Inside Seaweed

About

This is the podcast where we talk about the incredible world of seaweed and how this growing industry is bringing innovation and solutions to address climate change and the environmental crisis.

Fed DeGobbi

11 Episodes

04/16/2024 | 73 MINS

#25: Rootless with Sachi Singh - The health benefits and composition of seaweed, thyroid health and sex hormones, creating a habit-forming product.

Sachi Singh is the Founder and CEO of Rootless. With a decade of experience in international climate change solutions and a Masters in Environmental Management from Yale University, Sachi is... more

Sachi Singh is the Founder and CEO of Rootless. With a decade of experience in international climate change solutions and a Masters in Environmental Management from Yale University, Sachi is well aware of what we’re collectively up against. In seaweed, she found hope! Seaweed is one of the most nutritious foods on the planet, and actively regenerates the environment in which it is grown. Yet, most of us don't eat it on a daily basis. Sachi is trying to change that with Rootless and its hero product, The Daily Bite. Since their debut in 2022, The Daily Bites have been helping women and people support hormone health, sustain all-day energy, and nurture their gut health. Today, Sachi is on a mission to build a better food system while empowering millions of women to reclaim their health and feel good about their bodies during major hormonal transitions, including menopause, pregnancy, and beyond - all through seaweed.

Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠

Timestamps:

0:00:00 - Intro

0:02:14 - Sachi's turning point towards seaweed

0:06:22 - Overview of seaweed's nutrient composition

0:11:06 - Meaningful insights from recent papers on seaweed health benefits

0:13:27 - Bioactive compounds of particular interest in seaweed

0:15:36 - Iodine in seaweed and its protective qualities

0:21:59 - The role of seaweed in menopause

0:23:11 - Fucoid and fucoxanthin

0:25:31 - Seaweed's prebiotic fibre and potential benefits

0:29:15 - Sachi's experience as an entrepreneur in the seaweed industry

0:33:38 - Rootless's product: The Daily Byte

0:37:35 - Habit stacking and habit replacement strategies

0:42:04 - Unexpected benefits of The Daily Byte

0:46:07 - Development and testing of The Daily Byte recipe

0:47:44 - Challenges of educating consumers about the value of seaweed

0:48:02 - Sachi's goal of positioning seaweed as a solution for women's hormonal health

0:53:17 - Rootless's manufacturing process and challenges

0:58:07 - Rootless's crowdfunding campaign details

1:02:16 - Trends in the health space where seaweed could become a compelling solution

1:04:47 - Proving health claims and regulations in the nutraceutical industry

1:08:26 - Resources for learning more about seaweed and health

1:09:20 - Upcoming events related to seaweed and health

1:09:39 - Final message and how to get in touch

Useful Links:

Rootless crowdfunding campaign: learn more here!

Sachi Singh on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠ and Instagram

Rootless: ⁠⁠Website⁠⁠, Blog, ⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠.

Seaweed For Health Conference (22th-24th May 2024, Cork, Ireland): learn more and register here!

Resources:

Sachi recommended the book "Seaweeds – Edible, Available, and Sustainable" by Ole Mouritsen.

Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, Instagram or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? Any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!

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03/19/2024 | 58 MINS

#24: Andrew Wilkinson (Chef) - The role of chefs in the future of seaweed, bringing sustainable and healthy meals to America's schools.

Andrew Wilkinson is Seafood Specialist and Chef Director of Research and Development at North Coast Seafoods. He is a chef with a deep love for fresh ingredients and a passion... more

02/20/2024 | 46 MINS

#23: Seadling with Simon Davis – Southeast Asia and why production scale-up will happen in the tropics, the potential of red seaweeds, lessons from the East and opportunities for innovation.

Simon Davis is a serial entrepreneur and the founder of SEADLING, a seaweed biotechnology startup, that has been leading innovation in the seaweed sector in South East Asia since 2018.... more

12/18/2023 | 48 MINS

#22: Akua with Courtney Boyd Myers – How to build a seaweed brand, engaging with your audience and learning what they want, developing a kelp burger, sustainability and why people buy a product.

