About Kelp blue

We harvest cultivated kelp to produce ingredients for agriculture, pharmaceuticals, and textiles.

Our team learn more

To restore our planet to equilibrium, or even to abundance, we need to come together to find cost-effective, long term and environmentally sustainable solutions. At Kelp Blue, we believe we’ve found one such solution: growing and managing large-scale Giant Kelp forests.

The process

The Hatchery

The sorus tissue, the fertile material that is found on mature kelp blades, is taken to our hatchery. A safe and controlled environment where we nurture the kelp from near microscopic gametophytes, through to sporophytes - the multicellular leaf-like stage. Once big enough, the sporophytes are attached to a special wire and made ready to be planted in the ocean.

outplanting

At the out-planting stage, the twine is wrapped around our farm structures. Our farm uses lines and ropes onto which the holdfast - the root-like foot of the kelp - can securily attach. Our team of divers will secure the twine to the structures and regularly monitor the progress of the growing kelp.

Engineering

The farms are submerged in the ocean. In the deeper water we have installed structures that are anchored at around 15 metres below the surface – the perfect depth to maximise access to nutrients and light while keeping the young kelp out of the most violent movement of the waves.

marine monitoring

Our dedicated marine monitoring team regularly check on the kelp and keep track of the biodiversity observed. They use a range of different methods including methods like acoustics, visual observations, water sample analysis, and environmental DNA. We also regularly measure water quality and analyze dissolved organic carbon in the lab.

harvesting

Once the kelp grows to maturity and starts forming a canopy, some of the biomass is harvested to turn into sustainable alternatives for industries such as agriculture and packaging. Currently the kelp is harvested by hand, but we are working on a fully-automated solar powered emission-free harvester which would allow us to significantly scale up our operations.

processing

Our kelp is carefully processed to extract its bioactive compounds. Through innovative techniques, we concentrate these compounds into potent biostimulants that increase crop yield, improve soil health, reduce chemical dependency, and improve abiotic stress stress tolerance.

quality control

Quality control is at the core of our operations. Every batch undergoes rigorous testing to ensure consistent performance, which is crucial for biostimulants to perform consistently in varying agricultural environments. Rigorous testing ensures that our products deliver reliable, optimal results, every time.

R&D

The R&D team valorizes all components of the kelp. Our new products include a bio-based leather alternative, as well as blended fabrics and coatings. We extract alginates and fucoidan, which can be used in cosmetics, nutraceuticals and as input materials for bio packaging or as gelling agents.

how we do it

Innovation is at the heart of what we do. It isn’t just about “tech”, innovation is actually very human— it takes heart, it takes soul; from everyone involved. Because big innovation has big impact on the planet and people.

Meet the team

We are so proud of our hard-working Kelpies, who work tirelessly to make our oceans a little better every day.

Angelique Dodds

PA to the CEO

Born and bred in Windhoek, Namibia, Angelique joined Kelp Blue with a BSc in Environmental Biology. She just submitted her MSc Thesis with a scholarship from the Kelp Forest Foundation. Angelique's passion for the ocean ignited at age 5 during trips to Swakopmund, continuing to fuel her work. Her love for the sea, which she describes as putting everything in perspective, is the driving force behind her career in marine ecology. Angelique spends her free time reading science fiction books to escape real life. The best advice she was given was, “Progress is better than perfection”.

James Nampala

Production and Maintenance Supervisor

James holds an honours degree in fisheries and aquatic science from University of Namibia and a diploma in marine engineering from NAMFI. He worked as a marine engineer on fishing vessels for two years. He has experience in maintenance of different machinery such as large diesel engines, diesel generators, boilers, Turbocharger, freshwater generators, pumps and filters.

Renske Wytzes

New Product Development Lead

Raised in the countryside, Renske moved to Rotterdam to study Economics and Business at Erasmus University. After launching a startup in shared mobility for students, she joined the Dutch development bank, investing in early-stage ventures. There, she discovered her passion for agriculture, both on land and in the ocean – and felt the pull back to the practical side. You’ll find Renske by the Amstel river where she lives: taking morning plunges, running, reading books, or hosting spontaneous dinners and drinks by the water.

Rosalia Abner

Facilities Manager

A gem! Rosalia is the one who keeps the office running and tidy and always has a smile on her face. She has committed to reading one book a week from the Kelp Blue library. And we’ve all seen her reading during her breaks. Rosalia makes a fabulous roast chicken, the recipe for her spice rub is a closely guarded secret.

Fabian Shaanika

Managing Director Namibia

Fabian has close to 2 decades mining industry experience having worked at four of Namibia’s large mining operations in various technical and managerial roles. He also has half a decade experience in the banking industry. Fabian speaks Oshiwambo, English and Afrikaans fluently and has enough basic German and Damara/Nama to get around. Outside work, Fabian helps his geologist wife, Ndawe raise their kids. When time permits, he gets on his mountain bike -usually in preparation for the annual Desert Dash (397km MTB, crossing the world’s oldest desert).

Siririka Kapenauarue

Seawater Technician

Originally from Namibia's Omaheke region, Kapenauarue Siririka holds a diploma in Natural Resources Management from the University of Namibia. Passionate about conservation, Siririka enjoys spending his free time playing football, a sport he loves.

Greater Mukumbira

Chief of Staff

A passionate believer in leveraging the power and enthusiasm of the youth to change the planet. Has extensive experience bringing multi-disciplinary teams together and providing the necessary support and structure to creative thinkers. Greater loves cooking and running and has been known to lose flip-flops in the sand dunes.

Darryl Smith

Marine Operations Lead

From Walvis Bay, Namibia. 9 years experience in marine Ops including diving & seafaring. Held chief officer position on a supply vessel specialized in cargo handling offshore transport. Commercial diving experience in vessel inspection and marine construction. His 5k personal best is 20.45, which is not as fast as some of the vintage cars he loves, but he will keep trying.

Join the team See everyone

vision 2029

By 2029, our goal is to remove over 1 million tons of CO2 annually through 70,000 hectares of Giant Kelp farms located 30-100 km offshore from Lüderitz. These farms benefit from the Benguela Current, which is twice as productive as the Chile current and nine times more productive than the California current. This results in a 10%-20% increase in regional fish stocks and biodiversity, creating over 400 local jobs and indirectly supporting 800-1,000 more.

Careers

We’re not a ‘business as usual’ scale-up. We value originality and creativity, expect a healthy dose of common sense, that you are a problem solver by nature and that you’re comfortable getting on with tasks in an unstructured environment.

If you feel like you’re a good fit, please get in touch. You might be what we are looking for and we don’t even know it.

We’re always on the look out for those who want to join us on our journey to leave the planet in a better place. Send us an email with your resume to newkelpies@kelp.blue

Transform Your Farm with StimBlue+

Ready to boost your yields and enhance soil health? Contact our team of agronomists to learn how StimBlue+ can benefit your farm. Our team is ready to answer all your questions, comments, and requests.

Or give us a call, WhatsApp only:
+32 (0)4 70 80 64 57

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