OCEANIUM has secured funding from Innovate UK and the Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC) as part of the Diet and Health Innovation Competition to drive the design and development of innovative food and beverage products.

The funding will support OCEANIUM's latest initiative, project SeaFibre which focuses on further developing and testing its innovative, seaweed superfood ingredient, OCEAN HEALTH™ NUTRA in collaboration with the University of Reading. This project aligns with OCEANIUM’s mission to unlock the seaweed farming industry in the Western Hemisphere, creating a new value chain for future food security.

Paul Laniran, Innovation Lead at Innovate UK, comments:
"Access to an affordable, sustainable, and healthy diet is essential for the wellbeing of both people and the planet. Our investment, alongside BBSRC, will support collaborative and innovative solutions related to diet, health and sustainability challenges, with each of the 13 announced winners driving the design and development of innovative food and beverage products. We’re excited to see how these projects unfold over the coming months."

Project SeaFibre

OCEANIUM is an industry leader, producing innovative ingredients from sustainably farmed seaweed to build a new, sustainable value chain which benefits both People Health and Ocean Health.

OCEAN HEALTH NUTRA™ is a nutrient-dense superfood ingredient made from sustainably farmed seaweed. It contains approximately 70% dietary fibre, along with bioactives, essential amino acids, iodine, minerals, and polyphenols - offering significant health benefits.

With over 90% of the UK and EU populations, and 95% of the US population, not consuming enough dietary fibre, OCEAN HEALTH NUTRA™ provides a natural, sustainable solution that can be easily incorporated into a variety of products.

Project SeaFibre will allow OCEANIUM to continue with research and product development, focusing on creating nutritionally enhanced food prototypes, including plant-based meats, baked goods, and beverages. These prototypes will be developed in collaboration with experts at the University of Reading and will undergo rigorous testing to assess their digestibility and potential gut health benefits using simulated gut models.

"Thank you to Innovate UK and BBSRC. This funding represents a major milestone for OCEANIUM, enabling us to accelerate the development of OCEAN HEALTH NUTRA™. We are committed to creating sustainable and healthy ingredients, and this support brings us closer to market while addressing key global health and environmental challenges." – Dr. Charlie Bavington, Co-Founder & CTO, OCEANIUM