Algenie

The Problem

We are simultaneously addressing the ever increasing need to farm food in a sustainable and efficient manner while addressing the problem of compromised water quality and elevated levels of carbon dioxide in our oceans. Additionally, we are seeking to use our product to develop livestock feeds (cattle specifically) that will aid in reducing the level of methane emissions. We believe that reducing greenhouse gas emissions is the most pressing conservation issue facing our society today and we are seeking novel ways to combat these emissions.

Our Proposal

We have developed a modular algae farm that we intend to use to farm algae and shellfish simultaneously. The result will be a sustainable, highly efficient aquaculture operation that aims at producing quality foods and reducing dissolved CO2 while improving water quality. We will be able to scale this operation drastically in order to produce the amount of outputs needed to make a real impact in this field. We also intend on partnering with farmers and other aquaculture operations who will be able to utilize our product. We have been looking into promising research that suggests that blending algae with livestock feed can reduce methane emissions from the livestock significantly.

We Assume that...

People will want to increase their consumption of seaweed and shellfish over time.

People care about where their food comes from, and if it is sustainably produced.

We assume that we will be able to obtain patents and protection of our IP.

We assume that we will be able to obtain permits in order to implement our product initially, and then scale up from there.

We assume other people will want to utilize our product if we can keep costs low.

Constraints to Overcome

The domestic algae aquaculture market as a whole is severely lacking when compared to Asian production. However, it seems that people are more willing to consume seaweed and seafood as tastes change and domestic consumers become more environmentally conscious, and start to care more about how their food wound up on their plate. We see this lack of production domestically as a potential constraint, but also as an opportunity for our company to serve as pioneers in the industry while capitalizing on first mover advantage.

Current Work

We hope to develop a product that will allow for the spread of algae-based aquaculture utilizing our modular, space efficient design for combined algae and bivalve growth, which we will first demonstrate through our own testing, development, and use, and then through licensing of our system in order to help spread small-scale aquaculture for profit and environmental restoration.

Current Needs

We would appreciate a stronger expertise in algae-growing methods - primarily, in regards to the conditions and nutrient requirements of multiple species of algae. We would also require starters for the algae, an initial starter for the bivalves. Our current cost are fairly low since our goal is to make our product extremely affordable, however we may need to purchase additional lighting equipment for our lab trials.