Marine Biologics

What Marine Biologics does

Marine Biologics is a California-based startup founded in 2024 that manufactures macroalgae-based ingredient systems for the food and beverage industry. Its flagship commercial product, SeaTex, is a brown seaweed-derived powder that stabilizes proteins and binds fats in formulations, replacing multi-ingredient gum stacks (fibers, minerals, bioactives, emulsifiers, buffers) with a single clean-label ingredient. The company's underlying technology is the MacroLink AI engine, a cheminformatics-driven discovery platform paired with standardized seaweed feedstock the company calls SuperCrudes, which the firm claims compresses ingredient development timelines from years to months. SeaTex holds FDA GRAS designation and has been validated for UHT, HTST, and retort processing, with documented results of reducing ready-to-drink coffee formulations from nine ingredients (four additives) to six ingredients (zero additives).

The company operates a sales-led B2B go-to-market, engaging directly with food and beverage manufacturers and formulation teams through website contact, industry event participation (notably Future Food-Tech in San Francisco), and partnership discussions. Initial commercial focus spans ready-to-drink beverages, dairy alternatives, and baking applications. Revenue is generated through direct ingredient sales, though pricing is not publicly disclosed and no customers are named in available sources. The company acquired Spoitz Enterprises in November 2024, has been recognized as a Top Food Technology Company for 2025 by the FoodNavigator Global Food Tech Awards, and is led by Patrick Griffin (CEO), Danièle Karleskind (COO/CXO), and Ryan Hunt (Director of Business Development). Marine Biologics is privately held, headquartered in Berkeley, California, has 1-10 employees, and has no disclosed funding rounds or revenue figures in the available source material.

Name

Marine Biologics

Legal name

Marine Biologics, Inc.

Website

https://marinebiologics.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Marine Biologics develops macroalgae-based clean-label ingredient systems for food and beverage manufacturers. Its flagship SeaTex seaweed powder replaces multi-ingredient gum stacks, powered by the proprietary MacroLink AI engine for ingredient discovery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Food Ingredients

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Seaweed Hydrocolloids (Agar, Carrageenan, Alginates) (AFAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Algae & Seaweed Proteins (Microalgae/Spirulina, Macroalgae) (AFAJAHAF)

Keywords

• Clean-label ingredients
• Seaweed food ingredients
• Protein stabilizers
• AI ingredient discovery
• Macroalgae food systems

Headquarters

HQ city

Berkeley

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Technology or R&D, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. SeaTex Ingredient Sales: B2B ingredient sales to food and beverage manufacturers. Revenue generated through direct product sales of SeaTex seaweed powder ingredient for use in formulations including RTD beverages, dairy alternatives, and baking applications.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Marine Biologics manufactures macroalgae-based ingredient systems for the food and beverage industry, with SeaTex, a seaweed powder ingredient that stabilizes proteins and binds fats, as its flagship product. The company also operates MacroLink, an AI-powered engine using cheminformatics to design new functional food ingredients from seaweed-derived biological materials (SuperCrudes), compressing ingredient discovery from years to months.

Product overview

Marine Biologics is a California-based startup that offers a platform approach to clean-label ingredient discovery. The core offering consists of SeaTex (a seaweed powder ingredient) and MacroLink (an AI-powered ingredient design engine). MacroLink uses AI and cheminformatics to analyze seaweed-derived materials (called SuperCrudes) to develop functional ingredients, while SeaTex is the commercial product resulting from this technology—a protein stabilizer and suspension system that replaces multiple additives with a single clean-label ingredient.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SeaTex Seaweed powder ingredient sourced from brown seaweed that stabilizes proteins and binds fats in food and beverage formulations. One ingredient replaces 3-5 gums and buffers, reducing label complexity (e.g., 9 to 6 ingredients in RTD coffee formulations) and eliminating four additives. Validated for UHT, HTST, and retort processing and holds FDA GRAS designation. Sold to food and beverage manufacturers.
• MacroLink AI Ingredient Design Engine AI-powered ingredient design platform that uses artificial intelligence and cheminformatics to convert seaweed-derived biological resources (SuperCrudes) into scalable food ingredients, compressing discovery timelines from years to months. Underpins Marine Biologics' ingredient development pipeline.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reduces formulation ingredients from 9 to 6 in RTD coffee applications
• +2 more outcomes

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature3 records

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Algaia: French specialty seaweed ingredient company producing alginates, carrageenans, and customized seaweed extracts for food, personal care, and nutrition applications. Closest direct peer to Marine Biologics given its seaweed-derived functional food ingredient focus.
• CP Kelco (IFF): Leading global manufacturer of hydrocolloids including carrageenan, pectin, gellan gum, and xanthan gum used for protein stabilization and texture in food and beverages. Direct competitor to SeaTex in seaweed-derived texturizer systems.
• Acadian Seaplants: Nova Scotia-based marine plant processor extracting ingredients from seaweed (Ascophyllum nodosum, etc.) for agricultural, food, and personal care applications. Direct peer with comparable seaweed-based ingredient platform.

Broad incumbents

• Tate & Lyle: Global food ingredient supplier with a strong clean-label portfolio (e.g., tapioca-based starches replacing modified starches). Direct overlap with Marine Biologics' clean-label positioning for protein stabilization and texture.
• Ingredion: Major ingredient supplier offering clean-label starches, fibers, and texturizers (e.g., HOMECRAFT, VERITY lines) to food and beverage manufacturers. Comparable broad clean-label reformulation solutions for CPG customers.
• Kerry Group: Global taste and nutrition company supplying clean-label ingredients, proteins, and functional systems to food and beverage manufacturers. Overlaps with Marine Biologics in beverage and dairy alternative formulation support.
• Cargill: One of the world's largest agricultural and food ingredient companies, supplying starches, proteins, texturizers, and seaweed-derived ingredients across CPG applications. Broad incumbent competing for the same clean-label shelf space as Marine Biologics.
• DuPont Nutrition & Biosciences (IFF): Through its integration with IFF, supplies a wide portfolio of food ingredients including hydrocolloids, cultures, enzymes, and soy proteins. Comparable incumbent selling functional ingredients to large CPG customers.
• Corbion: Global ingredient supplier specializing in food preservation, lactic acid, and functional ingredients for bakery, beverage, and dairy. Comparable as a broad incumbent in food ingredient systems serving CPG customers.
• ADM: Major food ingredient and agricultural processor supplying proteins, flavors, colors, and texturizing solutions globally. Overlaps with Marine Biologics as a broad incumbent serving F&B manufacturers with functional ingredient portfolios.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/marine-biologics-inc

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A1 record

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Marine Biologics