Marine supercrops: Yemoja CEO underscores “untapped” potential of microalgae

06 Apr 2020 --- Microalgae is an untapped area, with applications including weight management, fatty liver disease, eye health and UV protection. This is according to Eyal Shalmon, CEO of Yemoja, who speaks to NutritionInsight about the start-up’s new platform for cultivating customized, pharmaceutical grade microalgae on demand. By using a unique, high-precision fast-track photobioreactor technology, the company can produce a variety of pure algae at any scale and in a short time.

“Yemoja’s production system is modular and designed to be easily scaled up. It will take us a couple of months to increase our current output by two, three or even more times. We are planning to do this as sales are progressing. We will target North America, Europe and Japan, for both the cosmetic and nutraceutical industries,” states Shalmon.

The cultivated microalgae can be tailored to desired nutritional compounds and functionalities. Additionally, Yemoja provides algae-centered ingredients standardized to any bioactive compound or algae extract encompassing fucoxanthins, polysaccharides, xanthophylls, carotenoids, enzymes and more. The company is currently moving into its second round of funding, having already raised US$4 million in seed funds and investments from the Israel Innovation Authority.

Shalmon states that the extracts can be used as an active ingredient in sectors from cosmetics to food supplements. “They also achieve high concentrations of bioactives in comparison to other sources, while some are known for being the best natural antioxidants. Additionally, many species are yet to be explored,” he maintains.

“There is a vast ocean of microalgae species not yet discovered and only a dozen or so are commercially available,” Shalmon states. “The market is still in the early stages of tapping into the immense potential of these marine ‘supercrops.’ Our mission is to boost the entire microalgae value chain with new varieties and yields, and bring them to the mainstream of high-end nutraceutical food and cosmeceutical spheres with additional formulations in the pipeline.”

Microalgae are sunlight-driven, single-celled factories and highly resilient and versatile by nature, emphasizes Amikam Bar-Gil, CTO and Co-Founder of Yemoja. “They also are a powerful source of natural, vegan, bioactive ingredients. Our approach serves to create pure, sustainable microalgae-derived products of the highest quality, which can be naturally adapted into any desired matrix.”

Shalmon expects that the B2B company’s clients will launch their products at some point this year. He states that in some cases, microalgae can also tap into the clean label trend. “It addresses the increasing demand for active, natural ingredients and is sustainably sourced,” he affirms.

Algal oil has previously been spotlighted as a potential “future food,” thanks in part to its high protein and polyunsaturated fatty acids contents. 

Yemoja’s super-intensive cultivation methodology overcomes many of the industry’s hurdles.Overcoming industry hurdles
The company states that its super-intensive cultivation methodology overcomes many of the industry’s hurdles. These include compositional homogeneity, scalability and contamination proofing. The contaminant-free closed cultivation system maintains absolute control of key parameters such as temperature, pH, light and CO2 emissions, as well as allowing for the simultaneous growth of multiple species in a very tightly controlled environment. Although it has not yet been tested at industrial scale, the technology could also fit another microorganism. 

Discussing the Israel-based company’s obstacles, Shalmon notes that it was challenging to combine biology with industrial needs. Other obstacles included creating a facility that is easily scalable and can also present receptiveness, constant and homogeneousness yield and bioactive content in each and every batch. 

“To achieve this, we have built a facility with many photobioreactor units. The units have size optimization, which can be fully controlled along the process to prevent contamination,” Shalmon explains.

Weighing in on the unfolding COVID-19 pandemic, Shalmon is confident of Yemoja’s stability. “In general, we think that nutraceuticals markets have not been affected by COVID-19. On the contrary, we hear that finished goods producers are stocking up with inventory. Since we grow our own strains, we are able to fully control our supply chain and guarantee clean, trusted ingredients.”

Last week, NutritionInsight heard from Prinova that supply chain disruption for many supplements is set to continue. “We are now seeing a new challenge, with India in lockdown. Shipments have been delayed and despite seaports being open, there is not the workforce to allow for the movement of goods to take place,” said Managing Director Nic Dam.

Meanwhile, Cardax is seeking strategic collaborations to develop astaxanthin for the treatment of COVID-19. According to the company, astaxanthin may hold promise for boosting the immune system and reducing the extreme inflammatory response that may lead to severe respiratory complications in subjects with the coronavirus. 

In light of these rapid developments NutritionInsight has launched a daily news feed for the coronavirus-related information and insights you need to guide your business through this challenging period.

By Katherine Durrell