Swedish Algae Factory
Swedish Algae Factory cultivates diatoms and extracts patented Algica® silica shells used as an active marine ingredient in cosmetics and personal care, with active R&D in solar cells, batteries, and wound care applications.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2018
- HeadquartersGothenburg, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Swedish Algae Factory does
Swedish Algae Factory is a privately held Swedish deep-tech company, founded in 2014 and headquartered in Gothenburg, that cultivates diatoms (unicellular microscopic algae) and extracts their patented amorphous silica shells — marketed as Algica® — for use in beauty care, with active R&D into solar cells, lithium-ion batteries, and adjacent specialty-material applications. The company's core technology centers on a patented cultivation and extraction process that preserves the diatom shells' hierarchical mesopore structure (~50 nm pores), high silanol-group surface chemistry, and natural photonic-crystal properties that cannot be synthetically replicated industrially today. Production is centralized at a high-tech, automated greenhouse facility in Kungshamn on the Swedish west coast, featuring stacked shallow-lane cultivation modules providing over 10,000 square meters of growth area, an automated biofilm harvester, and a circular process that draws nutrient-rich wastewater from a neighboring food producer and captures at least 8 kg of CO2, 1 kg of nitrogen, and 0.1 kg of phosphorus per kg of Algica® produced. Algica® is COSMOS and Natrue approved as an active marine ingredient for natural and organic beauty care, and is positioned as a multi-functional replacement for synthetic mesoporous silica, polyurethanes, polyesters, and synthetic nano-materials across skincare formulations, with quantified solar-cell efficiency gains of 35% (2020) and 101% (2023) and lithium-ion anode capacity above 800 mAh/g versus ~370 mAh/g for graphite.
The company monetizes Algica® through direct B2B sales to cosmetics and personal-care brand owners, supported by a dedicated product microsite (algica.com), a sales-and-marketing team led by Samantha Lööw, and named technical and commercial contacts (Anna Wellander, Simon Nilsson). GTM is sales-led and event-driven (in-cosmetics Global, Intersolar Europe, InnoEnergy TBB), supplemented by public-funded dissemination channels and EU consortium co-development (LIFE SUNALGAE, SUSTBATT) with research partners including Chalmers, Gothenburg, NTNU, SINTEF, Uppsala, and CSIC. Pricing is quote-based and not publicly disclosed. Capital structure reflects a mix of non-dilutive public grants (€2.2M EU/Swedish agency package in 2018, 2024 Swedish Board of Agriculture investment support) and equity (most recently a €3M round in April 2025 including Chalmers Ventures), with the company having raised from Chalmers Ventures, Almi Invest, Aqua Spark, EIT InnoEnergy, Formica Capital, Gladium, and Walerud Ventures across multiple rounds. The headcount of 11–50 and the absence of disclosed revenue indicate an early-commercialization stage company scaling production capacity that was inaugurated in September 2022, with personal care as the only commercially active segment and solar, batteries, wound care, and advanced materials remaining primarily in R&D or pilot stages.
Swedish Algae Factory firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Swedish Algae Factory
- Legal name
- Swedish Algae Factory
- Website
- https://swedishalgaefactory.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2018
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Swedish Algae Factory cultivates diatoms and extracts patented Algica® silica shells used as an active marine ingredient in cosmetics and personal care, with active R&D in solar cells, batteries, and wound care applications.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Swedish Algae Factory industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Cosmetic Ingredients
- NAICS
- Chemical Manufacturing (325)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Diatomite (Diatomaceous Earth) (IMAEAFAI)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae) (AFAEAAAE)
Keywords
Where Swedish Algae Factory is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Gothenburg
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices4 records
Markets served
Swedish Algae Factory business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Supply Chain, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Algica® material sales to personal care industry: Commercial B2B sale of high-quality algae silica (Algica®) to the personal care industry, generated through direct contact with the company's sales team and a dedicated product site (algica.com). The beauty-care page lists two named contacts (Sales and Marketing Manager Samantha Lööw and Anna Wellander) for commercial inquiries, indicating direct-sales transaction-based revenue.
