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Inovation pathway for valuable products
From the original idea in 1991 to company establishment in 1997
Sometimes the plan don’t fit the achievements.
Inovation, happiness and resilience = key to success.
Thinking “out of the box” can work
What can we do with this?
Summary
Legislation. To many public institutes managing the area lead to bureaucracy and big delays.
Available areas. PEDIP study reveal sea salt production as the biggest activity in portuguese shoreline.
Pointed to the mild weather and solar spots.
Expert opinions. Most of them pointed out to aquaculture as the best productive opportunity.
The start
The original idea think out of the box!
Flat land, mild weather, plenty of sun and sea water mean also great conditions to grow microalgae.
The amount of abandoned salt pans with natural microalgae blooms point to Dunaliella salina.
The organic trend was starting.
Organic Beta carotene could be a good volume and price market.
Nutrilite - USA
NBT - Israel
WesternBiotech - Australia
Office and laboratory negotiated with the Biotechnology College from UCP.
First works with microalgae intensive cultures; lab scale technology development.
Possible technology licensing, with the 3 companies in the world that had the production scale technology.
Lack of interest from all, lead to decision of Pilot Scale technology development.
Starting to fly
Framework as entrepreneurship project at university allow to get the best of the 2 worlds.
Under the Green Biotech Research group umbrella at E.S.B., Necton did apply to several consortia projects under EU framework.
ID projects allowed grants for people and money to install and operate lab and pilot facilities.
Entrepreneurs invested some money to pay for those expenses out of research framework.
Financing!
Technology Development Belamandil Pilot Plant, 1993-1996 From test tube to big race-way pond
CARET STUDY From dream to nightmare
Pilot scale technology developed with very good productivity results.
Company Nutrilite (Amway Corporation) interested in licensing the technology in a very favorable framework.
Memorandum of Understanding signed with Nutrilite CEO.
CARET study published in 1996.
Study done with synthetic β-Carotene but…
β-Carotene market fall in value to less than a half!
Young, motivated and self-confident
team with big will to succeed.
Microalgae production technologies
set up in place.
Capacity to produce small amounts of
natural β-Carotene.
Knowledge in several areas from
aquaculture to product development
and marketing.
12 hectares of traditional salt pans in
a natural reserve.
What’s left...
Legal set up of alnatural, cosmética natural, Lda. In 1996. Incubation at CACE, Loulé.
All natural sun cream developed with team knowledge.
Focus on raw material quality and organic certification, lead to high production price.
Distribution in pharmacies made competition with established brands, hard to deal with.
Beside hard effort, different approach and product quality, project did fail due essentially to lack of distribution.
First real business experience, did show lack of management skills in team.
Rising up 1 ! looking around
Legal setup of Necton – Companhia
Portuguesa de Culturas Marinhas, S.A. in 1997
Shareholders = THE TEAM
Still under ID&D framework now as a company.
Development of closed, fully controlled photobioreactors.
Development of concentrated microalgae solutions for aquaculture with Algarve University.
First sales of raw material to cosmetic markets.
Rising up 2 ! looking forward
Learning the traditional sea salt production process with local workers.1998
Rebuilt small part of the salt pans; first “Flor de Sal” production, Nature&Progres certification. 1999
Wide knowledge within the team allow different approaches to old problems.
Traditional production way, adapted to modern quality standards, with focus on sea salt for people.
Experience with alnatural lead to a winning marketing and distribution strategy.
Rising up 3 ! Looking from other way
First company in Europe producing and selling microalgae concentrates for aquaculture.
Clients grow the microalgae in their facilities; product replaces own production => hard to move in
B2B business model, necessary to build confidence with clients.
Sales to cosmetic industry as raw material for rich oil extraction.
Sales to RD&D projects all over the world; tailor made productions with high added value and knowledge build up.
Still small scale, waiting for market definition after biodiesel fashion.
Microalgae – The Business
Focus on product rather than production.
Microalgae mixes for better nutrition performance; bacteria characterization and control; shel-flife increase; correct utilization protocols
Axtaxhantin production with Haematococcus demonstrated.
More than 12 species produced in 2 different systems.
Microalgae – The Research
A4F – algafuel, S.A. Spin-out . April 2008
Energetic crisis and Quioto protocol brought microalgae to the headlines.
Most projects came from outside microalgae industry, selling dreams and half-trues.
Spin-out came from the necessity of strong and focused leadership; senior manager brought aboard as shareholder.
Necton, major shareholder, continue with it microalgae business, licensing technology and sharing network.
Business model based on the application of microalgae biomass production technologies in symbiosis with heavy industry.
Waste to value in a win-win relationship.
Microalgae – The Spin-out
Concept innovation; people deserve better than industry.
Old technology, new approach with quality, sustainability, taste and nutrition added values.
From the cheap and raw to the elegant and fancy.
Market penetration started in Paris, Brussels and Geneve fancy food shops.
2 years growing in gourmet european market before presenting to portuguese modern distribution.
Growing in portuguese supermarkets, before presenting to european big players
2º biggest Flor de Sal producer in Europe.
Salt is not all the same
Products certified by several organization as hand harvested traditional sea salt.
Several awards won, great notability among clients and competition.
Different brands for gourmet market and supermarkets; serving “high level clients” with private label and tailor made solutions.
Actually serving more than 100 clients all over the world; 40% volume export.
Professional management in a independent business area with 28 full time workers.
Working 23 ha in Portugal, starting projects in Africa and America
Upgrading the facility to increase packaging capacity and reach high level quality certifications
Salt – what are we doing
Sustainability is the MAIN driving force. Company MUST be sustainable in all processes and products
Sustainability and social responsibility, to be the major marketing claims.
Ecological footprint methodology for salt products, developed with IST from Lisbon University. Methodology shared @ecosalt.org
From January 2012 all salt products will communicate the amount of CO2 realesed in manufacturing process.
A4f is installing what will be the biggest photobioreactor in Europe.
In the pipe
