About Kelp blue

We harvest cultivated kelp to produce ingredients for agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.

Our team learn more

To restore our planet to equilibrium, or even to abundance, we need to come together to find cost-effective, long term and environmentally sustainable solutions. At Kelp Blue, we believe we’ve found one such solution: growing and managing large-scale Giant Kelp forests.

The process

The Hatchery

The sorus tissue, the fertile material that is found on mature kelp blades, is taken to our hatchery. A safe and controlled environment where we nurture the kelp from near microscopic gametophytes, through to sporophytes - the multicellular leaf-like stage. Once big enough, the sporophytes are attached to a special wire and made ready to be planted in the ocean.

outplanting

At the out-planting stage, the twine is wrapped around our farm structures. Our farm uses lines and ropes onto which the holdfast - the root-like foot of the kelp - can securily attach. Our team of divers will secure the twine to the structures and regularly monitor the progress of the growing kelp.

Engineering

The farms are submerged in the ocean. In the deeper water we have installed structures that are anchored at around 15 metres below the surface – the perfect depth to maximise access to nutrients and light while keeping the young kelp out of the most violent movement of the waves.

marine monitoring

Our dedicated marine monitoring team regularly check on the kelp and keep track of the biodiversity observed. They use a range of different methods including methods like acoustics, visual observations, water sample analysis, and environmental DNA. We also regularly measure water quality and analyze dissolved organic carbon in the lab.

harvesting

Once the kelp grows to maturity and starts forming a canopy, some of the biomass is harvested to turn into sustainable alternatives for industries such as agriculture and packaging. Currently the kelp is harvested by hand, but we are working on a fully-automated solar powered emission-free harvester which would allow us to significantly scale up our operations.

processing

Our kelp is carefully processed to extract its bioactive compounds. Through innovative techniques, we concentrate these compounds into potent biostimulants that increase crop yield, improve soil health, reduce chemical dependency, and improve abiotic stress stress tolerance.

quality control

Quality control is at the core of our operations. Every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent performance, which is crucial for biostimulants to perform consistently in varying agricultural environments. Rigorous testing ensures that our products deliver reliable, optimal results, every time.

R&D

The R&D team valorizes all components of the kelp. Our new products include a bio-based leather alternative, as well as blended fabrics and coatings. We extract alginates and fucoidan, which can be used in cosmetics, nutraceuticals and as input materials for bio packaging or as gelling agents.

how we do it

Innovation is at the heart of what we do. It isn’t just about “tech”, innovation is actually very human— it takes heart, it takes soul; from everyone involved. Because big innovation has big impact on the planet and people.

Meet the team

We are so proud of our hard-working Kelpies, who work tirelessly to make our oceans a little better every day.

Caroline Slootweg

Co-founder Kelp Blue

A start-up, change management and digital transformation specialist, Caroline has worked at Unilever, WPP, in mar-tech and agri-tech. Her purity of purpose expresses itself as clarity, simplicity and speed. Caroline sailed half-way around the world and across the Pacific Ocean in the Clipper Round the World yacht race and is also a keen forager and traveller.

Clarke Scott

Jetty Crewman

Meet Clarke, a friendly individual from Luderitz, who has a genuine passion for cars and boats. Working on vehicles is not just a job for him; it’s a love affair. Beyond his mechanical prowess, Clarke-Scott enjoys kicking a soccer ball around and embarking on adventures to catch crayfish and fish. Whether on the field or by the water, he’s adept at scoring goals and reeling in those aquatic delights.

Lily Anderson

Marine Monitoring Diver

With a degree in Biology and Chemistry from Indiana University, she first worked as an organic vegetable farmer before becoming a Marine Science Instructor at the Catalina Island Marine Institute. It was there, surrounded by the towering kelp forests, that she fell in love with diving and marine ecology. At Kelp Blue, Lily combines her passion for farming and the ocean, working towards positive environmental change alongside an inspiring team. Her personal mission? To get in the ocean every single day of the year. Whether scuba diving, free diving, swimming, long-distance running, or painting, you’ll usually find her in, on, or by the water

Maranda Hamma

Alaska Project Lead

Maranda specializes in community and regional environmental projects in Southeast Alaska. She is proficient in grant writing, event planning and project management and has a proven track record in collaborating with rural communities and agencies to achieve goals and objectives. Outside of work, she thrives in the Southeast Alaskan way of life, where she takes part in hunting, fishing, foraging, and operating her own oyster farm with her dog and partner.

Siririka Kapenauarue

Seawater Technician

Originally from Namibia's Omaheke region, Kapenauarue Siririka holds a diploma in Natural Resources Management from the University of Namibia. Passionate about conservation, Siririka enjoys spending his free time playing football, a sport he loves.

Viviane Kinyaga

Non Executive Director Namibia

A qualified marine biologist & water management specialist, Viviane has spent 20 years advising governments, NGO’s, the UN and inter-governmental bodies. Most recently, she has worked with the Benguela Current Convention. Viviane sits on the board of NamWater. She adores the natural world, its quiet wonder – and empowering people.

Rosalia Abner

Facilities Manager

A gem! Rosalia is the one who keeps the office running and tidy and always has a smile on her face. She has committed to reading one book a week from the Kelp Blue library. And we’ve all seen her reading during her breaks. Rosalia makes a fabulous roast chicken, the recipe for her spice rub is a closely guarded secret.

Iryna Kucherevska

Office Administrator

Iryna moved to the Netherlands 1.5 years from Ukraine. She is experienced in office administration and in human resources and previously worked as an economist in the banking sector. Iryna keeps our office humming! She loves reading books, looking at the sea and learning new things.

Join the team See everyone

vision 2029

By 2029, our goal is to remove over 1 million tons of CO2 annually through 70,000 hectares of Giant Kelp farms located 30-100 km offshore from Lüderitz. These farms benefit from the Benguela Current, which is twice as productive as the Chile current and nine times more productive than the California current. This results in a 10%-20% increase in regional fish stocks and biodiversity, creating over 400 local jobs and indirectly supporting 800-1,000 more.

Careers

We’re not a ‘business as usual’ scale-up. We value originality and creativity, expect a healthy dose of common sense, that you are a problem solver by nature and that you’re comfortable getting on with tasks in an unstructured environment.

If you feel like you’re a good fit, please get in touch. You might be what we are looking for and we don’t even know it.

We’re always on the look out for those who want to join us on our journey to leave the planet in a better place. Send us an email with your resume to newkelpies@kelp.blue

Transform Your Farm with StimBlue+

Ready to boost your yields and enhance soil health? Contact our team of agronomists to learn how StimBlue+ can benefit your farm. Our team is ready to answer all your questions, comments, and requests.

Or give us a call, WhatsApp only:
+32 (0)4 70 80 64 57

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About Kelp blue

The process

how we do it

Meet the team

vision 2029

Careers

Transform Your Farm with StimBlue+