Courtney Boyd Myers (Founder & CEO of AKUA) is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, writer, and new Mama to Romy Ocean. Prior to launching AKUA, she helped build the Summit Community, a... more

Courtney Boyd Myers (Founder & CEO of AKUA) is an entrepreneur, environmentalist, writer, and new Mama to Romy Ocean. Prior to launching AKUA, she helped build the Summit Community, a global network of founders, creatives, and innovators. Previously, she helped market companies such as Four Sigmatic and Unframed Ice Cream. She began her career as a journalist at Forbes Magazine and The Next Web and has been recognized as one of Fast Company’s Most Creative People in Business. She currently serves as an advisor to GreenWave.

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Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.

Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠

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2:55 Seaweed and food a one possible solution for climate change and environmental crisis

5:10 The spark and hopes behind starting a food brand, Akua.

10:30 Bringing an innovative product into the market: Akua's story and key lessons.

14:00 The Kelp Beta Burger Club: how Akua engaged with their audience and learn what they wanted.

17:05 How to build a successful food brand - advice for startups.

18:25 Does sustainability drives why consumers buy products?

21:10 Measuring positive environmental impact for a food brand.

22:15 Marketing and storytelling: how Akua's message and strategy evolved.

35:05 The risk in forcing the climate and sustainability message.

36:55 Dos, Don’ts and practical advice for entrepreneurs starting a food business.

42:00 Potential for using different seaweed species and regenerative food sources.

43:05 The importance of simplification where the seaweed supply chain is so complicated.

44:15 How our brain works around food and how to change perception.

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Useful Links:

Courtney's presentation given at Seagriculture in Portland.

Courtney Boyd Myers: LinkedIn, Website, Blog, Twitter.

Akua: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Instagram, Tik Tok, Facebook.

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Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!

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Next year Seagriculture conferences:

Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Embark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it i

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11/13/2023 | 45 MINS

#21: Macro Oceans with Matthew Perkins – Biorefining to create profitable seaweed products, lessons from a decade in terrestrial agriculture and the role of technology in building positive change.

Matthew is the Founder and CEO of Macro Oceans, a startup transforming seaweed into low-carbon chemicals for use in materials, cosmetics, food, and many other applications. Matthew is an experienced... more

Matthew is the Founder and CEO of Macro Oceans, a startup transforming seaweed into low-carbon chemicals for use in materials, cosmetics, food, and many other applications. Matthew is an experienced technology entrepreneur, having built and sold his first company, Yield Pop, to The Climate Corporation. He has more than a decade of experience in terrestrial agriculture and was the first business hire at Inari, a gene-editing technology company, where he helped raise over $100M in venture capital funding.

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Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.

Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠

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[2:20] Matthew's ambitions and motivations at the outset of his career.

[3:55] Early career in terrestrial agriculture: Syngenta, Yield Pop, The Climate Corporation, Inari.

[7:30] Lessons in bringing technology to terrestrial agriculture.

[9:50] Main differences and similarities between land farming and ocean farming.

[13:25] Learning from other industries to innovate and solve problems in seaweed.

[14:44] The genesis of Macro Oceans and the consideration in starting the company.

[20:50] Macro Oceans business model and role in the industry.

[25:15] Product strategy, the importance of profitability and optimising unit economics.

[27:45] The role of technology in addressing some of the industry's pain point.

[32:00] The cosmetic industry as an interesting application for seaweed.

[34:00] Possible opportunities and challenges in developing nutraceuticals.

[35:10] The supply chain in the cosmetic industry, the importance of brands and storytelling.

[38:30] The trend of brands trying to simplify and "clean up" their labels.

[40:20] Adopting solutions from terrestrial agriculture that are missing in seaweed.

[43:15] Final thoughts

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Useful Links:

Matthew Perkins: LinkedIn

Macro Oceans: Website, LinkedIn, Instagram, Newsletter and email at hello@macro-oceans.com

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Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!

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Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Embark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it is a unique experience – a limited edition. Join the exclusive site visit to Ocean Rainforest: It will be a full-day trip to explore their facilities, experience a scenic drive on the Faroe Islands and gain

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10/20/2023 | 48 MINS

#20: Sway with Julia Marsh - How a design led company is making bioplastic from seaweed, what will drive adoption, understanding the supply chain, the flow of information and biological circularity.

