Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute

What Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute does

Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute (株式会社イービス藻類産業研究所) is a privately held Japanese microalgae company founded in 2018 and headquartered in Ishinomaki, Miyagi Prefecture, that specializes in the cultivation and commercialization of Nannochloropsis, a marine microalgae with the highest EPA (omega-3) content among algae species at 3.5%+. The company operates a proprietary raceway pond cultivation system leveraging Ishinomaki's cooler climate to maximize both growth rate and oil accumulation, with a large-scale vinyl greenhouse enabling year-round production. It claims to be the only Japanese company with established year-round, large-scale nannochloropsis cultivation for commercial aquaculture feed applications.

The product portfolio spans four end-markets: aquaculture feed (refrigerated live nannochloropsis concentrated to 5% by weight for rotifer, shellfish, and crab seed nutrition), food and supplement ingredients (powder with 61 nutrients including phospholipid-type EPA, lecithin, beta-glucan, and palmitoleic acid), finished consumer supplements (bottle, pouch, and sports bottle SKUs priced at 1,800-6,000 yen), and co-developed cosmetics (a soap line with PROSPER). The company sells primarily through direct sales channels to aquaculture farms, food manufacturers, and consumers, with channel partnerships including co-branded seasonal products with Abe Kamaboko and a technology export partnership with Plankton First in Europe.

The business model combines B2B product sales (fresh feed, powder ingredients), B2C supplement sales via direct inquiry, technology licensing and engineering services to overseas partners, and an emerging climate-tech/carbon credit vertical leveraging the algae's CO2 absorption profile. The company has raised 160 million yen in a single disclosed round (August 2021) from Obayashi Corporation and 77 Bank Group, holds registered capital of 320 million yen, and operates with 1-10 employees as of latest disclosure.

Name

Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute

Legal name

株式会社イービス藻類産業研究所

Website

https://ebisalgae.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute is a Japanese microalgae company (founded 2018, Ishinomaki) that cultivates and sells EPA-rich Nannochloropsis products for aquaculture feed, food ingredients, consumer supplements, and cosmetics via proprietary raceway pond technology.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Microalgae products and aquaculture feed

NAICS

Aquaculture (1125), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)

SIC

Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Seaweed & Algae Aquaculture (incl. microalgae) (AFAEAAAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialty Performance Feed (Pigmentation, Flesh Quality, FCR Optimization) (AFADADAJ), Algae & Seaweed Proteins (Microalgae/Spirulina, Macroalgae) (AFAJAHAF)

Keywords

• Microalgae cultivation
• Aquaculture feed ingredients
• Omega-3 EPA supplements
• Functional food ingredients
• Nannochloropsis production

Headquarters

HQ city

Ishinomaki

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Nannochloropsis Product Sales: Direct sales of cultivated nannochloropsis products including fresh (refrigerated) nanno for aquaculture feed, powder for food ingredients and supplements, and finished supplement products (bottles, pouches). Revenue from both B2B (aquaculture, food manufacturers) and B2C (direct supplement sales) channels.
2. Technology Licensing and Engineering Services: Export of cultivation facility technology and engineering services to international partners such as Plankton First in Europe. Includes training and technical guidance for overseas facilities.
3. Climate Tech / Carbon Credit: Development of climate technology solutions and creation/sales of carbon credits through nannochloropsis cultivation which absorbs CO2 during photosynthesis (absorbs nearly double its body weight in CO2 during growth).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute cultivates and sells Nannochloropsis microalgae and derivative products. The portfolio includes fresh refrigerated live Nannochloropsis for aquaculture feed, raw material powder for food and cosmetics ingredients, finished omega-3 EPA supplement capsules (bottle, pouch, sports bottle formats), and omega-3 oil extraction powder for R&D use. The company also exports cultivation facility technology and provides engineering services to international partners.

Product overview

Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute operates as a microalgae cultivation and production company offering Nannochloropsis-based products. The product portfolio centers on three core offerings: Fresh Nanno (refrigerated live microalgae for aquaculture feed), Nannochloropsis Raw Material Powder (EPA-rich superfood for food supplements and general food applications), and a line of Nannochloropsis Supplements available in bottle, pouch, and sports bottle formats. The company also provides Omega-3 Oil Extraction Powder for R&D purposes. All products leverage the company's proprietary raceway pond cultivation technology to produce Nannochloropsis with industry-leading EPA content (3.5%+), phospholipid-type EPA for enhanced absorption, and 61 essential nutrients including palmitoleic acid, folic acid, lecithin, and beta-glucan.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• +Nanno（プラス ナンノ）: ナンノクロロプシス配合石鹸。（株）PROSPERの「HOHOEMI」オーガニック series에서 collaboration으로推出된 제품이다.

