Qualitas lands US$12.5M and forms European partnerships in algae expansion drive

25 Mar 2021 --- Algae player Qualitas Health has raised US$12.5 million in a series A funding round. It is now partnering with Grupo Indukern and Gullspång Re:food to boost manufacture and distribution of its algae protein products.

“The funding and partnerships will be pivotal in leading the company’s future expansion,” Miguel Calatayud, CEO of Qualitas Health, tells NutritionInsight.

“The will allow us to accelerate our plan and take our protein platform to the next level. Moreover, it is pivotal because of how strategic each of the new partners is for different aspects of our company.” 

“This will help us to accelerate our plan and take our protein platform to the next level,” he asserts.

Qualitas offers algae products via its Iwi protein brand and will be launching a new range of marine-based protein products in 2022. 

Iwi algae is grown on non-arable land in the desert of Texas.Protein partners 
Calatayud says that Sweden-based Gullspang Re:food will bring needed expertise to Qualitas’ plans.  

“They are experts in sustainable food-tech and they have decades of experience in food manufacturing, innovation, branding and distribution. They have an extraordinary reputation in the industry,” says Calatayud.

“They can help with the positioning and scaling of the Iwi brand and can bring strategic alliances and partnerships for our sustainable, plant-based protein.”

Spain-based Grupo Indukern, a family-run chemical and supplement business, will help Qualtas gain recognition in the protein market. 

“It is an international group, successful in pharma, food solutions and animal health. It will be a strategic partner in our new clinical studies, new regulatory processes and the development of final applications for our protein. They are also the perfect partner for iwi’s expansion in Europe,” continues Calatayud. 

Algae on the rise 
Qualitas’ Iwi brand products are sourced from Nannochloropsis algae, boasting “the full complement” of essential amino acids and vital nutrients. 

“Our protein contains all the essential amino acids and each of them meets or exceeds the FAO recommended amount, and we have more total essential amino acids than egg and whey, considered gold standards in protein,” says Calatayud. 

Iwi protein also has the highest content of branched-chain amino acids, which is used for building muscles. Qualitas maintains that there are currently no similar protein products on the market.

“Our highly bioavailable plant-based protein is soluble in water and is very mild in terms of texture, flavor and aroma,” he notes.

“Target markets for this sustainable, marine-source algae protein include personalized nutrition, high-performance sport nutrition products and adult nutrition for protein deficiencies.”

Innova Market Insights recently pegged “Tailored to Fit” as a top trend for 2021, highlighting the importance of personalized nutrition. 

By Louis Gore-Langton