This is one of a series of profiles of CFIN members that have successfully applied for and received funding through CFIN’s Innovation Booster program.
Cascadia Seaweed is a vertically integrated company located in Sidney, BC. In partnership with coastal First Nations, we install low-impact farms in the ocean and cultivate a climate-positive seaweed crop. Seaweed does not require arable land or freshwater to grow and has a long list of product uses – seaweed can be used as a nutritional whole food or ingredient, as a biostimulant to enhance crop soil conditions to grow food and feed, and as a livestock feed supplement diversifying the supply of feed, improving animal health and reducing methane emissions. These are the avenues that Cascadia Seaweed is pursuing to develop and build a more resilient food system in Canada. The company received $71,911 in funding for a project to monitor the variance in beneficial and hazardous components of seaweed to optimize industrial processing for food applications.
We sat down with Cascadia Seaweed CEO Mike Williamson to talk about the company.
Q: What is your company’s mission?
A: In partnership with coastal First Nations, Cascadia Seaweed is on a mission to become the largest producer of ocean-cultivated seaweed in North America to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and build a more resilient food system.
Q: Why did you apply for this funding and how will you use it?
A: Cultivating and processing seaweed at scale in Canada is still relatively unfamiliar. In order to maximize the value of this climate-positive crop we must understand the effects of various processing methods and learn to extend its shelf-life. Funding from CFIN will help Cascadia Seaweed complete this testing and analysis and therefore add to the growing body of knowledge to support the growth of the sector across Canada.
Q: Please comment on the importance of public funding to help companies clear innovation hurdles and access leveraged funds.
A: Public funding accelerates a company’s ability to provide information, adding value to the business and the sector. In our case, as we build revenue-generating streams, public funding allows us to conduct meaningful research in tandem with regular business activities.
Q: Looking ahead, what’s on the horizon for your company?
A: As Cascadia Seaweed continues to grow, we aim to improve our processes and drive costs down in an effort to provide a competitive, yet profitable, source of value-added seaweed products grown in the pristine waters of British Columbia. The more seaweed we cultivate, the more benefit we can provide to local communities, ocean ecosystems, and the Canadian food system.
Ready to access funding for your innovative initiative? Click here to find out more about CFIN’s funding programs.
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