kelpak
Kelp Products International, trading as Kelpak, manufactures and globally distributes certified-organic seaweed-based liquid fertilizers and biostimulants made from Ecklonia maxima kelp using a proprietary Cold Cellburst extraction process, serving commercial, specialty, and regenerative crop growers across 30+ crops.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1978
- HeadquartersCape Town, South Africa
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What kelpak does
Kelp Products International (Pty) Ltd., trading as Kelpak, is a South African agricultural inputs company founded in 1978 and headquartered in Cape Town. The company manufactures and globally distributes seaweed-based liquid fertilizers and biostimulants derived from a single kelp species, Ecklonia maxima, harvested along South Africa's Atlantic coast and processed through a proprietary Cold Cellburst extraction method. This cold-process technique preserves sensitive cellular compounds without chemicals, heat, or freezing, differentiating the output from commodity seaweed extracts and supporting a portfolio of certified-organic inputs across the EU, UK, US, Canada, Japan, Australia, and New Zealand.
The commercial core is the Kelpak Liquid Seaweed Concentrate, sold in two product lines (Liquid Fertilisers and Biostimulants) with crop-specific application protocols across 30+ crops including almonds, apples, avocado, citrus, table grapes, tomatoes, and turf. Sub-brands Cellburst Garlic Extract and Plantit Plant Starter Tablets extend the extraction platform into adjacent categories. The company is actively expanding North American capacity through a modernized coastal production base, a global logistics hub, and quality verification laboratories, and has announced plans for a Global Research and Innovation Centre.
Kelpak monetizes exclusively through product sales, with no subscription, SaaS, or licensing revenue in the source data. Distribution is sales-led and multi-region: regional distributor networks cover Europe, Africa, South America, and Asia/Pacific, while the USA is served directly via a dedicated portal (kelpakusa.com) with a direct sales capability. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is handled through distributor relationships and direct contact. The company is privately held with no disclosed external investors, funding rounds, M&A, or leadership transitions in the available data.
kelpak firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- kelpak
- Legal name
- Kelp Products International (Pty) Ltd.
- Website
- https://kelpak.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1978
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Kelp Products International, trading as Kelpak, manufactures and globally distributes certified-organic seaweed-based liquid fertilizers and biostimulants made from Ecklonia maxima kelp using a proprietary Cold Cellburst extraction process, serving commercial, specialty, and regenerative crop growers across 30+ crops.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
kelpak industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Agricultural Biostimulants
- NAICS
- Pesticide, Fertilizer, and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (3253), Aquaculture (1125)
- SIC
- Agricultural Production-Crops (100)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae) (AFAEAAAE)
Keywords
Where kelpak is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Cape Town
- HQ country
- South Africa
- HQ region
- Africa
Offices1 record
Markets served
kelpak 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, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Seaweed Biostimulant Sales: Kelp Products International generates revenue through the sale of its flagship Kelpak Liquid Seaweed Concentrate and related biostimulant products to agricultural customers globally.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels2 records
Marketing channels1 record
kelpak product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Kelpak manufactures and sells a seaweed-based agricultural biostimulant (Kelpak Liquid Seaweed Concentrate) derived from Ecklonia maxima kelp harvested along South Africa's Atlantic coast, using its proprietary Cold Cellburst extraction process. The portfolio includes liquid fertilisers and biostimulant product lines, plus sub-products such as Cellburst Garlic Extract and Plantit Plant Starter Tablets, sold globally through regional distributors and direct sales channels for use across more than 30 crop types.
Product overview
Kelpak is a product portfolio built around a single core technology platform: proprietary seaweed extracts derived from Ecklonia maxima kelp using the Cold Cellburst extraction process. The main product is Kelpak Liquid Seaweed Concentrate, a biostimulant that helps farmers improve crop output. The portfolio includes two product lines—Liquid Fertilisers and Biostimulants—delivering the same core extract technology across different formulations. Sub-products include Cellburst Garlic Extract (a proprietary garlic formulation using the same extraction process) and Plantit Plant Starter Tablets (seedling/plant establishment tablets). The company sells Kelpak in pure form as a seaweed extract, with small amounts of macro- and/or micronutrients added to customer specifications in certain regional formulations.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cellburst Garlic: A proprietary product formulated by Kelp Products International (Pty) Ltd., using Cellburst garlic extract.
Products and services
- Kelpak Liquid Seaweed Concentrate A seaweed-based agricultural biostimulant derived from Ecklonia maxima kelp harvested along South Africa's Atlantic coast and processed using the proprietary Cold Cellburst extraction process. It has been helping farmers improve crop output for four decades and is applicable across almonds, apples, avocado, citrus, grapes, tomatoes and 30+ other crops via foliar spray, drip irrigation, or root drench.
