportunities lie ahead that are nourishing for nature, animals, and humanity.
FlexSea from the UK is a startup redefining the bioplastics industry with scalable seaweed-based solutions for the problem of plastic packaging waste. They produce a wide range of seaweed-based packaging applications, varying from soft to hard, opaque to crystal clear. Moreover, FlexSea is 100% edible, opening up an entirely new and undiscovered world of innovative packaging applications.
Kelpi is a UK-based material innovation company that replaces single-use plastics with high-quality bioplastics utilizing the novel properties and environmental benefits of seaweed. Their bioplastic packaging is home-compostable and sea-safe, meaning it breaks down easily within a year after use and leaves no toxins behind.
Oceanium is perhaps the odd one out among the 10 finalists. This UK-based company produces OCEAN INK, a water-based product made from seaweed fibers with biodegradable polymers for packaging and textile applications. Their mission, “Kelp the world,” resonates with the jury. Moreover, the prospect that we could one day replace traditional ink with seaweed-based ink is very stimulating and motivating!
Olijck Foods is a Dutch food company offering two unique brands in which seaweed plays the leading role: Meat-You-Halfway (hybrid food products with only 50% meat) and Sea Veggies (plant-based food products). Their ambition is to convince you, with taste and awe, to take steps in the protein transition. So, from animal-based to more plant-based food, with all the benefits for our climate.
Seaweed & Co. produces sustainable and innovative PureSea seaweed ingredients in the UK. PureSea is 100% natural, sustainable, and wild-harvested from pristine waters to guarantee extremely high quality, and comes in formats that are easy to use and commercially viable for any food or nutrition application. Their goal is to intrigue, educate, and advise manufacturers, brands, and consumers about the benefits of seaweed.
Seaweed Food Solutions from the Netherlands specializes in processing and using seaweed for the food industry. For this challenge, they are presenting a plant-based sparerib made from seaweed and jackfruit. The innovative snack is said to be 'juicy, savory, meaty, and even better than the original!'
Source: northseafarmers.org
