Trade Show

The Aotearoa New Zealand Seaweed Association (ANZSA) was formed following a meeting in Nelson on the 8th of July 2021, organized by Aquaculture New Zealand, of those interested in developing the Aotearoa New Zealand seaweed sector.

Subsequently a working group was formed to establish the Association and refine the purpose, vision and values, which were tabled at the initial Nelson meeting. The inaugural meeting of ANZSA was held on the 7th of December 2021, where an Interim Board was established. The first Board election was held in December/January 2023 and the first elected Board appointed.

ANZSA provides a united voice on matters which promote our vision of a high value, nature positive seaweed industry, that delivers healthy marine ecosystems, thriving communities and sustainable economic growth for Aotearoa New Zealand.

Their purpose is to provide members with a united voice and coordinated action to promote the ANZSA vision. They work for the whole industry through:

• Community building, networking and connecting.

• Building a positive local and international reputation.

• Championing industry enabling policy and standards.

• Promoting access to research, knowledge and sustainable industry practices.

• Enabling collective brand and IP ownership.

Iniya Bioprobes Pvt Ltd is a women-led biotechnology startup incubated at the CSIR–CFTRI, Mysuru, India, specializing in CRISPR-based strain improvement and advanced bioprocessing to develop high-value pigments and bioactive compounds from algae—including astaxanthin, lutein, fucoxanthin, phycocyanin, and omega-3–rich extracts. Our sustainable, high-purity algal ingredients serve the nutraceutical, cosmetic, functional food, textile, and paint & coating industries, all of which are experiencing strong global demand for natural, eco-friendly colorants. We combine precision biotechnology with green extraction technologies to deliver high-quality, scalable, and environmentally responsible algal solutions for global B2B markets.

Varicon Aqua is the manufacturer of the Phyco-™ range of photobioreactors and the Cell-Hi line of algal nutrients. They are based in the UK and their team has more than 30 years’ experience designing, constructing and deploying algal photobioreactors, high rate algal ponds and aquaculture production systems worldwide. All Varicon Aqua products are built to the highest specifications using high throughput precision manufacturing processes. They combine this manufacturing experience with strong supply chain relationships, giving a systems wide understanding of both the equipment and production processes. This unique experience gives them a competitive advantage during client engagement and project specification, allowing them to provide bespoke photobioreactor and cultivation systems for a wide range of applications. They pride themselves on the ability to support the client from conception through to commissioning and exploitation, an ability founded on a clear understanding of the interplay between the needs of the organism and their engineered solutions.

To date they have deployed over 290 photobioreactor systems across the globe, ranging in scale from 5 L to 400,000 L. All Varicon Aqua systems are built to high specifications using precision manufacturing processes. Prominent products include their serpentine Phyco-Flow™ and Phyco-Pond systems, which are often deployed in pilot or commercial production environments. Newer reactors include their vertical column photobioreactors, the Phyco-Lift and Phyco-Bubble; as well as their Eco-range of systems, which encapsulate both high rate algal ponds and column designs. In addition to their photobioreactor systems they also specialise in providing the auxiliary equipment necessary for running a successful algal production facility. This includes equipment for process monitoring and control, as well as LED solutions and the apparatus required for downstream processing. Furthermore, they supply a broad range of specialised Cell-Hi algae nutrient and culture media as well as concentrates, aquaculture feeds and water treatments.

The Seaweed Social Business (SSB) is an Earthshot Prize 2026 nominated initiative that provides inclusive solutions to climate, economic, and social challenges by developing a global seaweed sector rooted in social business models. It is aligned with Yunus Thailand’s “3 Zeros” created by Nobel Peace Prize laureate Muhammad Yunus, which envisions zero net carbon emissions, zero poverty, and zero unemployment. SSB empowers entrepreneurs to strengthen coastal community resilience through seaweed cultivation, enabling scalable and self-sustaining livelihoods while supporting local coastal economies.

SSB’s current pilot operates in Satun Province, Thailand, focusing on Caulerpa macrodisca cultivation with 35 women entrepreneurs living along the Andaman coast. Products include fresh Caulerpa, Caulerpa powder, and Caulerpa seaweed mackerel fish chips.