Climate Tech Startup Absorbs $5.2M for Sunlight-Fed ‘Carbon-Negative’ Proteins

Arborea has closed a €5M ($5.2M) investment round to build a facility for its Biosolar Leaf system, which industrialises photosynthesis to create high-value microalgae proteins.

Anglo-Portuguese startup Arborea is building a commercial-scale facility for a microalgae protein system that uses sunlight as an infinite feedstock, sequesters carbon, and releases breathable oxygen – all while feeding a global population set to approach 10 billion by 2050.

To supercharge these efforts, the firm has raised €5M ($5.2M) as part of an investment round led by Indico Capital Partners, with participation from Banco Português de Fomento.

It takes the 2015-founded startup’s total VC funding to $9.5M, in addition to grants worth $4.5M by several bodies, including the European Innovation Council.

The fresh capital injection will allow Arborea to scale up its Biosolar Leaf platform, which can cultivate any of the 50,000 microscopic plants discovered – including microalgae, blue-green algae and diatoms – without the need for fertile farmland or agricultural feedstocks, resulting in a fraction of a climate footprint compared to not just livestock, but even plants like soy.

“The investment in Arborea will have a transformative impact on the food industry, particularly in replacing animal protein,” said Stephan de Moraes, managing general partner at Indico Capital. “The Biosolar Leaf cultivation system from microalgae enables the production of a higher quantity of protein compared to any other food production method, including agriculture and animal production.”

Biosolar Leaf system industrialises photosynthesis

Arborea was founded by Imperial College alum Julian Melchiorri nearly a decade ago, and makes a range of proteins for applications in food and drinks, nutrition products, supplements, as well as cosmetics.

They’re made from what the startup describes as the “only carbon-neutral plant biomass on the market”. The Bisolar Leaf technology is inspired by photosynthesis, using one acre of units to absorb carbon and release oxygen 100 times more than an average forest of the same size.

The modular, soil-free system can sequester CO2 directly from air, making it suitable to be sited on any surface, even barren land and rooftops. It can also be co-located with carbon-producing processes without the costly compression of CO2 required by many other cultivation technologies.

The way the food system uses land today is highly inefficient. To feed the current population, we’ve had to convert land from nature to agriculture, which accelerates biodiversity loss. But forecasts show that we’d need to convert an area the size of Africa – in addition to the land we’re currently using for food – to feed the global population by 2050.

That is unsustainable, and dangerous for the future of the planet. Most of the world’s agricultural land (80%) is used to feed livestock, or produce meat and dairy. Arborea claims that its platform requires 5,000 times less land and 40 times less water than livestock, while generating a mere fraction of the greenhouse gas emissions of beef.

Moreover, the Biosolar Lead system is also said to use 100 times less land and five times less water than soy, the majority of whose supply is reserved for animal feed. In fact, it only requires an area of non-fertile land the size of the New York metropolitan area to meet the proteins demand for 2050.

Plus, by minimising freshwater use, Arborea helps balance the difference between freshwater withdrawals and replenishment. It also ensures there are no nutrient runoffs, which can build up in lakes, rivers, and coastal waters, affecting natural ecosystems.

Protein ingredient for a range of applications

Arborea’s current range includes a line of functional proteins, a Pure Blue powder, and an Ultra Pure Spirulina. Among the former is the Novo functional protein, an egg alternative that has the same emulsifying and binding properties, but without the food safety and price volatility issues. It can be used in baked goods, vegan egg formulations, and plant-based meat.

Its Amino Water is an ultra-soluble ingredient to deliver the right amount of all essential amino acids into liquid products like milk alternatives and functional waters.

Meanwhile, the Pure Concentrate contains at least 75% protein with a full amino acid profile, alongside iron, vitamins and minerals to deliver optimal nutrition in food and beverage products.

Outside the functional protein lineup, the Pure Blue powder is a blue pigment protein with superior antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties, such as the reduction of free radicals and oxidative damage, immune system support, and detoxification. The high purity results in a vivid blue hue that can add functional health attributes and naturally colour products like ice cream, confectionery, dietary supplements, nutraceuticals, beverages, and more.

And the Ultra Pure Spirulina is a deep-green powder with at least 70% complete protein and essential micronutrients. It helps control blood glucose levels, lowers LDL cholesterol, aids weight regulation, and reduces skin ageing, among others. The ingredient can be used in both human and infant nutrition applications, as well as nutraceuticals, supplements, and cosmetics.

Arborea’s fresh funding will help it scale the Biosolar Leaf system that these products are extracted out of. Separately, it’s also working with the UK’s Natural Resources Institute and Imperial College London on a two-year project to create microalgae proteins with a superior taste profile.

“This funding marks a pivotal step in our mission to revolutionise food production through our Biosolar Leaf technology,” said Melchiorri, who is the CEO. “By sustainably and carbon-negatively producing multifunctional protein – clean in taste, colour, and adaptable to diverse food applications – we are tackling two of the world’s most pressing challenges: food security and climate change.”