ABOUT US

Nāmaka Algae is a Hawaii-rooted company focused on cutting edge innovation in algae technology.  We are committed to developing technology that supports cost-effective algae production for aquaculture and animal feed ingredients. We are driven by values of stewardship, integrity, innovation, excellence, reliability and compassion. Our mission is to contribute to food security, in Hawai’i and globally, by locating our facilities near key markets providing economic sustainability and investor value through technology and next generation aquafeed ingredients.

NAmaka Algae, Inc. Awarded Competitive Grant from the U.S. National Science Foundation

R&D funding accelerates the translation of results to impact         

Kailua-Kona, HI, June 26, 2025 – Nāmaka Algae, Inc., has been awarded a U.S. National Science Foundation (NSF) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant for $304,541 to conduct research and development (R&D) on patentable technology to improve light utilization in algae cultures.  With the new technology Nāmaka, a company rooted in Hawai’i, will produce aquaculture feed ingredients cost effectively.  Nāmaka’s first markets are in Hawai’i, where Nāmaka will contribute to local food production with ingredients for aquaculture and livestock feeds.  The vision is to expand the manufacturing technology globally, locating facilities near key markets.  Nāmaka’s NSF Phase 2 work will expand their patent portfolio through continued innovative engineering to decrease algal costs.

This NSF funding will support Nāmaka’s first innovation, Skylight™, which directly addresses the challenge of light availability in algae cultures via optimizing photon capture, which in turn reduces production costs and revolutionizes commercial potential.  Nāmaka’s second innovation is microalgal blends for aquaculture feeds.  This novel approach to replacing both feed ingredients and additives with quality customized algal blends provides reliable, cost-effective and nutritious solutions to a rapidly growing food sector: aquaculture. 

“NSF accelerates the translation of emerging technologies into transformative new products and services,” said Erwin Gianchandani, NSF Assistant Director for Technology, Innovation and Partnerships. “We take great pride in funding deep-technology startups and small businesses that will shape science and engineering results into meaningful solutions for today and tomorrow.”

“Nāmaka Algae is honored to receive NSF funding to support our technology development, and our product commercialization via the NSF I-Corp program,” said Valerie Harmon, Founder and CEO.  “We are grateful to the agencies that have supported our company’s growth and development to date: HATCH Blue’s Ocean Foundry, Natural Energy Laboratory of Hawai’i Authority (NELHA), Hawai’i Technology Development Corporation (HTDC), and Quest Hawai’i in partnership with Decisive Point.  This funding marks a pivotal moment for Nāmaka Algae, validating our vision and scientific integrity while propelling us to success.  With this funding and our support network we can now focus on executing with excellence.” 

 All proposals submitted to the NSF SBIR/STTR program, also known as America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, undergo a rigorous merit-based review process. Once a small business is awarded a Phase I grant, it becomes eligible to apply for Phase II funding and additional supplements totaling up to $2 million. To get started, startups or entrepreneurs submit a written Project Pitch to see if their technology idea could be a good fit for the program. To learn more about America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF, visit: https://seedfund.nsf.gov/

NSF has several programs that help accelerate the translation of research results to practice and provide pathways for researchers, startups and aspiring entrepreneurs to move their ideas from the laboratory to the market and society. To learn more about how NSF helps unlock future technologies for national and societal impact, visit: https://beta.nsf.gov/tip/latest.

About the U.S. National Science Foundation's Small Business Programs: America’s Seed Fund powered by NSF awards more than $200 million annually to startups and small businesses, transforming scientific discovery into products and services with commercial and societal impact. Startups working across almost all areas of science and technology can receive up to $2 million to support research and development, helping de-risk technology for commercial success. America’s Seed Fund is congressionally mandated through the Small Business Innovation Research program. The NSF is an independent federal agency with a budget of about $9.5 billion that supports fundamental research and education across all fields of science and engineering.

CONTACT VALERIE HARMON AT valerie@namaka-algae.com

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