- EU/public grant funding for R&D and capex: Non-dilutive and dilutive funding from EU LIFE, EIT InnoEnergy, the Swedish Energy Agency, the Swedish Innovation Agency, and the Swedish Board of Agriculture (European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund 2021–2027) used to finance scaling of production capacity, the EU LIFE SUNALGAE project (2018–2023) and the 'Rinsing, dewatering and drying of microalgae' project through 2026. Recent €3M equity funding from Chalmers Ventures and other investors was raised in April 2025 to scale Algica® production.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | — | Quote-based B2B pricing for Algica® ingredient |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels11 records
Swedish Algae Factory product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Swedish Algae Factory cultivates diatoms (unicellular microscopic algae) at industrial scale in a high-tech greenhouse facility in Kungshamn, Sweden, and extracts their unique amorphous silica shells, branded as Algica®. Algica® is sold primarily as a COSMOS- and Natrue-approved active marine ingredient for beauty care (moisturizer, purifier, anti-pollution agent, SPF booster, sensory enhancer, carrier of other actives), with research-stage applications in dye-sensitized and thin-film solar cells, lithium-ion battery anodes, wound care, filtration, and catalysis.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Algica®: Patented silica shell material extracted from cultivated diatoms, used as an active marine ingredient in beauty care (moisturizer, purifier, sensory enhancer, anti-pollution agent, SPF booster) and explored for wound care, catalyst support, biofiltration, batteries, and solar cells.
Products and services
- Algica® beauty care ingredient Algica® is a patented, all-natural, non-nano silica material extracted from cultivated diatom shells and sold as a multi-functional active marine ingredient for beauty care brands and formulators. It is COSMOS and Natrue approved and combines moisturizing, purifying, anti-pollution, SPF-boosting, sensory-enhancing, and carrier/booster functions in a single ingredient, allowing formulators to replace several ingredients in one formulation. Sold B2B via direct contact with the company's sales team and the algica.com product website.
- Algica® for advanced materials R&D Algica® is supplied to industrial R&D teams for evaluation in dye-sensitized and thin-film solar cells (demonstrated 35%–101% efficiency increases in DSSCs), as a sustainable anode precursor for lithium-ion batteries (over 800 mAh/g demonstrated in the SUSTBATT project), and for wound care, biofiltration, controlled release, and catalyst-support applications. Commercialization is research-stage and primarily delivered through EU-funded consortium collaborations.
Quantifiable outcome
- 35% efficiency increase in dye-sensitized solar cells (2019 research, published 2020 by Bandara et al.)
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Swedish Algae Factory
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Swedish Algae Factory technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature6 records
Swedish Algae Factory partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and flagship.
- NTNU (Norwegian University of Science and Technology)coreProject manager of the EU-funded SUSTBATT project, collaborating with Swedish Algae Factory to develop scalable sustainable battery anodes using diatom frustules that have achieved over 800 mAh/g storage capacity.
- SINTEFcoreResearch partner in the EU-funded SUSTBATT project for scalable sustainable battery anodes using diatom frustules alongside NTNU, LiFeSiZe, Uppsala University, and CSIC.
- LiFeSiZecoreIndustry partner in the EU-funded SUSTBATT project working with NTNU, SINTEF, Swedish Algae Factory, Uppsala University, and CSIC to scale up sustainable diatom-based lithium-ion battery anodes.
- Uppsala UniversitycoreAcademic research partner in the EU-funded SUSTBATT project alongside NTNU, SINTEF, LiFeSiZe, and CSIC, supporting R&D into diatom-frustule battery anodes.
- CSIC (Spanish National Research Council)coreResearch partner in the EU-funded SUSTBATT project for sustainable lithium-ion battery anodes using diatom frustules, alongside NTNU, SINTEF, LiFeSiZe, and Uppsala University.
- Chalmers University of TechnologycoreResearch partner investigating Algica® in dye-sensitized solar cells with Gothenburg University and University of Peradeniya; published 35% and 101% efficiency increases (Bandara et al., 2020 and 2023).
- University of GothenburgcoreResearch partner investigating Algica® in dye-sensitized solar cells with Chalmers and University of Peradeniya; also co-develops the Marefine and Happy Salmon biomass-upcycling projects with the company.
- University of PeradeniyaminorResearch partner with Chalmers and Gothenburg University that published the 2020 and 2023 Bandara et al. studies showing 35% and 101% efficiency increases in DSSCs using Algica®.
- Marefine project (RISE / partners)minorSustainable use of marine resources for high-value end products — joint development project with RISE and the University of Gothenburg aimed at upcycling residual algal biomass into fish feed, animal nutrition, and other value chains.
- Happy Salmon project (University of Gothenburg)minorSystems approach to sustainable feeds for growth, welfare, and survival in salmon — joint development project with the University of Gothenburg exploring algae biomass as a fish feed ingredient.
- Neighboring food industry (wastewater partner)coreUnnamed local food producer that supplies nutrient-rich wastewater to Swedish Algae Factory's circular cultivation platform; the cleansed water is then cycled back to the food industry, completing a closed loop for water, nitrogen, and phosphorus.