Californian designer Julia Marsh is the CEO and co-founder of Sway, a venture-backed materials company which produces compostable packaging made from seaweed. Julia's work is inspired by a lifelong affection... more

Californian designer Julia Marsh is the CEO and co-founder of Sway, a venture-backed materials company which produces compostable packaging made from seaweed. Julia's work is inspired by a lifelong affection for the ocean, and the belief that designers must take part in solving the planet’s greatest challenges. Sway is on a mission to replenish the planet by supporting healthy ocean ecosystems, eliminating plastic waste, and creating a more inclusive climate movement.

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Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠

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[1:05] Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize.

[7:55] Supply chain: sourcing ingredients and seaweed species.

[14:00] The price of raw seaweed biomass and materials.

[15:20] Using non-food grade biomass and benefits for farmers.

[17:00] Current and future challenges in supplying seaweed biomass and materials.

[20:40] Thoughts around the flow of information within the industry.

[24:50] Opportunities and untapped potential for entrepreneurs.

[28:35] Considering the holistic value of seaweed in developing subsidies and policies.

[31:35] Design as key factor behind Sway's success.

[32:40] Imagining a positive and exiting future and how this could be communicated.

[35:00] How those who are closest to the problem are closest to the solution.

[36:25] What will drive B2B customers to adopt bioplastic in future.

[42:05] Competitors and competitive advantage of seaweed-based bioplastic.

[43:40] Biological circularity and how it can be applied to seaweed and bioplastic.

[46:35] Partnering with small-scale seaweed farmers.*

Useful Links:Julia Marsh: ⁠LinkedIn⁠Sway: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, Facebook, Twitter, Instagram

Tom Ford Plastic Innovation Prize

Macro Oceans: website

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Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!

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Next year Seagriculture conferences:

Seagriculture EU: 18 - 20 June 2024, Tórshavn, Faroe Islands

Embark on a journey that is truly one of a kind! Seagriculture EU 2024 is not just a conference, it is a unique experience – a limited edition. Join the exclusive site visit to Ocean Rainforest: It will be a full-day trip to explore their facilities, experience a scenic drive on the Faroe Islands and gain insights from captivating presentations.

Register until 1 December with Late Bird rates at www.seagriculture.eu

Seagriculture

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09/19/2023 | 44 MINS

#19: Arctic Seaweed with Matthias Boeing - Technology to disrupt the industry at a "make or break" moment, farming and offshore wind, Seaweed as a Service (SaaS) as a framework for partnerships.

Arctic Seaweed is on a mission to transform seaweed cultivation with disruptive technology. As Strategic Advisor, Matthias Boeing is assisting the company to build a strategy for scaling up. He's... more

Arctic Seaweed is on a mission to transform seaweed cultivation with disruptive technology. As Strategic Advisor, Matthias Boeing is assisting the company to build a strategy for scaling up. He's studied International Business and Strategic Management at the University of York, after which he gained important experience in management consulting and digital transformation. He then took what he calls an "Ocean Sabbatical" that lead him to finally combine his background and skills with his passion for the ocean.*Check out ⁠⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠⁠*[1:40] Highlights from Day 1 of Seagriculture Conference EU 2023. [2:50] Learning from the software industry how to test and iterate.[6:00] The blueprint for building partnerships in the seaweed industry.[9:55] Challenges in attracting capital investment for seaweed supply chain.[12:50] The concept of Seaweed As A Service: a framework for partnership.[19:50] Seaweed farming and offshore wind: announced collaboration with Simply Blue Group.[24:45] How technology could disrupt seaweed farming and allow scaling up.[29:30] The need to show a path to profitability in order to survive.[32:00] Opportunities for new entrants in the industry.[33:30] Digital transformation and using data. [37:30] How to integrated ecosystem services.[40:45] Why the seaweed industry must succeed in this "make or break" moment.*Useful Links:Matthias Boeing: ⁠LinkedIn⁠Arctic Seaweed: ⁠Website⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠ and email at hello@aseaweed.com*Get in touch on ⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠, ⁠⁠Twitter⁠⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think! less

08/21/2023 | 38 MINS

#18: Kaly with Daniel Hillman - Seaweed meets finance: thoughts and perspectives from an impact investor and entrepreneur, existing gaps, creating a scalable model and the path to sustainable growth.

