The CoLab brings together a variety of several different stakeholders:

• Established CPG Companies serve as anchors for the technical challenges the CoLab will solve. They generate hypotheses, define success criteria, and ensure that technical solutions map to viable business cases.

• Emerging CPG Companies are the heart of the CoLab, aligning with Anchors on technical challenges and working directly with Product R&D Experts and Ingredient Suppliers during an iterative product development process.

• Ingredient Suppliers develop ingredient solutions based on success criteria and specifications from the Established and Emerging CPGs. They actively participate in R&D, share insights on feasibility and scalability, and ultimately have the opportunity to manufacture kelp-based ingredient solutions developed through this program.

• Product R&D Experts are innovation professionals who advise the entire CoLab ecosystem on the feasibility of potential solutions, and work directly with Ingredient Suppliers during the R&D process.

Kelp is one of the fastest-growing and most sustainable crops on earth. It’s also an innovation multi-tool, lending itself to applications including:

• Natural stabilizers, texturizers, emulsifiers, and binders via unique polysaccharides not available from any other source

• Antimicrobials for preservation

• Low sodium flavor enhancer

• Bioactives with antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties

• Prebiotics and soluble fiber for gut health

• Fortification powerhouse across minerals, vitamins, and micronutrients.

When grown in a regenerative ocean farming system, kelp requires zero inputs — the ocean provides everything, with no need for freshwater, arable land, fertilizer, or pesticides. While kelp is in the water it is delivers environmental benefits such as absorbing nitrogen and carbon dioxide and increasing biodiversity.

Nothing! All activities, travel, and research & development are fully sponsored. Participants are expected to commit their time, energy, and expertise over the course of the 10-month program.

The application period will open in April 2025, and selected companies will be notified of acceptance by June 2025.

At the end of the program, participants will have developed a bench-scale prototype of a kelp-based ingredient that solves one of the biggest challenges in CPGs. These ingredient solutions will receive priority consideration for follow-on pilot projects with additional funding of up to $100k.

GreenWave is a U.S. bicoastal nonprofit founded in 2014 to build and support the regenerative ocean farming (ROF) movement.

Our work has been profiled over 200 news articles, documentaries, and podcasts over the last decade, celebrating ROF’s ability to produce significant crop volumes with minimal environmental impact.

Waterfront communities have embraced the opportunity to move away from the failing seafood sector, transitioning their boats, dockside infrastructure, and labor force to farming rather than fishing.

And this is a huge benefit to companies looking to source seaweed as an ingredient — ROF offers a climate-resilient supply that is close to home, renewable, and able to scale quickly to meet the needs of large buyers.

We believe that the CPG industry has the ethos, skills, and products required to build long-term value chains for regenerative kelp. Our vision is a net-zero CPG sector powered by regeneratively-farmed kelp, and the Kelp Innovation CoLab is a program designed to get us there faster.