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MiAlgae
Upcycling distillery co-products into sustainable Omega-3 algae
About MiAlgae
MiAlgae is a biotechnology company that has developed a process to produce Omega-3-rich microalgae for animal and fish feed. The company utilizes co-products from the whisky distillation process as a feedstock, positioning itself as a circular economy solution. This approach aims to reduce reliance on wild-caught fish, the traditional source of Omega-3s, thereby addressing overfishing and its impact on marine ecosystems.
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Founded in 2016 by Douglas Martin, the company originated while he was pursuing an MSc in Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh. Martin, now the CEO, was inspired to find a better use for algae after an algal bloom disrupted his work in the North Sea. He co-invented the company's patented process and has been recognized as a Forbes Under 30 honoree. The company's product, NaturAlgae, is a dry powder with a high concentration of DHA and other oils that can be added to recipes for aquaculture and pet food. MiAlgae's business model involves providing a more sustainable disposal service for Scottish distilleries by upcycling their co-products into a higher-value product.
The company operates from its base at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh campus and has a demonstrator site in Balfron, Stirlingshire. Following successful scaling at its demonstrator site in 2023, MiAlgae has secured significant funding to build a new industrial-scale production facility. As of late 2024, the company had raised a total of £20 million, including a £14 million Series A round to accelerate commercialization and meet demand from the aquaculture, pet food, and human health sectors. The company was also a 2024 finalist for the Earthshot Prize, an award founded by Prince William.
At a glance
- Status
- Operational
- Founded
- 2016
- Headquarters
- Edinburgh, United Kingdom
- Employees
- 62
- Open positions
- 2
- Dealroom signal
- 70.2/100
- Sub-industry
- Water, Waste Solution, AgriTech, Innovative Food
- Sector
- Energy, Recycling, Farming, Dietary Supplements, Aquaculture, Biotechnology, Algae, Water Treatment
- Technology
- Deep Tech
- Business model
- Manufacturing
- Client focus
- b2b
Knowledge graph
More headlines
Funding history
Company financing events and reported valuations.
| Deal type | Date | Amount | Valuation | Investors | Source |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| GRANT✓Other financing | Jan 2026 | $4M | — | Government of the United Kingdom · The Scottish Government | ↗ |
| SERIES A✓Equity / VC | Nov 2025 | $9M | $92M | Undisclosed | ↗ |
Growth signals
Latest recorded traffic for MiAlgae is 1.9K monthly website visits, up 46.2% over the last three months. MiAlgae's team grew 0% over the past year.
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Investments and acquisitions
Recent portfolio relationships for companies that also act as investors or acquirers.
Investors
From Dealroom's funding and investor records, grouped by the round each investor first entered.
Seed3 investors entered at this stage
Equity Gap
Government of the United Kingdom
The Scottish Government
Series A11 investors entered at this stage
Scottish Enterprise Growth Investments
Old College Capital
Hillhouse Capital
SIS Ventures
The Conduit Connect
Edinburgh Innovations
Blue Oceans Partners
Ananke Ventures
Ascension
Clay Capital
Rabo Ventures
Other known investors5 additional known investors
3Ventures
Gareth Williams
Rabo Investments
Scottish EDGE
SWEN Capital Partners
Source: Dealroom Talent Intelligence.
Global footprint
team presence
Market sentiment
An AI-synthesised read of the highest-engagement posts about MiAlgae on X, ranked by likes and reposts, corporate channels excluded.
Reading the room on X — pulling top posts and synthesizing themes…
Source: X recent search ranked by engagement (likes + retweets) · Synthesis by Claude · Cached for 1 hour
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