Primary Ocean
Primary Ocean Producers is a Santa Barbara-based vertically integrated seaweed biotechnology company that cultivates and processes organic seaweed into bio-based products across agriculture, food, materials, energy, healthcare, and personal care industries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2017
- HeadquartersSanta Barbara, United States
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Primary Ocean does
Primary Ocean Producers, doing business as Primary Ocean, is a vertically integrated seaweed biotechnology company founded in 2017 and headquartered in Santa Barbara, California. The company cultivates and processes organic seaweed into a diversified portfolio of nine product categories spanning agriculture (organic fertilizer, animal feed), human food (food and food-grade additives), materials (bioplastic, textile), energy (biofuel), healthcare (pharmaceutical), and personal care (cosmetic). The stated thesis is that organic seaweed-derived inputs can substitute for petroleum-based and synthetic alternatives across multiple downstream industries, positioning the firm as a sea-to-soil sustainability platform.
The company's core technology centers on organic seaweed cultivation and downstream processing into bio-based products; however, specific cultivation methods, processing techniques, yields, scalability data, and proprietary processes are not disclosed. Primary Ocean lists no patents, trademarks, regulatory certifications, or third-party customer references in available source materials, and its revenue model, pricing structure, distribution channels, and customer segmentation are not publicly disclosed. The only observable go-to-market signal is a website-based email newsletter subscription. With 11-50 employees and two recorded funding engagements (For Good Ventures in 2018 and Startupbootcamp Australia in 2021), both with undisclosed check sizes, the company operates with a horizontal, multi-vertical product strategy rather than concentration on a single beachhead market or signed offtake channel.
The three co-founders are Brandon Scott Barney (Co-Founder and Director of Research & Communications), Brian Schmidt (co-founder), and Scotty Schmidt (co-founder and CEO). The company's primary public email contact is [email protected], and the website copyright is dated 2019, indicating limited recent public-facing updates despite the 2021 accelerator participation.
Primary Ocean firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Primary Ocean
- Legal name
- PRIMARY OCEAN PRODUCERS
- Website
- https://PrimaryOcean.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2017
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Primary Ocean Producers is a Santa Barbara-based vertically integrated seaweed biotechnology company that cultivates and processes organic seaweed into bio-based products across agriculture, food, materials, energy, healthcare, and personal care industries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Primary Ocean industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Seaweed-derived bio-based products
- NAICS
- Other Aquaculture (112519), Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Seafood Product Preparation and Packaging (31171)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae) (AFAEAAAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Seaweed & Dried Vegetable Snacks Manufacturing (AFAKAIAI), Algae & Seaweed Proteins (Microalgae/Spirulina, Macroalgae) (AFAJAHAF)
Keywords
Where Primary Ocean is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Santa Barbara
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Markets served
Primary Ocean business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Marketing channels1 record
Primary Ocean product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Primary Ocean Producers cultivates organic seaweed and converts it into a portfolio of bio-based products across nine categories: organic fertilizer, food, bioplastic, biofuel, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, textiles, cosmetics, and food-grade additives. The company operates as a vertically integrated seaweed biotech producer supplying sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based and synthetic inputs for agriculture, food, packaging, energy, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries.
Product overview
Primary Ocean Producers is a seaweed cultivation and processing company offering a diversified portfolio of organic seaweed-derived products. The company operates as a single unified offering focused on sustainable ocean-based solutions, with nine distinct product categories spanning agriculture (Organic Fertilizer, Feed), food (Food, Food Grade Additive), materials (Bioplastic, Textile), energy (Biofuel), healthcare (Pharmaceutical), and beauty (Cosmetic). All products are derived from organic seaweed, reflecting the company's mission to provide sustainable alternatives across multiple industries.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Organic Fertilizer Organic seaweed-based fertilizer product derived from sustainably sourced seaweed, positioned as a bio-based alternative to synthetic fertilizers for crop production and soil health.
- Food Seaweed-based food products intended for human consumption, supplied as a sustainable marine-derived food option.
- Bioplastic Biodegradable bioplastic materials derived from seaweed, intended for sustainable packaging applications as a substitute for petroleum-based plastics.
- Biofuel Seaweed-based biofuel product positioned as a renewable energy alternative to fossil-fuel-derived fuels.
