Algapelago is a sustainable mariculture and biotech company, growing, driving the shift towards circular food production. Our core business model is based on a ‘Forest-Factory-Farm’ model: planting offshore kelp forests, harvesting, onshoring and processing the biomass, and supplying farms with a rich source of marine nutrients through soil biostimulant and feed supplement products.

Founded in 2021, Algapelago was the fruit born from a chance meeting of cousins with different backgrounds and experiences, united by a shared passion in the potential of regenerative ocean farming to address climate change, food security and ocean restoration. In July 2022, algapelago secured a 116ha licence to cultivate kelp in North Devon – the largest licence in the UK by over 40%.

Algapelago is an ambitious blue growth company; we aim to be the leading mariculture producer in the UK. By 2030 Algapelago plan to cultivate 1000ha of kelp, producing over 20,000t biomass in-house which is able to support annual production of over 1 million ha of cereal crops and more than 118,000 cattle. Through aggregation of regional kelp producers and licencing of our manufacturing technology this impact can be multiplied tenfold by 2030.

Waterhaul is a mission-driven brand tackling the ocean’s most harmful form of plastic pollution; ghost fishing gear, through recovery and recycling into exceptional eyewear and purposeful products built for adventure. Our model creates a scalable and profitable pathway, driven by value, that transforms this environmental problem into an opportunity.

For the both of us, this journey started with a connection to the ocean. Surfing and a passion for marine wildlife led us to pursuing careers in marine science. This connection, along with a deeper understanding of the threats faced by the marine environment, drove a desire to protect what we love.

Our previous roles involved lobbying and informing legislation on plastic pollution and Gavin’s side supporting the UK’s largest beach cleaning network. This gave a unique insight which highlighted a major gap in action; the most abundant and most harmful form of ocean plastic pollution, which we were encountering on every beach we visited, was being ignored. This drove that initial desire to act.

I’ve always had an entrepreneurial mindset and I saw how creating value was key to tackling the root cause of ghost gear – by transforming this ‘waste’ problem into a resource opportunity.

We’re raising £600,000 to invest in our team, product development, operations and marketing. Through our traction to date we’ve clearly demonstrated both the solid foundations of our brand, financials, products and community – and the direct positive impact that these areas create. With awareness that we’re tackling a vast and global problem in oceans, we’re looking for investors who share our ethos in profit and purpose aligned, as we expand our model and drive the next level of growth, international expansion and positive impact.

Supernatural Fuel is on a mission to transform the way people fuel for endurance sports and outdoor activities by providing healthy organic plant based fuels. We manufacture and sell organic energy pouches made from blended fruits, seeds and grains, that provide a number of benefits for longer, low intensity activities.

The company was founded by David O’Brien a former British Army Officer and ultra running competitor who has completed some of the world’s toughest endurance races. During these races he had struggled with nausea and difficulty eating and there appeared to be few alternatives available to highly processed energy gels and bars on the market; both product types were far from ideal for these types of races. The idea for the products was born out of these race experiences, having seen a gap for more natural energy products that provided better nutrition, were easy to eat and gentle on the stomach.

Over the next 10 years Supernatural Fuel’s goal is to become the world’s best endurance sports nutrition brand in terms of the quality of the products we produce, the value we bring to our customers and the ethics we demonstrate while achieving this.

PyTerra was founded on R&D in the environmental sector. Decarbonisation of privately rented homes has become the perfect first challenge, and Bristol is the ideal place to launch. We want to empower owners to both thrive and to use their properties to create positive social and environmental impacts.