Products and services

• Fresh Nanno (Refrigerated Live Nannochloropsis) Refrigerated live Nannochloropsis microalgae concentrated to 5% by weight in seawater, cultivated at the Ishinomaki Research Institute and shipped nationwide. Rich in EPA and nutrients including amino acids and minerals. Used as nutritional enhancement feed for rotifers, juvenile shellfish (milk clam, hard clam, short-neck clam), and juvenile crab in commercial aquaculture operations. Sold via direct inquiry at quote-based pricing.
• Nannochloropsis Raw Material Powder High-EPA superfood powder containing 61 nutrients and a near-perfect amino acid score. Contains 3.5%+ EPA in phospholipid form, 3g/100g palmitoleic acid, 2mg/100g folic acid, 7.2g/100g lecithin, and 2.5g/100g beta-glucan. Packaged in 1kg aluminum pouches. Targeted at dietary supplement manufacturers, food producers (noodles, bread, general food), and R&D buyers; sold at quote-based pricing.
• Nannochloropsis Supplement (Standard Bottle) Plant-based omega-3 EPA supplement capsules containing 61 nutrients. Standard bottle format: 90 capsules at 0.34g each (total 30.6g). Recommended daily intake: 3-6 capsules. Priced at 6,000 JPY excluding tax. Ingredients: Nannochloropsis powder, HPMC, calcium stearate, silicon dioxide. Sold via direct contact/phone inquiry to individual consumers.
• Nannochloropsis Supplement (Pouch Type) Portable omega-3 plant-based EPA supplement containing 61 nutrients in a convenient pouch format. 21 capsules at 0.34g each (total 7.14g). Priced at 1,800 JPY excluding tax. Sold via direct contact/phone inquiry to individual consumers.
• Nannochloropsis Supplement (Sports Bottle) Omega-3 plant-based EPA supplement designed for athletes and sports nutrition, containing 61 nutrients in a sports-oriented bottle format. Sold via direct contact/phone inquiry to individual consumers and sports nutrition retailers.
• Omega-3 Oil Extraction Powder Specialized Nannochloropsis powder delivered under optimal conditions for omega-3 EPA oil extraction research and product prototyping. Targeted at R&D teams and product developers in food, supplement, and pharmaceutical industries.

Quantifiable outcome

• Absorbs nearly double its body weight in CO2 during photosynthesis
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Plankton FirstcoreTechnology or Integration · 13 December 2024European partner who received technology export of nannochloropsis cultivation facility from Ebis Algae. Facility used for AlgaEurope 2024 tour. Ebis trained European trainees at Ishinomaki facility.
• 極洋 (Kyokuyo)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 27 July 2023Business partnership through Kyokuyo-organized exhibition fair 2023. Ebis Algae exhibited products at Kyokuyo Exhibition & Business Meeting at The Capitol Hotel Tokyu, Tokyo.
• 大林組 (Obayashi Corporation)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 August 2021Co-research partner for technology development. Invested in August 2021 capital increase. Joint development of cultivation technology.
• PROSPER (プロスパー)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2020Co-developed +Nanno (プラスナンノ) organic soap series featuring nannochloropsis extract. Product launched October 2020 in PROSPER's HOHOEMI brand.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Tokyo Marui Foods (functional-food Japan peers): Japanese functional food and supplement manufacturer producing chlorella and other microalgae supplements. Regional comparable in Japan's microalgae-supplement market; shares Ebis's target customer (health-conscious consumer) and product format (bottled algae supplements).

Direct peers

• AlgaTechno (Algatech): Israeli producer of microalgae-based ingredients including astaxanthin and omega-3 products for nutraceuticals. Comparable: microalgae cultivation platform, B2B ingredient sales to supplement and food manufacturers, and emphasis on high-value pigment/omega compounds similar to Ebis's EPA positioning.
• Fitoplancton Marino S.L. Spanish microalgae producer specializing in Nannochloropsis gaditana for aquaculture (especially rotifer nutrition) and human nutrition. Comparable: same species, same aquaculture-feed go-to-market (nanno biomass for rotifer enrichment), and an active player in the EU omega-3 and nutraceutical markets where Ebis now exports technology.
• Algal Bio Inc. Japanese microalgae biotech company focused on producing valuable compounds from algae biomass using selective breeding and cultivation technologies. Directly comparable: same home market (Japan), same microalgae platform, and overlapping leadership (the new CEO of Ebis, Kimura Shu, also serves as president of Algal Bio).
• Necton S.A. Portuguese microalgae producer specializing in Nannochloropsis and other species for aquaculture feed and nutraceuticals. Closely comparable: same target species (nannochloropsis), same end markets (aquaculture feed, omega-3 supplements), with EU-based cultivation that mirrors Ebis's raceway-based year-round approach.

Broad incumbents

• Cyanotech Corporation: US-based microalgae producer (spirulina and astaxanthin) selling bulk powder and capsules. A broader incumbent in microalgae health products with B2C supplement packaging in formats very similar to Ebis's bottle/pouch offering.
• Veramaris (DSM/EPA联合): Joint venture between DSM and Evonik producing algal oils rich in EPA and DHA for aquaculture and human nutrition. A broad incumbent in the algae-omega-3 space: significantly larger scale, but the same fundamental alternative to fish-oil EPA/DHA that Ebis targets with nannochloropsis.
• Earthrise Nutritionals (spirulina): One of the world's largest spirulina producers, supplying B2B microalgae powders to supplement and food manufacturers. Broad incumbent with overlapping B2B microalgae-powder product format, though focused on spirulina rather than nannochloropsis — relevant as a scale benchmark.
• DSM (Royal DSM / dsm-firmenich): Global nutrition and health ingredient major with deep omega-3 and animal-nutrition portfolios (including the Veramaris JV). A broad incumbent whose microbial and algal omega-3 platforms compete directly with Ebis's positioning in plant-based EPA for supplements and aquaculture feed.

Emerging players

• Plankton First: European partner that received nannochloropsis facility technology from Ebis. Functions as a licensee/distributor of Ebis's cultivation tech inside the EU and a peer in the European nannochloropsis production space; an emerging player scaling up using Ebis's IP.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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

M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Ebis Algae Industry Research Institute