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.

James Nampala

Production and Maintenance Supervisor

James holds an honours degree in fisheries and aquatic science from University of Namibia and a diploma in marine engineering from NAMFI. He worked as a marine engineer on fishing vessels for two years. He has experience in maintenance of different machinery such as large diesel engines, diesel generators, boilers, Turbocharger, freshwater generators, pumps and filters.

Ray Visagie

Operations Support

'Chief Lalandii' at Kelp Blue, jack of all trades when it comes to preparing farms for deployment at sea - welding, splicing and assemblies - with a cheeky smile and warm energy ALWAYS. "The future belongs to those who believe in the beauty of their dreams" - and at KB these dreams are big!

Samuel Boamah

Hydrodynamic Engineer

Samuel, originally from Ghana, is a strong advocate for the Blue Economy, promoting ocean literacy, and global climate change. He prides himself in contributing to research in hydrodynamics of offshore seaweed farms and offshore structures. Samuel is a skilled musician, great piano player, drummer, and bass guitar player. When he's not making music, we find him in the gym.

Shaneel Sharma

Biosystems

Enthusiastic about everything. Born and raised in the beautiful Fiji Islands. Holds a PhD in aquaculture from the Auckland University of Technology. Worked with a variety of species including geoducks, mussels, and abalone. While not in the lab he can be found wandering in the forests hiking and taking photos of mushrooms or at the beach fishing.

Ntsetselelo Mkansi

Production and Quality Manager

Commonly known as Lelo, she is a Biotechnology graduate, currently pursuing a Law degree through the University of South Africa, with environmental law being one of her favorite electives. She holds 10 years of experience in the manufacturing industry with a keen interest in lean management. The sound of running machines is music to her ears. Lelo is a people person, An avid café-hopper known for her contagious laughter, bubbly personality, and happy feet—always ready to dance. Passionate about community development and social engagement, she has spent some years delivering motivational talks at schools in various villages across the Limpopo province of South Africa. Her dream is to inspire others and explore the world !!

Hadewych de Groot van Embden

Strategic Partnership Development

Hadewych recently graduated with an MBA from INSEAD and has previous experience working as a consultant in new ways of working, helping organisations and people navigate through the complex challenges that change brings. She takes every chance she gets to go hiking in the mountains and loves everything food related, from going to the farmer’s markets, to cooking and discovering new restaurants.

Darryl Smith

Marine Operations Lead

From Walvis Bay, Namibia. 9 years experience in marine Ops including diving & seafaring. Held chief officer position on a supply vessel specialized in cargo handling offshore transport. Commercial diving experience in vessel inspection and marine construction. His 5k personal best is 20.45, which is not as fast as some of the vintage cars he loves, but he will keep trying.

Michael Mwinga

Sales & Agronomy Lead Namibia

Michael comes from a background of horticulture and mushroom farming. Before even knowing about Kelp Blue, he had tested 1L of StimBlue+ on various crops he had at home. With success! He joined the company to help farmers realize increased ROI using environmentally friendly products. Michael enjoys learning about everything and anything. On weekends, he can be found fixing or building things, or getting his hands dirty in his little garden.

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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