Kaly is a natural capital operating platform whose mission is to scale the production of regeneratively farmed seaweed in Scotland and develop new routes to market through higher-value processing using... more

Kaly is a natural capital operating platform whose mission is to scale the production of regeneratively farmed seaweed in Scotland and develop new routes to market through higher-value processing using a community-based approach.

Co-Founder of Kaly, Daniel Hillman is an experienced impact investor and entrepreneur, most recently as Director of Investments and Business Development for Waterfund, a private investment firm he helped create focused on solving global water scarcity through investments in technology and infrastructure. In this capacity, Daniel built and scaled a water desalination and distribution business in the Middle East and led venture capital investments within food and ag-tech companies in the United States. Prior to Waterfund Daniel worked at Hanson Asset Management in London, advising family offices on direct investments with a real assets focus. He also advises closely-held businesses in the UK and the US on implementing growth and M&A strategies.

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Check out ⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.

Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠

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[3:00] Expectations from Seagriculture Conference.

[4:45] The steep learning curve to join the seaweed industry.

[5:50] Bridging the gap between finance and the seaweed industry.

[8:00] How nature dictates what a sustainable growth would look like.

[9:50] Challenges and frustration worth "throwing money at".

[12:20] What Kaly is not going to do and what they will rely on partners.

[14:10] Moving from vertical integration to specialisation in a mature industry.

[17:30] Establishing a network of commercial agreements with local creel fishermen.

[23:00] Kaly's products and who is going to buy them.

[24:55] "Big Ag" getting interested about seaweed.

[26:10] Biostimulant trial set-up and what Kaly is hoping to learn.

[30:05] Nutrient credits as a way to create an extra income stream.

[36:00] Final thoughts about enthusiasm and passion in the industry.

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Useful Links:

Daniel Hillman: Linkedin

Kaly Group: Website, LinkedIn, Twitter and Instagram.

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Get in touch on ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, or by emailing me directly at fed@insideseaweed.com - Please send in your feedback: what do you want to hear more or less of? any suggestions? Would love to hear what you think!

Special thanks to my brother Riccardo, who made this episode possible by travelling with me to Trondheim (Norway), acting as technical director and helping hugely in making sure that both live interviews went as smoothly as they did.

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08/07/2023 | 56 MINS

#17: GreenWave with Sam Garwin - How to build a business that works, market development, making seaweed a "cash crop" and the new "dating" app for the seaweed industry.

GreenWave trains and supports regenerative ocean farmers in the eraof climate change, working with coastal communities to create a blueeconomy—built and led by ocean farmers. Sam Garwin leads GreenWave’s efforts... more

GreenWave trains and supports regenerative ocean farmers in the eraof climate change, working with coastal communities to create a blueeconomy—built and led by ocean farmers.

Sam Garwin leads GreenWave’s efforts to establish reliable, accessible, and equitable markets for seaweed farmers. Her work includes business development and organizing support for regional farmer networks, research and infrastructure pilots to address post-harvest bottlenecks, and value chain coordination to cultivate a resilient ecosystem of businesses to get seaweed from seed to sale. Since 2019, Sam has led the buildout of Seaweed Source, GreenWave’s direct buyer engagement program and digital tool, growing the network to over 50 buyers across nine U.S. states and Canadian provinces, and facilitating forward contracts for over 400,000 lbs of kelp.

Sam draws on more than a decade of experience building sustainable supply chains and socially responsible business models. Before joining GreenWave, Sam developed market-based solutions for regenerative food companies through her consulting firm, 5th Quarter Foods. She was previously the CEO of Fleishers, a pioneer of pasture-raised whole-animal retail butchery; and an early employee of Maya Mountain Cacao, a social enterprise dedicated to direct-trade organic cocoa bean sourcing. Sam holds a bachelor’s degree in Information Science and Biology from Cornell University.

