Seaweed-focused startup BioMara has secured USD $150k in investment to advance its unique fucoidan production process.
The company utilises its process to maximise the value of brown seaweed; isolating multiple healthy products from one biomass to reduce waste and boost production scalability.
By obtaining this investment, BioMara aims to help more companies within the supplement, food and cosmetics industries to gain access to price-competitive seaweed ingredients high in bioactives.
Harnessing the powers of fucoidan
Fucoidan, a long-chain polysaccharide commonly found in seaweed, is being increasingly recognised for its health benefits, which span across immune support and gut health — though the ingredient is also an excellent inflammatory agent.
As research reveals the potential of fucoidan as a nutraceutical, many raw ingredient manufacturers have begun devising ways to get the most out of seaweed without damaging its bioactive constituents.
To achieve this, BioMara has created a proprietary technology that retains fucoidan bioactivity and frees up other valuable compounds from brown seaweed, meaning that bioactive yield is increased while waste is minimised.
“This funding came at a Pivotal time for BioMara, as we start to build relationships with customers across a range of industries," commented the company's CEO, Jay Dignan. "We've had good deal of interest on our Seafibrex high-fibre ingredient, as well as our Thalivra and Revyntra fucoidan extracts, so now our focus is to build momentum,"
"By expanding production and increasing our sales revenue, we hope to make our business a success in the food and wellness markets," he noted.
The funding will also go towards building clinical evidence for BioMara's range of seaweed-based ingredients, as many supplement companies and consumers alike look for scientifically-backed, efficacious ingredients.
BioMara is currently achieving this through third party laboratories.
Since the company's launch in 2009, it has raised more than $655,000 in private funding and more than $756,000 in non-dilutive grant funding through innovation programmes.