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Spotted: Omega-3 fatty acids play an essential role in maintaining animal and human health, reducing inflammation, boosting brain function, and lowering blood pressure. But, because humans and most animals can’t naturally produce Omega-3s, we need to supplement it in our diets. This is generally done through fish oils, which are sourced from wild fish.

Wild fish populations are dwindling, with the FAO highlighting that 70 per cent of the world’s fish stocks are either fished at capacity or already overfished. Instead of being used as a direct human food source, a significant proportion of these fish are used to produce fishmeal for farmed fish or Omega-3 oils. To replenish these marine populations and prevent broader ecosystem collapse, we need to find more sustainable sources of these fatty acids. MiAlgae may have the answer.

Like humans, fish don’t naturally produce Omega-3, instead absorbing it from the phytoplankton and microalgae they consume. Wanting to cut out the ‘middle fish’, MiAlgae mass-produces algae so it can be used as a direct and efficient source of Omega-3 acids for use in pet food and aquafeed.

To do this, the company takes nutrient-rich byproducts from whisky production and uses them to feed algae in a renewably powered precision fermentation process, cultivating Omega-3-rich microalgae efficiently and at scale. This algae is then dried and processed into a powder to create MiAlgae’s NaturAlgae product. One tonne of the company’s cultivated algae contains as much Omega-3 as 620,000 fish.

In September, MiAlgae announced that it had raised £14 million in funding, which will help the company expand to a new industrial-scale production facility in Scotland. Founder and CEO Douglas Martin shared with Springwise that the new site is set to open in Spring 2025 and will help to create new green jobs, as well as boost production capabilities.

Having recently confirmed a new partnership with independent Scottish distillery Eden Mill to repurpose its brewing wastewater, MiAlgae is also looking for new opportunities where its algae-derived Omega-3 could replace wild-fish-based alternatives, including in meat alternatives, nutraceuticals, and livestock feed. The startup is a finalist for the prestigious 2024 Earthshot Prize.

Written By: Matilda Cox