Zivo Bioscience, a biotech/agtech R&D company engaged in the development of therapeutic, medicinal and nutritional product candidates derived from proprietary algal cultures, has provided an update on the commercialisation of Zivolife, its proprietary algal biomass as a food or food ingredient.
Following strong initial sales, ZWorldwide, an independent distributor with exclusive rights to the Zivolife product in North America, informed ZIVO that as part of its commercial agreement it will purchase the entire supply of Zivolife produced for the first 18 months.
Additionally, subject to certain contingencies, for each of the next five years including the commitment for the initial 18-month period, ZWorldwide has committed to purchasing at least 24,000 kilograms of product.
“With the successful introduction of Zivolife to the green powder market and sales agreements locked in, we are now actively working with ZWorldwide to drive commercial success and with our contract cultivation partner, Alimenta Algae, to increase production volumes. ZIVO has the know-how to cultivate our proprietary algal biomass in far greater volumes, and we are pursuing plans to increase capacity as rapidly as possible,” said John Payne, CEO and Chairman of ZIVO Bioscience.
Collaborating for production expansion
The proprietary ZIVO algae strain will initially find its application as a human dietary supplement, a source of high quality, non-animal nutrition, animal supplement and livestock feed additive, boosting productivity and overall health.
ZIVO is collaborating with Alimenta Algae to repurpose their prior microalgae facility into a larger and more efficient cultivation and processing facility that, once completed, is expected to have the ability to produce up to 100,000 kilograms of dried product per year.
With the successful introduction of Zivolife to the green powder market and sales agreements locked in, we are now actively working with ZWorldwide to drive commercial success and with our contract cultivation partner, Alimenta Algae, to increase production volumes
- John Payne, CEO and Chairman of ZIVO Bioscience
The new facility is anticipated to be fully operational in the second or third quarter of 2025.
Under the terms of its supply agreement, Alimenta has committed to ZIVO that it will make the necessary investments to the cultivation ponds and to downstream processing. Alimenta Algae is the microalgae subsidiary of Grupo Alimenta, a global, multi-generational, family-run agribusiness with headquarters in Lima, Peru.
“With the key elements of a commercial strategy in place, we now have a manufacturing plan that is capable of meeting the demand we’re projecting for Zivolife in this initial market entry. I am optimistic about the future of ZIVO and the consumer uptake of our algal biomass product. Increasing production volume, our primary focus, is a direct path to increasing sales, and we are delighted to announce the significant upgrades Alimenta will be making to their aquaculture facility,” added Payne.
What is Zivolife?
Zivolife is natural, non-GMO and a high source of plant-based protein, naturally occurring beta glucan and fibre.
ZIVO’s dried microalgae is a source of essential amino acids, polyphenols, iron, potassium and vitamins A, E and B12. Zivolife supports digestive and gut health and helps to support a healthy immune system. It has a mild taste compared with other microalgae and has been tested as shelf stable for up to two years.
Zivolife is 100% made from ZIVO’s proprietary microalgae and is cultivated at a single-source, sustainable aquaculture facility in the foothills of the Peruvian Andes Mountains using proprietary cultivation processes developed in partnership with ZIVO. The partnership has established quality-control testing at facilities in Ica, Peru, Ft. Myers, Florida and certified third-party laboratories. Zivolife will initially be available in limited quantities as ZIVO scales up production.