MiAlgae: Pioneers in omega-3 production from microalgae fermentation

Founded in 2016 and based in Edinburgh (Scotland), MiAlgae produces omega-3 (DHA) from microalgae fermentation, as a substitute to fish oil, using whisky wastewater as a feedstock.
By redesigning the sterilization process and aeration strategy, they have enabled low-pressure operations and lower cost construction materials, and therefore, dramatically reduced CAPEX by a third compared to main competitors using traditional pharma-like fermentation technology. OPEX are also optimized by using whisky wastewater as feedstock (other ingredients are in the process to be replaced by other waste streams) and allows them to be price competitive compared to traditional sources of omega3.

Meeting Growing Sustainability Demands

Today, there is a growing supply and demand gap for omega-3, which could represent a $9 billion unaddressed market by 2050 for salmon aquaculture alone. MiAlgae brings a low-cost yet pharma grade fermentation technology to produce omega-3 from microalgae. It is one of the only price-competitive and scalable technology to produce omega-3 we have identified so far and therefore could take a significant share of this market. Many other bioproducts (astaxanthin, proteins, …) are in shortage and are produced by fermentation technologies that have not been able to scale so far because of cost. MiAlgae could address these markets too.

Ocean Impact: Reducing the pressure on wild fish stocks

MiAlgae contributes to relieving the pressure on ocean overexploitation. Today, fish oil, which is virtually the unique source of DHA, comes half from whole wild fish and half from fish waste. The FAO states that while most whole fish used in the production of fishmeal and fish oil originates from well-managed resources, the sustainability of some fisheries remains of great concern, notably in Sub-Saharan Africa. In this region, a significant proportion of small pelagic fisheries are overexploited, and whole fish used for decades for direct human consumption are being redirected into production of marine ingredients, threatening the food security of the most vulnerable populations.