© SeCrop
As co-founder and CEO, Arik Pinto, explains, while there’s no shortage of phytoplankton in the oceans, one of the biggest hurdles to harvesting these microalgae has been the economics of extraction. Traditional mechanical filtration processes – which require pumping large volumes of water through very fine filters – demand too much energy, making large-scale harvesting unviable.
SeaCrop’s* breakthrough centres around applying surface interaction such as electrostatic attraction. By using a curtain of positively charged fibres to attract negatively charged phytoplankton, the company has shown that they can capture algae far more efficiently.
Post-harvest the particulate matter is washed, centrifuged and then dried, to produce a protein-rich algal powder, which they aim to primarily market as an aquafeed ingredient.
Field trial success
While SeaCrop had previously proved their concept in the lab, recent field trials in the sea also showed impressive rates of phytoplankton removal, further validating the technology. What’s more, independent lab tests confirmed the nutritional potential of the harvested algae – with an amino acid profile strikingly similar to whey and soy.
“The content of amino acids points to a great protein quality,” Pinto notes.
They have also established a proprietary process to remove any impurities, such as heavy metals – a recurring concern with marine ingredients – successfully reducing lead levels to well below the regulatory thresholds, as verified by a GMP-certified external lab.
According to Pinto, their results have caught the attention of major players in the feed industry. Meanwhile professional analysis by a leading aquaculture nutritionist, recently mapped SeaCrop’s potential inclusion rates into aquafeed formulations, estimating it could account for 6–6.5 percent of total feed volume at competitive prices.
Pinto knows that such validation is critical, but also that it’s not sufficient to land the investment he’s looking for.
“Once we have the ingredient, they will buy it. No doubt. The question is scale. That’s where most of the scepticism lies – not whether it works, but how quickly we can produce at volume,” he reflects.
Like many deep-tech ventures, SeaCrop faces a capital-intensive journey, and raising external funding is currently their most pressing challenge.
“The most painful part is raising the funds,” Pinto admits. “It’s not the best time to raise – investors have alternatives and we are deep tech, which means no quick revenue.”
After initially seeking $2 million, SeaCrop recalibrated its raise to $10 million in order to increase runway and is already in the process of partnering with leading investor.
“We managed to harvest our own material from the wild with great results. Now we need resources for the next step – feed trials. If we can convey the realty that something great is unfolding, investors will join. That’s my focus now,” Pinto explains.
The company will also need to produce 50–60 kilograms of algae to formulate test diets, with salmon or shrimp the likely sectors to start in.
“We confident it works, but feed conversion ratios (FCRs) from actual trials are the strongest evidence. That’s what will drive the company valuation,” Pinto notes.
Shrimp may be the most practical starting point, as smaller pellet sizes require less biomass. But the salmon sector is equally attractive, particularly given its scale and pressing sustainability challenges.
© SeaCrop
Roadmap and selectivity
Before scaling to industrial production, SeaCrop is working to improve its selectivity ratio — the proportion of phytoplankton relative to other materials captured by their fibres. Current trials yield about 5 percent phytoplankton, but the team aims to quadruple this.
“Twenty percent is good enough for us,” Pinto explains. “It increases yields and reduces downstream processing costs. It also makes the whole system more efficient and commercially viable.”
Exploring byproducts is also on the table. “If we can capture microplastics or excess nutrients, maybe that’s a business in itself,” Pinto added, hinting at potential environmental services alongside feed production.
Ultimately, however, SeaCrop’s ambition is to introduce a new commodity into the global food system.
“Corn, soy, rice – these are established. We are adding something entirely new, with a commodity price and a premium nutritional profile,” Pinto reflects.
With population growth outpacing conventional food production and environmental limits looming, the need for alternative protein sources is pressing. Pinto believes the ocean is the only realistic solution:
“No doubt we are going to use the ocean — if not us, then someone else. But it must be done wisely. That’s what we’re proving with SeaCrop.”
Over the coming months, SeaCrop will be focused on securing the capital needed to execute feed trials, refining its technology, and positioning itself as an indispensable partner to aquafeed giants.
“We’ve done everything we can with very limited resources. We’re creative, we know how to work with our hands. Now it’s about building the right network, raising the funds and proving what we already know: SeaCrop can change the way the world feeds itself,” Pinto concludes.
*SeaCrop is part of Hatch Blue's investment portfolio, but The Fish Site retains editorial independence.
© SeaCrop
