- Created on
- 26 June 2026
- Theme
- EU4Algae
Published on 26 June 2026
Co-organised by the Oceanographic Institute of Monaco, the Prince Albert II of Monaco Foundation, and the Government of Monaco, the Blue Economy and Finance Forum brought together investors, insurers, businesses, innovators, experts, and policymakers from around the world to explore opportunities and challenges in advancing a sustainable and resilient blue economy.
As part of the event, EU4Algae representatives Adrien Vincent, who moderated the session, and Laura Maragna, EU4Algae Project Manager, took part in the side event "Unlocking the Seaweed Potential: Deploying Integrated Financing Strategies to Scale Seaweed Markets", which explored how blended financing approaches can help accelerate the growth of the seaweed sector.
Unlocking Investment for the Seaweed Sector
The session focused on a key challenge facing the seaweed industry: scaling production and market development requires more than a single source of funding. Instead, a combination of grants, equity, and debt financing is needed to support innovation, infrastructure development, market expansion, and long-term growth across the value chain.
Bringing together practitioners, investors, and sector experts, the discussion examined the financing needs of the seaweed industry and highlighted the range of financial instruments already available to support its development. Participants also explored how greater awareness of these opportunities can help attract new investors to the sector and unlock further growth.
Laura Maragna highlighted the European Commission's ongoing commitment to supporting the sector through a variety of programmes and funding instruments that help de-risk investments and foster innovation. These include Horizon Europe, the Circular Bio-based Europe Joint Undertaking (CBE JU), the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF), the European Innovation Council (EIC), and other complementary initiatives.
The investor panel brought additional views on other types of funding for the seaweed sector. Sarah Wan-Yau (Potato Impact Partners), Jonas Skattum Svegaarden (Katapult Ocean) and JV Poe (Planet Ocean Capital) – spanning early-stage and growth equity through to project debt – each set out what had drawn their funds into seaweed. A common theme across the discussion was the long-term value proposition of seaweed and its regenerative benefits for both people and the ocean. The panellists emphasised that seaweed investments often require a longer investment horizon than traditional venture capital models, reflecting the time needed for businesses to scale sustainably. For investors new to the sector, this reframing – long-term, impact-anchored capital rather than traditional fast-exit venture capital models – is central to understanding how seaweed can realistically be financed.
Building Confidence in the Blue Bioeconomy
The conversation also reinforced the growing recognition of seaweed and blue biotechnology as strategic components of the sustainable blue economy. As interest from investors continues to increase, ensuring that businesses can access appropriate financing at different stages of development remains essential to unlocking the sector's full potential.
A central takeaway was that scaling seaweed is not about any single source of capital but about combining grants, equity, and debt intelligently across the value chain. The discussion highlighted that many of the necessary financing instruments already exist and can be leveraged together to support sector growth.
Practitioners illustrated how companies combine different funding sources throughout their development journey, while Laura Maragna outlined how European public funding can help de-risk early-stage activities. Investors then shared perspectives on how private capital can support businesses as they mature. Together, the discussion underscored the importance of collaboration between industry, investors, policymakers, and public funding bodies – a principle reflected in the side event's co-organisers, including the Oceanographic Institute, EU4Algae, the Global Seaweed Coalition, and the European Algae Biomass Association.
The event provided a valuable opportunity to connect with actors from across the blue economy ecosystem, exchange perspectives on investment readiness, and showcase ongoing efforts to strengthen Europe's algae and seaweed value chains.
Blue Biotechnology Among the Most Attractive Investment Segments
The discussions at the Forum aligned closely with findings from the latest BlueInvest Investors Report 2026, which identifies blue biotechnology as one of the four most investor-attractive segments within the blue economy. This growing investor interest reflects the increasing recognition of algae- and seaweed-based solutions as contributors to sustainability, climate resilience, resource efficiency, and the development of innovative bio-based products and markets.
Looking ahead, the practitioner perspectives offered concrete grounds for optimism. Olavur Gregersen (Ocean Rainforest) and Shrikumar Suryanarayan (Sea6 Energy), who have each built seaweed businesses over more than a decade, described how their companies are now entering a new phase – markedly closer to profitability, with the operational foundations for scale-up in place. In their view, this growing maturity should help draw a wider pool of investors into the space. At the same time, both stressed that securing demand remains decisive: firm offtake agreements – particularly with corporate buyers – are what will ultimately reassure investors and help turn the sector's promise into bankable, scalable businesses.
By contributing to these discussions, EU4Algae continues to support knowledge exchange, stakeholder collaboration, and the development of enabling conditions that can help accelerate the sustainable growth of the European algae sector.
Additional information
Join the #EU4Algae conversation and keep an eye on the EU4Algae Forum to stay updated on ongoing activities, initiatives, and sector updates.
Got questions? Contact us at: contact
eu4algae [dot] eu (contact[at]eu4algae[dot]eu).