Algae biotech launches on a mission to tackle climate change

This innovative design dramatically improves efficiency and scalability, with the potential to reduce production costs by a factor of ten, bringing them down towards $1 per kilogram of algae.

“Algae offers immense potential to address climate change and transform multiple industries, but until now, scalable and economical production has remained elusive,” said Nick Hazell, CEO and Founder of Algenie.

“Our helix design and technology is a true breakthrough, paving the way for algae-based solutions to become economically competitive with and ultimately replace traditional fossil fuel-based products,” said Nick Hazell, CEO and Founder of Algenie.

Algenie is collaborating closely with UTS as its research partner, leveraging the university’s researchers, including Associate Professor Mathieu Pernice, and the biological resources and automation equipment within C3 to rapidly develop and optimise algae strains. 

Unlocking algae production 

Algenie’s photobioreactor system features a continuous process where algae flows down a channel shaped into a continuous helix. Advanced LEDs provide optimal lighting conditions, driving rapid growth. 
 
This innovative, patented design enables some algae species to double in quantity every 2-3 hours under ideal conditions.  
 
That will be enough to produce 100 tonnes per year in a space the size of a shipping container – the equivalent of 2.5 million soft drink bottles with carbon-positive materials – or 10,000 tonnes per year in a hectare-sized field, 3000 times more efficiently than conventional soy or corn crops. 

The continuous harvesting process at the bottom of the helix ensures constant production, making Algenie’s system significantly more productive and cost-effective than traditional methods.  

The helix winds, roughly 70cm in width, is able to produce one tonne of algae annually per unit. Algenie’s photobioreactor represents a major leap forward in scalable, sustainable algae cultivation technology. 

Strong investor support

The startup has attracted strong interest from early investors, securing $1.1 million in funding from UTS, Better Bite Ventures, and strategic investors. 

“We’re thrilled to be the first investors in Algenie, a company with the potential to re-invent algae production, in the process of sequestering carbon at gigaton scales,” said Simon Newstead, Founding Partner at Better Bite Ventures. 

“We got to know Nick through the APAC food tech ecosystem and believe his visionary leadership and deep technical expertise are perfect for this grand challenge – one that can unlock a range of climate-friendly applications from food to fuels and plastics. 

“We’re incredibly proud that Algenie’s innovative approach to algae cultivation is taking forward research by UTS’s Professor Peter Ralph and Professor Long Nghiem to develop an optimised system for carbon absorption and low-energy harvesting of algae,” said UTS Acting Deputy Vice-Chancellor of Research Professor Chris Turney.  

“By combining our biotech know-how with Algenie’s production technology, together we’re accelerating the development of an algae tech platform that could play a crucial role in mitigating climate change and creating sustainable products for a sustainable future.”

The global market potential for Algenie’s technology is substantial, with applications ranging from biofuels to sustainable plastics, textiles, and fish aquaculture. The company plans to license its technology and collaborate with partners to co-invest in large-scale production infrastructure.