The Chronicle Herald (Provincial)
Help for kelp startup
A startup company in Nova Scotia is hoping to get a foothold in the global seafood market in 2021.
Seachange Biochemistry Inc., founded by Sabrena Mackenzie and Chris Rafuse, has designed a system to extract commercial chemicals from seaweed.
They've leased a building on Cape Sable Island and are purchasing processing equipment with a $250,000 loan from the Atlantic Canada Opportunities Agency.
That's not the only financial help the new company has received since Mackenzie and Rafuse latched onto the idea of a seaweed business just over a year ago. The company was one of 14 chosen to receive $25,000 in September to help kickstart ideas through a competition offered by Canada's Ocean Supercluster.
Mackenzie is a natural materials chemist who previously worked with the National Research Council of Canada.
“I have been a scientist for 15 years and ... in recent years seaweed just caught my attention.”
She said Seachange Biochemistry is aiming to be more sustainable.
“A lot of people who use a biomass, not just seaweed, tend to focus on just one compound, what is economically attractive, and the rest is just waste.
“What we're trying to do is use the whole seaweed, take out multiple compounds and have zero waste, so that it's both environmentally and economically attractive.”
Acadia University helped the company develop its proprietary system to extract more compounds from the seaweed.
The company will also be applying for patents.
CAPE SABLE ISLAND
Seachange Biochemistry has leased a building on Cape Sable Island and plans to be operating before the end of this year.
COVID slowed things down a little, said Mackenzie, but in recent weeks they've been able to ramp up the pace of development.
The funding from ACOA helped the company purchase equipment, some of it custom designed, for the extraction process.
The plan is to be in production before the end of 2021, with 2022 being the first full year of operation.
The company has two employees, in addition to Mackenzie.
They will source seaweed from local harvesters.
In terms of annual production at Cape Sable Island, Mackenzie said the company is starting out conservatively.
“It will depend on market demands but for the first year we are predicting 100 tonnes of dry seaweed.”
Initially, she said, they will be producing extracts for the
cosmetics market. In that industry, seaweed compounds are used as antibacterial, emulsifying and thickening agents.
Mackenzie said funding has been important, but the company has received other assistance. Agencies like Innovacorp, the Nova Scotia Innovation Hub and Acadia University helped.
Family and friends have also pitched in, including refurbishing the building that will serve as home base.
“There's been a lot of help. In addition to the funding there's been advice, guidance, introductions when we need them, help sourcing certain things. It's been a lot of just genuine help. And that's been really great.”
Even though seaweed has had commercial use for many years, Mackenzie said, she really feels like she's on the ground floor of a fledgling industry in Atlantic Canada.
“We have a marketing plan but so far people have been coming to us. There is a global seaweed community and it's been interesting to meet people involved with this around the world.”
Mackenzie is excited to prove that you can develop something on a global scale from Nova Scotia.
“Our hope is that we will build something really solid here that could employ people (and) be sustainable.”