MiAlgae awarded £100k for major scale up

ECCI entrepreneurs MiAlgae have been awarded a £100k grant from Innovate UK to scale-up the company's innovative production process.

The company is one of the start-ups on ECCI’s Climate-KIC Accelerator programme, which helps great business ideas take off by providing office space, coaching and access to our low carbon community.

Started by University of Edinburgh alumna Douglas Martin, the company uses waste water to grow microalgae that can be turned into feed for livestock and commercially farmed fish.

Innovate UK is the UK's innovation agency - driving productivity and growth by supporting businesses to realise the potential of new technologies, develop ideas and make them a commercial success. Since 2007 Innovate UK has committed over £1.8 billion to innovation and helped 8,000 organisations estimated to add more than £16 billion to the UK economy and create nearly 70,000 jobs.

Douglas said: “Our microalgae replaces the practice of mincing up other small fish to put into animal and fish feed. Using waste water cuts costs, plus there’s the benefit that we clean up the water we use and put it back - a triple win.”

“This grant is a fantastic boost – it will give us funding to to scale-up the company's innovative production process.

“Thanks to ECCI and the Climate-KIC Accelerator programme for all their help and support in getting us here.”