Meet the three “sea unicorns” crowned winners of the Narwhal Challenge 2025

BioBright

BioBright is a UK-based climate tech startup solving the maritime industry's multi-billion-dollar pollution and decarbonization challenge. Our platform combines algae cultivation with advanced monitoring to help ports avoid crippling fines by purifying water and cutting emissions. We deliver a unified, real-time dataset on both air and water CO₂, water quality (nitrates, phosphates, heavy metals), and biodiversity, making operations more efficient. By uniting nature and technology, we turn a costly liability into a manageable opportunity, making ports climate solutions, not sources of emissions.

Vanessa Giorgia Barzasi, Co-Founder, BioBright: “We are excited to join the Narwhal Challenge to connect with leading research institutions, ports, and SMEs in Brittany. We believe this programme will provide valuable opportunities to strengthen our scientific collaborations and explore joint pilot projects for maritime decarbonisation and water quality monitoring.”

Sea & Believe

Sea & Believe is an Irish aquatech company that is pioneering the cultivation of Palmaria palmata, a native red seaweed, to supply bioactives for cosmetics, aquaculture feed, and nutrition. By combining innovative offshore grid systems with downstream product development, we deliver solutions that replace resource-intensive ingredients while supporting coastal communities.

Meike Bouwhuis, Technical Product Manager, Sea & Believe: “I am excited to join the Narwhal Challenge to further our understanding of Palmaria palmata bioactives and explore their potential in sustainable cosmetics. This opportunity will connect Sea & Believe with leading researchers and industry partners to accelerate our path from discovery to impactful products.”

BoeBio

BeoBio (trading as SeaMeGro) and Algamy are pioneering companies in the development of bio-based materials, with a focus on scalable seaweed biorefinery and sustainable polymer innovation. We work closely with academic and industry partners to accelerate the transition to low-impact, high-performance materials.

SeaMeGro Products: SeaMeGro develops functional seaweed-based ingredients for animal nutrition and wellness, with a focus on gut health, immunity, and sustainable sourcing. Our products are derived from carefully selected macroalgae and processed using gentle biorefinery techniques to preserve bioactivity. We’re currently expanding our portfolio to support pet health and aquaculture resilience, with a strong emphasis on traceability and environmental impact.  

Alan O’Sullivan, CEO, BeoBio & Founder, Algamy Ltd: “We’re excited to participate in the Narwhal Challenge as it aligns with our mission to drive marine-based innovation and foster collaboration across the blue bioeconomy. The initiative offers a valuable platform to connect with like-minded organisations and amplify sectoral progress.”

Nua Mara

Note that Sea & Believe and BeoBio will be accompanied by Nua Mara, an Irish specialist in marine-related R&D.

Nua Mara is Ireland's first dedicated marine innovation and development centre, providing specialist facilities including dedicated incubation spaces, prototyping labs, with blast freezers and chilling, and multipurpose training and demonstration areas at the University of Galway's Carna Research Station. We offer comprehensive business development services including start-up advice, enterprise skills building, training for new product development, export support, innovation and commercialisation assistance, and networking opportunities for marine SMEs. As a collaborative venture between Údarás na Gaeltachta, University of Galway, and Atlantic Technological University, we provide market-focused support to bridge innovation, application, and commercialisation in the marine sector.

Máire Éinniú, Head of Nua Mara, Ireland's Marine Innovation Centre: “The Narwhal Challenge presents an exceptional opportunity to immerse ourselves in Brittany's cutting-edge blue technology innovation ecosystem and explore cooperative ventures within the Campus Mondial de la Mer network of research laboratories, infrastructure platforms, and companies. As Ireland's first dedicated marine innovation centre, we are particularly interested in the marine bioresources development track, which aligns perfectly with our expertise in supporting marine SMEs and bridging innovation with commercialization. We're excited that two of our companies, Plantruption and Beo Bio, have been selected for this programme, and we believe the contacts made will be invaluable and that this will be the start of a great relationship between our two organisations.”