Small Business Innovation Research Program Provides Seed Funding for R&D

KAILUA KONA, HI, UNITED STATES, January 16, 2024 /EINPresswire.com/ -- Symbrosia, a Hawaiʻi-based cleantech startup that uses seaweed to drastically reduce livestock methane emissions, has been awarded a National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $1 million to develop and implement novel automation tools across their NELHA seaweed farm.

Founded in 2019, Symbrosia has been cultivating fast-growing seaweed strains and developing products to drastically reduce livestock methane emissions, one of the world’s leading greenhouse gas contributors. Their partners include Organic Valley, Danone, and Parker Ranch. Symbrosia is scaling SeaGraze™ production rapidly and partnering with researchers, ranchers, distributors, and brands to build supply chains that reward producers for producing low-methane animal products.

“We’re grateful for the continued support from America's Seed Fund powered by the NSF, propelling us into an exciting phase of groundbreaking research and development,” said Alexia Akbay, Founder and CEO of Symbrosia, “With a changing labor market and steep inflation, we believe automation will allow us to continue to provide livable wages for our employees as our operations grow. This funding not only drives us towards a more sustainable future in agriculture but in non-tourism jobs on Hawai’i Island."

Among the projects covered in this proposal, the team hopes to cut labor to produce each product unit by 75% compared to current operations and diversify their end product line to cater to diverse livestock types and systems.

About Symbrosia
Symbrosia is a Hawai’i-based cleantech startup that cultivates fast-growing seaweed strains and develops them into high-value products. Symbrosia has developed SeaGraze™, a natural seaweed feed additive that drastically reduces livestock methane emissions. Called “the seaweed that could save the planet” by The Verge, Forbes, and Inc. Magazine, SeaGraze™ is setting a new standard for sustainability in the U.S. beef, dairy, and apparel industries. In June 2022, Symbrosia raised a $7 million funding round led by Danone Manifesto Ventures. Visit symbrosia.co to learn more.

About the National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs
America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development (R&D), helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $8.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.

Hazel Rogerson
Symbrosia
+1 724-599-9909
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