“The biggest part of the journey is still ahead” – the seaweed startup about winning Future Innovations Award 2022
Lund University students August Eriksson and Samuel Amant want to accelerate the use of seaweed – a sustainable alternative to everything from plastic to hamburgers.
Seaweed is trending thanks to many aspects: it can absorb as much co2 as the forest per hectare, meaning it increases the oxygen levels in the water. Seaweed also enriches the marine life and ecosystems around the farm. According to the sustainability initiative UN Global Compact, twelve billion people's protein needs could be met by using only two percent of the oceans for seaweed production.
That’s why August Eriksson and Samuel Amant developed Koastal – a green venture in a blue world, where they set up and rent out ready-to-use seaweed farms.
Included in Koastal’s offer are all the steps of setting up the farm – including site selection, permit, and permit processes. They help with the establishment of the rig itself – as well as taking the seaweed crops to the market. This way, Koastal makes sure sea farmers hit the ground running.
By utilizing, supporting, and coordinating small-scale production units, the team behind Koastal aims to accelerate the use of seaweed, starting with farmers on the west coast of Sweden. Koastal turns to everyone with an interest or passion for the sea and the environment. Their customers – sea farmers – are expected to spend around 85 hours during six months taking care of their under-the-sea farms. Most of the work takes place in the fall for seedling and during the spring for harvesting.
Every year for the past six years, Lund University has awarded ideas at Lund University with the potential to become an innovation of the future. In 2022’s competition, Koastal founders August Eriksson and Samuel Amant received the first prize in the student category, meaning they walked away with 100 000 SEK.
- The money will be transformed into seaweed lines in the water, absorbing carbon dioxide and harmful nutrients, creating a marine habitat, and providing a new source of nutritious, carbon-negative food.
The team is in the pilot project phase and will soon start opening ready-to-use seaweed farms on the west coast. Next year, August and Samuel want to establish ten new seaweed farms, to get the ball rolling.
- The ultimate goal is to create an efficient and sustainable production system, for new innovative plant-based food products and materials.