Wellness Innovations raises €1.2m for fish-free Omega-3 algae oil

20-Jan-2022 - Last updated on 20-Jan-2022 at 10:52 GMT

Wellness Innovations, a Dutch producer of algae oil goods, has raised €1.2m in investment for a fish-free future in which Omega-3 is sourced in an environmentally friendly way.

The capital injection was obtained through the DuurzaamInvesteren.nl platform. It will help the research and development organisation develop its portfolio and accelerate the growth of both its brands, Testa Omega-3 and Daily Supplements.

Wellness Innovations aims to prevent all unnecessary fishing by 2035, and believes that catching fish is avoidable for Omega-3 purposes because it can be found in algae.

Martin de Vries, co-owner of Wellness Innovations, says: “We are already well on our way in this mission. We are market leader in the Netherlands and Belgium, and we are growing strongly in Germany, France and the UK.

“However, the share of algae oil in the total Omega-3 market is still only about 5%, so we still have a long way to go to realise our goal. Growth is therefore necessary and we are taking steps to the other continents. In addition, we are broadening our portfolio.”

A fish-free future

Wellness Innovations supports technology innovation and carries out research and development in the area of high-quality, fish-free food, as well as health and beauty products. Its remit is working towards improving the quality of oceans and retaining a healthy fish population.

While Testa Omega-3 was the first of its brands to be launched, Wellness Innovations went on to introduce the Daily Supplements brand in 2019, which has a plant-based focus on health and beauty products.

The Testa brand recently launched a vegan alternative to krill called Vrill Omega-3. Its three best-selling products include DHA & EPA Omega-3 Algae Oil which is pure, fish-free and 100% vegetable Omega-3.

It claims a high dose is good for the heart, brain and eyes. Another bestseller, DHA Omega-3 Algae Oil, is for individuals who want to take care of their brain and eyes but don’t want to eat fish, while a two-week sample pack of DHA & EPA is another a popular customer choice.

Wellness Innovations is also developing plant-based alternatives to fish because it believes that eating them is unnecessary if their nutrients can be found in plant sources. It also applies the same principle to care products.

Fermentalg, which produces microalgae derived Omega-3 rich Schizochytrium sp. Oil, entered this space last year.

Other companies operating in the field include BASF, Nutraveris and Mara Renewables, which successfully extended the use of its oil strain T18 for use in food supplements, food meant for infants and young children, special medical purposes, and total diet replacement for weight control.

Sustainable projects

Research highlighted that DHA from fish origin could be at risk due to global warming. Scientists believe that an increase in water temperature could affect the de novo synthesis of DHA in the algae at the top of the food chain, causing it to drop. This reduction may, in turn, lead to a 10-58% loss of DHA available worldwide.

The DuurzaamInvesteren.nl platform used by Wellness Innovations is an investment platform for sustainable projects in the Netherlands, which has recently crowdfunded for an Organic Nutrition Center.

Enrique Aparicio Torres, CEO of DuurzaamInvesteren.nl, says: “For DuurzaamInvesteren.nl, the vegan Omega-3 food supplements from algae were something quite new.

“We are pleased to see that this type of innovation is also being embraced by investors and that the development towards a sustainable future is accelerating in this area as well.”