Tom Puddy

SeaStock has been selected to participate in the MassChallenge Switzerland 2023 accelerator program.

SeaStock is the only Australian company to be selected as a finalist in this year’s program, which will provide the company with access to mentorship, resources, and networking opportunities with global industry leaders.

“We are honoured to be selected for the MassChallenge Switzerland 2023 accelerator program,” said SeaStock Managing Director and co-founder Tom Puddy. 

“This is a fantastic opportunity for us to reach a global audience and to share our business journey with global industry players.”

SeaStock is developing a novel method to cultivate and replicate the reproductive life cycle stages of Asparagopsis taxiformis seaweed, which has been shown to reduce methane emissions in livestock by up to 90%. 

The company has also filed for a patent for its method of extracting high-value compounds from seaweed and algae for use in a range of industries.

“We are part of an emerging industry that is focused on methane reduction across the global agriculture sector,” said Puddy. 

“The interest in our industry is growing exponentially year on year and we are at the forefront in terms of the science behind cultivating and extracting high value compounds from seaweed and algae and commercialising the supply of those products to end users globally.”

SeaStock has already established a multi-year collaboration agreement with the Marine Research team at Flinders University in Adelaide, South Australia, and has completed its first commercial harvest at the Abrolhos Islands off Geraldton, Western Australia. 

The company is currently engaged in conducting feasibility studies for a fully operational commercial plant in regional Western Australia in 2024.

SeaStock has discovered new applications for compounds derived from seaweed, beyond its primary focus of reducing methane emissions in livestock.

Currently, there is strong demand for a livestock feed additive derived from Asparagopsis, a type of seaweed, which can reduce methane emissions by up to 90%. 

SeaStock is refining the cultivation of Asparagopsis for this purpose, but it is also exploring other markets for seaweed-based compounds.

SeaStock, in partnership with Flinders University, is investigating a range of other compounds derived from Asparagopsis taxiformis, which have high commercial value. 

These compounds have a range of applications across the food and beverage, pharmaceutical, and cosmetic industries.

Some of the compounds which have been successfully extracted are recognized for their antioxidant, anti-inflammatory, anti-allergen, anti-virus, and tumour-suppressing capabilities, among others. 

Other applications include use as a natural pigment to replace potentially harmful artificial dyes in food and confectionary products and as an active and colour ingredient in cosmetic products.

SeaStock's research is still in the preliminary phase, but the company is confident that its seaweed-based compounds have the potential to make a significant impact in a range of industries.

SeaStockand its research partner Flinders University have marked a major milestone in the development of the full life cycle of Asparagopsis taxiformis.

Asparagopsis taxiformis is a Western Australian native red algae from the Abrolhos Islands that has been shown to reduce methane emissions in livestock by up to 90%. 

However, it has a highly complex life cycle, making it challenging to cultivate commercially.

The SeaStock and Flinders University research team has successfully cultured tetrasporophyte and the early-stage of gametophyte in the laboratory. 

This is a major milestone in the development of their research, as it will allow SeaStock to further its research in ocean culture by way of seeding lines.

"This is a very significant milestone and one that was achieved well ahead of our anticipated timeline," said SeaStock Managing Director Tom Puddy. 

"This will allow us to gear up to produce larger commercial quantities of Asparagopsis to meet market demand and to scale up more quickly which is a huge positive for us as we progress."

The successful culturing of tetrasporophyte and the early-stage of gametophyte is a significant step towards the commercial cultivation of Asparagopsis taxiformis. 

This could have a major impact on the global agriculture sector, as it would provide a sustainable and scalable way to reduce methane emissions from livestock.

SeaStock has partnered with the marine research science team at Flinders University in Adelaide. 

The partnership is critical to SeaStock's success as it moves towards its goal of full-scale commercial production of Western Australian Asparagopsis.

Asparagopsis taxiformis is a Western Australian native red algae that has been shown to reduce methane emissions in livestock by up to 90%. 

Methane is a greenhouse gas that is 25 times more potent than carbon dioxide, so reducing methane emissions is essential for combating climate change.

SeaStock and Flinders University are in phase two of their research program, which is focused on developing commercially viable Asparagopsis cultivation methods. The research team is investigating both onshore and offshore cultivation methods.

"We are very excited to be working with Flinders University on this important research," said SeaStock Managing Director Tom Puddy. 

"The team at Flinders has world-class expertise in seaweed cultivation, and we are confident that together we can develop the methods needed to produce Asparagopsis taxiformis on a commercial scale."

The successful development of commercially viable Asparagopsis cultivation methods would have a major impact on the global agriculture sector.