OUR INVESTMENT THESIS
Seeding impact through seaweed.
We invest in startups with innovative technological solutions that elevate the sustainable seaweed value chain to address urgent and fundamental challenges in food security and our environment.
We also apply a gender lens, and care about improving the resilience of coastal communities.
Our world is facing an urgent triple threat.
Dwindling Water and Food Resources
Degraded Land
Accelerating
Climate Change
These pressures have intensified in recent years.
Our population continues to grow, but we have not been able to ensure access to safe, nutritious and sufficient food for everyone all year round.
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The recent years of the COVID-19 pandemic, wars and armed conflict, climate variability and extremes, rising prices of food, agricultural inputs and energy, and economic slowdowns and downturns have exacerbated the situation.
1in 3
people did not have access to adequate food in 2022.
600million
people will be chronically hungry or undernourished in 2030.
3.2billion
people could not afford a healthy diet, creating rising rates of obesity and related chronic illnesses.
Why Seaweed?
We believe seaweed, boosted by technology and innovation, could be the answer now, and in the long run, to these critical challenges.
This is especially true since seaweed is an investment in our ocean (ironically, the most underfunded UN Sustainable Development Goal). The ocean is the single greatest asset we have in the fight against climate change, generating 50% of the oxygen we need, absorbing 25% of all carbon dioxide emissions, and capturing 90% of the excess heat generated by these emissions.
That is why we are backing early-stage startups working on tech solutions in the sustainable seaweed value chain. Our focus spans across farming, processing, and value-added applications.
Along with food applications and neutraceuticals, our favorite seaweed-based products/ solutions include :
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01.
Biostimulants
Why do we love biostimulants? We believe that biostimulants promote healthy, stronger crops that can better weather the pressures of climate extremities, whose scale and intensity have been unprecedented until recent years. As a sustainable alternative to industrial fertilizers, biostimulants also contribute to healthy soils, which are essential for achieving climate neutrality, a clean and circular economy and stopping desertification and land degradation. Good soil health is also crucial to reverse biodiversity loss, provide healthy food and safeguard human health.
02.
Agrifeed
Why do we love agrifeed? Seaweed-based agrifeed helps reduce greenhouse gas emissions, whether by targeting the methane in bovine burbs, or improving the digestive health and efficiency of cattle and swine, hence reducing the emissions related to manure.
03.
Nature-based Solutions & Bioremediation
Why do we love nature-based solutions? Seaweeds are particularly powerful in absorbing the greenhouse gasses from the water. That means seaweed farms can help to combat local impacts of ocean acidification and marine biodiversity loss, restoring valuable coastal habitats.
HOW WE INVEST
We target risk-adjusted financial returns alongside measurable impact results for the environment and society.
Our investments seek to be catalytic and additional for the relatively young and high-risk sector of seaweed. This means we: ​
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Provide the capital needed to help sow the seeds and fill the investment gaps.
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Support the seaweed sector so it survives its early years.
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Plan to sustain the growth of the seaweed sector to scale and beyond.
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We invest globally with: ​
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A focus on early-stage companies.
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A select few exceptions in growth-stage companies.
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Aquaculture funds of funds.
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WHAT WE EXPECT
We accept higher risk investments in return for the promise of greater impact.
We expect our portfolio companies to: ​
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Embed impact in their business model.
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Post-investment: measure, set targets for, report and improve their impact results over the long run.
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HOW WE SUPPORT
We invest with capital, time, and energy.
​We provide non-financial support through:
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Networks and partnerships.
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Impact strategy, management, and reporting.
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Ecosystem building.
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Advocacy.
Our Impact Strategy
Our impact strategy encompasses the full lifecycle of every investment and of our portfolio. This means we assess for financial and impact potential and target returns across the entire investment cycle, from pipeline sourcing to exit.
1. Impact Investment Thesis
Identify opportunities in seaweed where commercial, technology and impact drivers converge.
Based on our target areas of change: food security, climate adaptation and mitigation, and resilient coastal communities.
2. Pipeline Development
Filter investments based on fit with impact thesis and financial returns profile.
3. Due Diligence
Analyze qualitative and quantitative impact and financial performance and projections.
4. Portfolio Management
Support, guide and engage with investee companies to measure, analyze, monitor and enhance their impact and value; as well as communicate their impact and report to investors.
5. Portfolio Exit
Ensure ongoing impact is sustained or maximized, post-exit.
The UN Sustainable Development Goals
(SDGs) we actively seek to address
The SDGs we contribute to as a result of our work
Measuring What Matters
We align our work with industry best practices and standards in impact measurement and reporting. We are also active members of leading industry groups.
Our Best Practice Alignment
Our Memberships