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Check out the ⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.

Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠

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[1:20] Why do most seaweed entrepreneurs have a part-time job?

[4:30] Cultivating multiple species.

[5:50] How to start a seaweed business that works.

[9:45] Sharing risk and reward with farmers

[11:10] Other initial considerations, specific to the type of business.

[14:10] Are product and market introductions lagging behind expectations?

[16:10] Similarities between seaweed farming and agriculture. What can be learnt and replicated?

[23:00] How to collaboratively co-create value across the entire supply chain.

[25:30] Tools and support for seaweed entrepreneurs.

[26:10] Main benefits in joining an incubator/accelerator

[28:45] Scaling up the industry while still allowing small business to join and thrive

[30:15] Abandon scarcity mindset: focus less on price reduction and more on value creating.

[31:20] How could we make seaweed a "cash crop"?

[36:30] More on how to avoid repeating the mistakes of land agriculture.

[37:35] High margin Vs. Low margin products - considerations for seaweed entrepreneurs.

[43:50] Listening to the customer, being willing to test and pivot.

[49:20] Seaweed Source: GreenWave's new "dating" app for the seaweed industry.

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Useful Links:

Sam Garwin: LinkedIn, Twitter and Website⁠

GreenWave:

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07/17/2023 | 50 MINS

#16: Vincent Doumeizel, Author of "The Seaweed Revolution" - Lessons and takeaways from writing the book, how to work with the Global Seaweed Coalition and its framework for collaboration, and more!

Vincent Doumeizel is Senior Adviser on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact as well as director of the Food Programme at the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Author of a... more

Vincent Doumeizel is Senior Adviser on the oceans to the United Nations Global Compact as well as director of the Food Programme at the Lloyd’s Register Foundation. Author of a new book titled "The Seaweed Revolution" which officially launched in the UK in May 2023, Vincent has in recent years devoted himself to promoting a food revolution and environmental solutions based on sea resources, especially seaweed. He also played an instrumental role in the creation and development of the Global Seaweed Coalition.

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Check out the ⁠Inside Seaweed Newsletter⁠! Just one short email per month, no spam and you can cancel at any time.

Would you like to get a super short email from me every month, with three actionable insights for your seaweed business? I will search the seaweed industry for the most important lessons, the most useful conclusions and relevant actions, condensed into a half page that I will share with you, each month. It's easy to sign up and just as easy to cancel. If you'd like to give it a try, head over to ⁠insideseaweed.com ⁠

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[1:40] Book launch of The Seaweed Revolution at the National History Museum in London.

[4:00] Goals and expectations for the book and its unexpected impact so far.

[11:30] Lessons and takeaways from researching and writing this book.

[15:00] European culture and the West's lost connection with seaweed and the ocean.

[19:50] Why is nobody making money from seaweed, yet?

[25:55] Adjustments and contingencies to put in place when starting a seaweed business.

[27:45] Biorefining as key path toward profitability.

[32:15] How to collaborate within the framework of the Global Seaweed Coalition.

[38:50] Licencing issue and lack of science as biggest obstacles for the industry.

[42:00] Seaweed application in the food industry: a model that could work for Europe.

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Useful Links:

Vincent Doumeizel on LinkedIn and Twitter

United Nations Global Compact: Website, LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠, ⁠Facebook⁠ and ⁠Instagram⁠

Global Seaweed Coalition : Website, LinkedIn, Twitter, Facebook and Instagram

Lloyd's Register Foundation: Website⁠, ⁠LinkedIn⁠, ⁠Twitter⁠ and ⁠Facebook⁠

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Inside Seaweed's host is Fed DeGobbi, get in touch on

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07/03/2023 | 53 MINS

#15: Nordic SeaFarm with Simon Johansson - Cultivating and using sea lettuce and dulse, disrupting the food industry, reaching product-market fit, developing food products and a downstream market.

Simon Johansson is the CEO of Nordic SeaFarm and has been working in the aquaculture industry for 5+ years and has a strong passion for the ocean. With a background... more