Israeli start-up kicks off industrial scale microalgae production with minimal footprint

03 Jun 2020 --- Marine ingredient start-up Yemoja has opened the doors of its new plant dedicated to the production of low carbon footprint microalgae. The Israeli supplier cultivates microalgae customized to fit functional food applications, among other commercial uses. Yemoja has brought production up to speed to meet the new volume of orders emanating predominantly from the global food and nutraceutical sector.

“Currently we have the capacity to serve our sales projection for the next 12 months. We are planning to double out the capacity mid 2021 and will increase the capacity again in late 2022,” Eyal Shalmon, CEO of Yemoja, tells FoodIngredientsFirst. “At the moment, we are aiming our products to food supplements applications, with a planned pipeline of baby foods and sport nutrition applications.”

“Generally speaking, the awareness for the potential microalgae-based ingredients is increasing sharply. This is due to high bioavailability, a wide variety of algae species and the in-depth science behind this segment. We believe we are going to see more and more advanced R&D around microalgae in mid-term,” he adds.

Yemoja utilizes a unique facility housing high-precision, fast-track photobioreactor technology, which it says is a “new gold standard” for microalgae production and sustainability. Indoor cultivation operates in a next-generation, closed, contaminant-free system that maintains absolute control of key parameters such as temperature, pH, light and CO2 emissions with capabilities to produce a broad spectrum of pure algae and in a very tightly controlled environment.

“We built a ‘green’ factory in which we can create and maintain the ultimate conditions for any known microalgae species, yet with zero dependence on external environment and weather,“ explains Erez Ashkenazi, COO and Co-Founder of Yemoja. “Our indoor system generates exceptional yields with proven reproducibility on a very small plot of land and using minimal resources.”

Microalgae continues to gain market traction in 2020.Shrinking the algae footprint
The company operates a small batch production line structured in a visually intriguing arrangement of vertical luminescent columns known as “illis.” Each ille is allocated to a specific algae species, is completely closed off and isolated from other units to prevent any cross-contamination. This facilitates the simultaneous and continuous production of a variety of algae-derived products that can meet the specific requests of customers, maintaining their individualized control irrespective of batch volume.

“Our unique site runs on recycled water and minimal energy. The exploitation of artificial light for photosynthesis limits the need for cooling,” notes Ashkenazi. “We meticulously designed the site to meet the highest standards of operational efficiency in order to minimize environmental impact leaving only a tiny carbon footprint. Our specialty ingredients are cultivated in a chemical-free, all-natural process, with a full respect of our natural habitat.”

The start-up set up its first pilot facility in 2017. Following a series of successful proof-of-concept trials in 2018 and a fruitful seed round, Yemoja decided last year to move on to the next phase of opening a first fully fledged manufacturing plant. A few weeks ago, the plant began rolling out microalgae production on industrial scale to meet the new influx of demand.

Microalgae for macro applications
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 recently spoke to FoodIngredientsFirst’s sister platform 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.

“Recently, we have received heightened interest in our external polysaccharide sulphate (EPS) Porphyridium cruentum due largely to increased global demand” says Shalmon. “The polysaccharide has been investigated for its ability to be merged into various biotechnological applications and industry disciplines.”

Yemoja has also teamed up with the Migal Galilee Research Institute and various European bodies to forward the Horizon 2020 project looking into the long-term development and synthesis of novel algae-based small molecules for functional food and supplements targeting Inflammatory Bowel Disease. Two weeks ago, the project was given the green light to enter its next phase of development.

Microalgae continues to gain market traction in 2020. Last March, Dutch chlorella producer and microalgae wholesaler Duplaco made significant investments to increase production by 20 times. The company reports it is positioned to become the largest algae producer in Europe and a global player in novel solutions for world food shortages of plant-based protein sources.

In February, a Danish project received a DKK 750,000 (US$108,600) grant to investigate the opportunities of using microalgae as a sustainable protein source. Danish Food Innovation – part of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science’s innovation program – has provided the funding, which could see microalgae popping up as an ingredient in plant-based burgers, for example.

Meanwhile, trending shades of color blue on the market has led to an increased demand for algae ingredients, such as spirulina. Spirulina is a blue-green algae, valued for its coloring and nutritional properties and is widely and safely consumed globally. Tapping into this trend, GNT developed a new range of blue powders derived from spirulina with a significantly high color intensity. 

By Benjamin Ferrer