Potato Impact Partners invests in Coast 4C’s oversubscribed US$2.5 million seed round to scale smallholder seaweed farming in Southeast Asia

Tessa Charupatanapongse and Bernice Tang of Potato Impact Partners with members of the Coast 4C team and seaweed farmers in the Philippines.

Potato Impact Partners is pleased to announce our follow-on investment in the US$2.5 million seed round of Coast 4C, a Philippine-based company building the world’s largest supply of quality, responsibly sourced regenerative tropical seaweed. The round was led by Hatch Blue’s Blue Revolution Fund. Potato Impact Partners co-invested alongside Conservation International Ventures, elea, RS Group, Minderoo Foundation, Kibo Invest, and Azulito Fund. 

Over 70% of Southeast Asia live along the coastlines, where seaweed farming serves as a key supplemental or primary source of income in coastal communities. The Philippines and Indonesia in Southeast Asia are among the top global producers of seaweed. The region also supplies the majority of the world's carrageenan, a seaweed-derived ingredient used across food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals. However, the local seaweed supply chains remain fragmented across informal networks, limiting quality, consistency, and farmer income.

Through their GROW program, Coast 4C provides farmers with technical support, improved inputs, and market access to produce high-quality red seaweed for processors worldwide. The model also supports marine ecosystem health through regenerative farming practices and community-managed protected areas. Coast 4C also equips coastal communities with growth strategies they need to sell quality seaweed at competitive price points, thus serving the financial needs of both farmers and buyers.

"The successful completion of the funding round marks a pivotal moment for Coast 4C. We will use the proceeds from the seed round to reach breakeven ahead of a Series A round, driving scale initially within Southeast Asia before expanding into other regions. We also plan to expand our farmer network across coastal communities and complete the rollout of our digital farm management and traceability platform,” said Nick Hill, Founder & CEO of Coast 4C. 

Potato Impact Partners’s follow-on investment represents our continued commitment to backing Coast 4C to build economically and environmentally regenerative farmer communities in the Philippines and improve their livelihoods. 

Coast 4C’s GROW program in the Philippines transitions farmer communities from traditional to more regenerative farming practices.

“More than a year has passed since we first invested in Coast 4C. Their oversubscribed round is testament to the company’s success in enabling smallholder seaweed farmers to increase productivity and earnings, through connecting them with global corporate buyers demanding consistent, quality supply,” said Bernice Tang, Director, Impact Investments and Strategy at Potato Impact Partners. “We are thrilled to continue to support Nick and his team in their journey, alongside our existing and new co-investors.”

Coast 4C also secured a grant to help fund the legal costs of the transaction from the Blue Carbon Action Partnership—an initiative hosted by the World Economic Forum and supported by the UK Government’s COAST programme—which collaborated with the Asia Pacific (APAC) Community of 1000 Ocean Startups for the shortlist. 

The round was announced at the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly during London Climate Week —co-hosted by the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthropies—where Coast 4C is participating. Coast 4C was a 2024 finalist of the Earthshot Prize, launched by Prince William in 2020 to accelerate innovative solutions to the world's greatest environmental challenges.

Potato Impact Partners (PIP) is an impact investor spurring positive contributions to food security, climate action, and the resilience of coastal communities through investments in sustainable seaweed innovation.