- InnoEnergyflagshipEU-backed sustainable energy accelerator that provided a €1.7M grant in 2018 and ran a sustainable energy business booster program in which the company participated, including booth presence and pitching at the InnoEnergy TBB 2019 conference in Paris.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Swedish Algae Factory competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Evonik Industries: Global specialty chemicals company producing synthetic mesoporous silica (e.g., AEROSIL) used across cosmetics, batteries and catalysis. Comparable as the primary incumbent whose synthetic silica products Algica® aims to replace.
- Wacker Chemie: Major producer of HDK pyrogenic and precipitated silica serving cosmetics, silicones, and electronics. Relevant incumbent competing against Algica® in silica-based beauty and industrial applications.
- Solazyme (now TerVia/TerraVia → Corbion-algae): Pioneer in heterotrophic algae cultivation for specialty oils and ingredients now under Corbion. Comparable as an earlier-stage commercializer of microalgae-derived specialty ingredients for cosmetics and industrial applications.
- Corbion: Global ingredient company with an algae-derived astaxanthin and microalgae platform serving cosmetics, food and nutrition. Comparable as a large-scale commercializer of algae-based specialty ingredients into personal-care formulations, though operating across a much broader portfolio.
Direct peers
- AlgaTechnologies: Israel-based cultivator and supplier of microalgae-derived ingredients for nutraceuticals, cosmetics and food. Directly comparable to Swedish Algae Factory as a vertically-integrated algae biomass producer commercializing high-purity algal extracts into the same beauty-care channel.
- AlgaEnergy: Spain-based microalgae biotech producing bio-stimulants and algae-derived ingredients for agriculture, cosmetics, food and aquaculture. Comparable as a European peer cultivating microalgae at scale and commercializing into cosmetics and specialty applications via EU-funded programs.
Emerging players
- Checkerspot: US-based materials company that develops novel, bio-based ingredients (oils, polyols) from microalgae for personal care, performance materials and beyond. Comparable to Swedish Algae Factory as a deep-tech algae ingredients platform selling into beauty care and adjacent advanced materials.
- Nano One Materials: Canada-based developer of advanced cathode and silicon-based anode materials for lithium-ion batteries. Comparable as a publicly-listed next-gen battery materials innovator pursuing higher-capacity, sustainable anodes — overlapping with the SUSTBATT value proposition of Swedish Algae Factory.
- AlgaeCytes: UK-based producer of high-value algae-derived ingredients for nutraceuticals, cosmetics and food. Directly comparable as a specialty algae ingredients supplier focused on premium, certified personal-care channels like Algica®.
- Group14 Technologies: US-based producer of silicon-carbon composite anode materials for Li-ion batteries. Comparable as a deep-tech player targeting high-capacity (>graphite) anodes, overlapping with Swedish Algae Factory's diatom-frustule anode thesis.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Swedish Algae Factory social profiles
Digital presenceSwedish Algae Factory financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Swedish Algae Factory leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Swedish Algae Factory funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds9 records
Investors9 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Swedish Algae Factory M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Swedish Algae Factory
What does Swedish Algae Factory do?
Swedish Algae Factory cultivates diatoms (unicellular microscopic algae) at industrial scale in a high-tech greenhouse facility in Kungshamn, Sweden, and extracts their unique amorphous silica shells, branded as Algica®. Algica® is sold primarily as a COSMOS- and Natrue-approved active marine ingredient for beauty care (moisturizer, purifier, anti-pollution agent, SPF booster, sensory enhancer, carrier of other actives), with research-stage applications in dye-sensitized and thin-film solar cells, lithium-ion battery anodes, wound care, filtration, and catalysis.
Is Swedish Algae Factory a public or private company?
Swedish Algae Factory is a private company. It is classified as venture growth investor backed and is currently operating.
When was Swedish Algae Factory founded?
Swedish Algae Factory was founded in 2018. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Swedish Algae Factory based?
Swedish Algae Factory is headquartered in Gothenburg, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Swedish Algae Factory make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Algica® material sales to personal care industry is the primary driver. The others are EU/public grant funding for R&D and capex.
Who are Swedish Algae Factory's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Evonik Industries, Wacker Chemie, Solazyme (now TerVia/TerraVia → Corbion-algae) and Corbion. Direct peers are AlgaTechnologies and AlgaEnergy. Emerging players are Checkerspot, Nano One Materials, AlgaeCytes and Group14 Technologies.
Does Swedish Algae Factory have an API?
No public API is recorded for Swedish Algae Factory.
What industry is Swedish Algae Factory in?
Swedish Algae Factory's product category is Cosmetic Ingredients. Its primary akta.pro industry code is IMAEAFAI, Diatomite (Diatomaceous Earth), with a secondary code of AFAEAAAE, Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae). Its NAICS code is 325.