About Kelp blue

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

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.
Hugo Stam
Engineering Lead
A hydraulic engineer with a masters degree from the Delft University of Technology, Hugo is a dedicated team player. He explored Suriname while working on a project assessing the technical feasibility of establishing a terminal in Paramaribo. While in Namibia, he discovered a new hobby, mountain biking through the dramatic scenery of the Lüderitz peninsula.
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Ed Heal
Operations, Equipment Capability, Integrity and Performance Manager
Ed is one of life’s energetic optimists who thrives working with passionate people on purposeful endeavours. Fresh from a second masters at Imperial he brings 35 years of senior leadership experience from a wide range of engineering, training and logistics roles with the UK’s Armed Forces. Orienteering, mountain marathons, desert expeditions, his 1960s car and family are his happy place.
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Cayne Moffat
Group CFO
Was offered a place at university at aged 15 but decided to live a little and entered at 17. Holds a degree in Mathematics from the University of Edinburgh and is a CFA Charterholder. He’s proudly Scottish, loves playing football, and is known to be highly competitive. At the moment he’s learning Dutch.
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Sarel Niese
Company Analyst
Delft University of Technology and ETH Zurich graduate with a Master’s in quantum physics. He loves challenges that require both a creative and analytical approach. Growing up in the country side and having lived in Botswana bush for 3 months helped him develop his strong interest in natural ecosystems. He’s passionate about football, modern art, exploring the Alps and wearing baseball caps backwards.
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Protasius Mutjida
Water Chemistry / Technician
Protasius holds an honours degree in chemistry and Geology and completed a Masters degree in Chemistry at the University of Namibia. He’s worked as a science teacher for three years while also working in an environmental consultancy. He’s a local pastor in Luderitz, is passionate about research and building others up especially the youth.
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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.
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Angelique Dodds
PA to the CEO
Born and bred in Windhoek, Namibia, Angelique joined Kelp Blue with a BSc in Environmental Biology. She just submitted her MSc Thesis with a scholarship from the Kelp Forest Foundation. Angelique's passion for the ocean ignited at age 5 during trips to Swakopmund, continuing to fuel her work. Her love for the sea, which she describes as putting everything in perspective, is the driving force behind her career in marine ecology. Angelique spends her free time reading science fiction books to escape real life. The best advice she was given was, “Progress is better than perfection”.
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Fanuel Isak
Barge Supervisor
Born and raised in Lüderitz with a background at sea working on research, fishing and mining vessels. Holds a class 5 navigation officer certificate from Namfi. He’s a work horse on the football pitch (an asset for any team) and when he’s not kicking a ball around you can find him watching Formula One.
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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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