Yemoja

Yemoja is an Israeli food-tech and marine ingredient startup established in March 2017. The company was founded by a team of marine biology and biotechnology experts, including Erez Ashkenazi (COO) and Amikam Bar-Gil (CTO). CEO Eyal Shalmon leads the company. The founders' background in biopharma, marine sciences, and algae cultivation spurred the development of Yemoja's core technology.

Yemoja operates on a business-to-business (B2B) model, specializing in the cultivation of high-value, customized microalgae for the nutraceutical, cosmetic, and alternative protein sectors. The company has developed a proprietary indoor cultivation platform using a closed system of photobioreactors. This technology allows for precise control over parameters like light, temperature, and pH, enabling the production of pure, standardized, and contaminant-free microalgae at scale, overcoming common industry hurdles of scalability and compositional consistency. The system runs on recycled water and minimal energy, ensuring a small ecological footprint.

One of the company's notable developments is a red microalgae formulation branded 'Ounje', which means 'food' in the Yoruba language. This product was discovered serendipitously during research for cosmetic applications and serves as a heme substitute for plant-based and cultivated meats, mimicking the 'bleeding' juices of real meat without artificial colors. The formulation, derived from the Porphyridium algae strain, also congeals when cooked and provides a nutrient boost with a 20-30% protein load. In the cosmetics industry, Yemoja supplies formulators with pure microalgae, such as an external polysaccharide sulphate species noted for its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant properties, which are used in anti-aging and skin rejuvenation products.

As of April 2020, Yemoja had raised US$4 million in seed funding and from the Israel Innovation Authority and was preparing for a Round B funding. By June 2020, the company announced its new production plant in the Upper Galilee region of Israel was fully operational to meet a growing volume of orders.

Keywords: microalgae cultivation, B2B ingredients, alternative protein, plant-based heme, cosmetic ingredients, food-tech, nutraceuticals, photobioreactors, sustainable ingredients, marine biotechnology, Amikam Bar-Gil, Erez Ashkenazi, Porphyridium, Ounje, algae-based protein, clean label, cell-based meat, cosmetic actives, food additives, vegan ingredients