- Kelpak Liquid Fertilisers Liquid fertiliser products containing Kelpak seaweed extract that deliver nutritional and biostimulant benefits to plants, applied across a wide range of crops and farming systems.
- Kelpak Biostimulants Plant biostimulant products that improve yield across all crop groups by supporting natural plant processes, improving nutrient uptake, tolerance to abiotic stress, and crop quality.
- Cellburst Garlic Extract A proprietary garlic extract formulated by Kelp Products International using the Cellburst process. It is registered as Cellburst Garlic and the name and graphics may not be used without express permission from the company.
- Plantit Plant Starter Tablets Plant starter tablets registered under the name Plantit Plant Starter tablets, designed for seedling and plant establishment. Kelp Products International holds sole copyright to this proprietary product.
Companies that use kelpak
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
kelpak technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
kelpak partnerships and signals
Strategic signalScale indicators4 records
Recent moves8 records
Expansion highlights6 records
kelpak competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Valagro (Syngenta Biologicals): Italian biostimulant and specialty fertilizer producer now part of Syngenta, with broad biostimulant portfolio including seaweed-based lines — competes with Kelpak but with significantly broader crop input range.
- Tradecorp (Rovensa): Spanish biostimulant, special fertilizer, and crop protection distributor (part of Rovensa) — competes with Kelpak in biostimulants while operating a broader specialty crop input portfolio.
- Brandt Consolidated: US agricultural inputs company with a dedicated plant nutrition and biostimulant division — competes with Kelpak in crop biostimulants as part of a full agronomic input portfolio.
- Stoller (Corteva): Global biostimulant and plant nutrition company (now part of Corteva) selling integrated nutrient programs to growers — overlaps Kelpak in biostimulants as part of a much broader specialty crop input portfolio.
Direct peers
- Algaia: French processor of red and brown seaweed extracts supplying food, agriculture, and personal care — overlaps Kelpak in seaweed-based agricultural applications.
- BioAtlantis: Ireland-based biotech producing Ascophyllum nodosum-derived seaweed extracts marketed primarily as crop biostimulants under its own brands — directly competes with Kelpak on seaweed-based biostimulants for growers.
- Acadian Seaplants: Canadian seaweed extract producer selling Ascophyllum nodosum and kelp-based biostimulants and feed ingredients to agriculture, animal nutrition, and turf markets globally — directly competes with Kelpak on seaweed-derived biostimulants.
- Hello Nature (formerly Italpollina): Italian producer of organic fertilizers and biostimulants including seaweed-based extracts — directly competes with Kelpak in seaweed-derived biostimulants for organic and conventional farming.
- Ocean Harvest Technology: Irish/Norwegian company developing seaweed-based functional ingredients for animal feed and crop biostimulant markets — directly comparable seaweed-derived biostimulant focus.
Regional players
- Agrisea (New Zealand): New Zealand producer of seaweed-based (Ecklonia radiata) agricultural biostimulants primarily serving Australasian markets — closely analogous extraction-and-bioproduct model to Kelpak but operating in a different geography.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
kelpak social profiles
Digital presencekelpak compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance10 records
kelpak financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
kelpak leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles2 records
kelpak funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
kelpak 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 kelpak
What does kelpak do?
Kelpak manufactures and sells a seaweed-based agricultural biostimulant (Kelpak Liquid Seaweed Concentrate) derived from Ecklonia maxima kelp harvested along South Africa's Atlantic coast, using its proprietary Cold Cellburst extraction process. The portfolio includes liquid fertilisers and biostimulant product lines, plus sub-products such as Cellburst Garlic Extract and Plantit Plant Starter Tablets, sold globally through regional distributors and direct sales channels for use across more than 30 crop types.
Is kelpak a public or private company?
kelpak is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was kelpak founded?
kelpak was founded in 1978. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is kelpak based?
kelpak is headquartered in Cape Town, South Africa, in the Africa region.
How does kelpak make money?
One revenue line is on record: seaweed Biostimulant Sales.
Who are kelpak's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Valagro (Syngenta Biologicals), Tradecorp (Rovensa), Brandt Consolidated and Stoller (Corteva). Direct peers are Algaia, BioAtlantis, Acadian Seaplants, Hello Nature (formerly Italpollina) and Ocean Harvest Technology. Agrisea (New Zealand) is listed as a regional player.
Does kelpak have an API?
No public API is recorded for kelpak.
What industry is kelpak in?
kelpak's product category is Agricultural Biostimulants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is AFAEAAAE, Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae). Its NAICS code is 3253 and its SIC code is 100.