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Corbion N.V. (AlgaPrime DHA)
Dutch biobased ingredient company (Euronext: CRBN, HQ Amsterdam); AlgaPrime DHA is Corbion's algal DHA product produced via fermentation of Thraustochytrid microalgae (a different strain from DSM's Schizochytrium). AlgaPrime DHA is positioned as the primary alternative to DSM-Firmenich life'sDHA in infant formula, aquaculture feed, and adult nutrition. Corbion acquired TerraVia's algae assets in 2017 (TerraVia was formerly Solazyme — a biofuels algae company that pivoted to nutrition when fuel economics failed). AlgaPrime DHA is produced at Corbion's fermentation facilities using the same industrial fermentation infrastructure that produces pharmaceutical sodium lactate and polylactic acid (PLA). One Dutch company makes lactic acid for IV bags, PLA for compostable cups, pharmaceutical sodium lactate for Ringer's solution, AND algal DHA for infant formula — all from microorganism fermentation.
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AlgaPrime DHA (Algal Omega-3)
20%Lactic Acid & PLA Platform
50%Pharmaceutical Ingredients
20%Food Ingredients (Preservation)
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Did you know2023
Corbion's AlgaPrime DHA was built on assets acquired from TerraVia (formerly Solazyme) in 2017. Solazyme was a Silicon Valley biofuels startup that raised $250M+ in venture capital and had a celebrated NASDAQ IPO in 2011 on the promise of algae-based biodiesel and jet fuel — the company pitched its algae fermentation technology as a solution to fossil fuel dependence. When oil prices fell and algae fuel economics failed, Solazyme pivoted to nutrition (renaming itself TerraVia in 2016) and went bankrupt in 2017. Corbion then acquired the nutrition assets from bankruptcy. The algal DHA technology in Corbion's AlgaPrime — which feeds infant brains globally — is a direct descendent of a failed Silicon Valley biofuel venture. The fermentation equipment originally built to make algae jet fuel now makes infant formula omega-3.
Corbion N.V. ↗Origin2023
Corbion's AlgaPrime DHA product line was acquired from TerraVia's bankruptcy in 2017 for approximately $20M. TerraVia (formerly Solazyme, a biofuels company) had spent $500M+ in VC and public market capital trying to make algae-based fuels economically viable before pivoting to nutrition when fuel economics failed. Corbion, which already had industrial fermentation infrastructure for lactic acid and PLA, recognized that the Thraustochytrid algae fermentation technology TerraVia had developed was compatible with Corbion's existing fermentation operations. The result: Corbion now produces DHA omega-3 from algae fermentation using the same facility infrastructure as its pharmaceutical sodium lactate production -- the algal DHA that goes into infant formula and the sodium lactate that goes into hospital IV bags are produced by the same type of industrial fermentation equipment in the same Dutch fermentation complex. A single Dutch company produces infant formula omega-3, hospital IV solution buffer, compostable coffee cup material (PLA), and bread preservative -- all from microbial fermentation.
Corbion N.V. ↗