- Feed Seaweed-based animal feed product for agricultural use, supplying a sustainable marine-derived feed ingredient for livestock operations.
- Pharmaceutical Seaweed-derived pharmaceutical products for medical and health applications, providing marine-sourced bioactive compounds to pharmaceutical buyers.
- Textile Seaweed-based textile product for sustainable fabric applications, supplying a bio-based fiber alternative to textile and apparel manufacturers.
- Cosmetic Seaweed-based cosmetic product for skincare and beauty applications, supplying a natural marine-derived ingredient to cosmetics manufacturers and brands.
- Food Grade Additive Food-grade seaweed additives for the food industry, supplying a sustainable marine-derived ingredient for food product formulation.
Companies that use Primary Ocean
Customer profileIdeal customer profiles7 records
Primary Ocean technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Primary Ocean partnerships and signals
Strategic signalRecent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Primary Ocean competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Notpla: UK-based company making biodegradable packaging from seaweed, directly comparable to Primary Ocean's bioplastic product line and sharing the seaweed-to-product vertical-integration thesis.
- Acadian Seaplants: Canadian vertically integrated seaweed cultivator and processor producing agricultural, food, and ingredient products from seaweed, mirroring Primary Ocean's sea-to-finished-goods model.
- Ocean Harvest Technology: Irish company producing seaweed-based animal feed and nutraceutical ingredients, directly comparable to Primary Ocean's Feed and Food Grade Additive product lines.
- Atlantic Sea Farms: US kelp/seaweed farming and ingredient company operating in coastal waters with vertically integrated cultivation-to-product operations analogous to Primary Ocean.
- Tidal Vision: US-based company producing chitosan-based and seaweed-derived bioplastics and water-treatment products, comparable to Primary Ocean's bioplastic and agricultural product lines.
Emerging players
- Heliae Development: US algae biotech focused on food, feed, and agricultural applications from microalgae — partial overlap with Primary Ocean's seaweed-derived fertilizer and food additive portfolio.
- AlgaEnergy: Spanish microalgae biotech developing agricultural biostimulants and food ingredients from algae, comparable to Primary Ocean's organic fertilizer and food-grade additive products.
Broad incumbents
- Corbion: Global industrial biotech company producing algae-derived ingredients for food, feed and personal care at scale, broadly comparable to Primary Ocean's portfolio across food, cosmetic and animal-feed verticals.
- Cargill: Global agricultural commodity giant with established animal nutrition, food ingredient and bioproduct businesses that intersect with several of Primary Ocean's product categories (feed, food additives, fertilizer).
Regional players
- Cermaq: Norwegian/Chilean aquaculture company that has invested in seaweed cultivation for feed and food applications, comparable to Primary Ocean's seaweed-based feed and food product lines.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat2 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights5 records
Customer concentration
Primary Ocean social profiles
Digital presencePrimary Ocean financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Primary Ocean leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Primary Ocean funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds2 records
Investors2 records
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Primary Ocean 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 Primary Ocean
What does Primary Ocean do?
Primary Ocean Producers cultivates organic seaweed and converts it into a portfolio of bio-based products across nine categories: organic fertilizer, food, bioplastic, biofuel, animal feed, pharmaceuticals, textiles, cosmetics, and food-grade additives. The company operates as a vertically integrated seaweed biotech producer supplying sustainable alternatives to petroleum-based and synthetic inputs for agriculture, food, packaging, energy, personal care, and pharmaceutical industries.
Is Primary Ocean a public or private company?
Primary Ocean is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Primary Ocean founded?
Primary Ocean was founded in 2017. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Primary Ocean based?
Primary Ocean is headquartered in Santa Barbara, United States, in the North America region.
Who are Primary Ocean's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Notpla, Acadian Seaplants, Ocean Harvest Technology, Atlantic Sea Farms and Tidal Vision. Emerging players are Heliae Development and AlgaEnergy. Broad incumbents are Corbion and Cargill. Cermaq is listed as a regional player.
Does Primary Ocean have an API?
No public API is recorded for Primary Ocean.
What industry is Primary Ocean in?
Primary Ocean's product category is Seaweed-derived bio-based products. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAAAE, Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae), with a secondary code of AFAKAIAI, Seaweed & Dried Vegetable Snacks Manufacturing. Its NAICS code is 112519 and its SIC code is 100.