$1.4 million to scale algae biotechnology

Algenie’s first market is aquaculture, where the first commercial pilots are underway. From there the platform expands into high-value ingredients, and at scale into fuels and bioplastics. Thirteen letters of intent already span these verticals.

“What we are really building is a sovereign feedstock platform,” Mr Hazell added.

“Every country has a different feedstock pain point. Algae, grown on renewable energy, optimised by AI, in the right hardware. That is the universal answer. Australia has a real shot at putting its biggest resource to work. Sunshine.”

Algenie builds on cutting-edge research from UTS that has built patented algae bioreactors that centre on a novel helix shape that can grow algae to its maximum biological potential.

““Algae can be a very powerful solution to capture a lot of carbon from the atmosphere,” said Assocaite Professor Mathieu Pernice, chief biologist with Algenie and deputy director of the UTS Climate Change Cluster.

“That solid carbon in the form of algae can then be the raw material used to manufacture a whole range of products including feedstock, fuels, plastics, food, medicines or clothing.”