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.

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.

Xu Ben Zhang

De-carbonator

Xu was born in Zwollywood (a.k.a Zwolle, a countryside city) and studied Industrial Ecology at the University of Leiden, Delft University of Technology and at the University of Melbourne. She started her career as a sustainability consultant for the real estate sector and worked with the Port of Amsterdam on bioremediation. Xu is an avid and elegant rock-climber, has a one-eyed cat and loves cooking, travelling and plants.

Daniel Hooft

Founder, CEO

Daniel has over 20 years’ experience in various executive roles gained with Royal Dutch Shell in 7 different countries. He has a track record of delivering extraordinary business results by identifying technical and commercial opportunities and acting on them decisively. Daniel is passionate about the sea and the complex Anthropocene world we live in.

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.

Aina Iyambula

R&D Specialist

With an honours degree in Biochemistry and a Masters in Chemistry from the University of Namibia, Aina is a great asset to our R&D team. She has held a variety of roles where she gained experience in product formulation and pilot extraction techniques, including CO2 extraction. Aina has a passion for laboratory work and especially piloting production processes which will be very useful in our biotech team. In her spare time, Aina likes reading non-fiction literature.

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.

Ferdi Knoester

Logistics Lead

Graduated with a Masters in Hydraulic Engineering from TU Delft. Built an artificial reef to combat coastal erosion in North Sulawesi and built a bamboo factory in the jungles of Nicaragua while working together with the indigenous Miskito populations. Ferdi loves to dive and does this in every place he visits (where possible), has run the Rotterdam marathon and completed the Barcelona Iron Man 70.3.

Josephine Edward

Marine Monitoring Lead

Josephine brings more than ten years of experience as a marine biologist to her work. She earned her Master of Science in Biodiversity and Conservation Biology from the University of Western Cape. Through her company, the Lady Marine Consultancy Firm, she has received accolades in the Sustainable Blue Economy sector. Her dedication to ocean awareness and stewardship resonates with the mission of Kelp Blue, and that is why she joined the team. Josephine loves the ocean however she is allergic to seafood.

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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