Less than a year after opening a spirulina production facility worth more than EUR 1 million, Latvian biotechnology company “SpirulinaNord” has doubled its turnover and is preparing to expand more actively across European markets. The company has broadened its product range, launched a new e-commerce platform and continues to improve its production processes and strengthen its team, including through the Investment and Development Agency of Latvia (LIAA) support programme for attracting highly qualified specialists.
Spirulina is regarded as one of the world’s most nutrient-rich microalgae, but it generally reaches consumers in the form of dried powder. “SpirulinaNord”, by contrast, specialises in producing fresh spirulina products, which retain more valuable nutrients and offer a much milder taste than traditional powders. Last year, the company opened a new spirulina biotechnology production facility in Riga worth more than EUR 1 million, enabling it to increase production capacity sixfold – from four to 24 cubic metres of spirulina cultures – and laying the foundation for faster growth and export development.
“Opening the production facility was a symbolic moment for us, giving us an opportunity to look back at several years of work – from a few flasks on an institute windowsill to a facility capable of producing several tonnes of fresh spirulina a year. Today, the company has grown from a scientific project into a full-cycle biotechnology company that develops its own photobioreactors, grows spirulina and manufactures the final product. It has been a long journey, in which both our ability to attract funding and to find engineers and other specialists willing to become involved in such an unusual project have been crucial,” says Agnese Stunda-Zujeva, founder and CEO of SIA “SpirulinaNord”.
She notes that the new production facility has fully proven itself in practice.
“When building a production facility that is unique in the world, we could not rely on ready-made solutions or the experience of international specialists. It is therefore particularly rewarding to see that the system really works and that only relatively minor improvements are now required.”
Alongside its investment in production, the company has doubled its turnover over the past year, while a completely new e-commerce platform was launched for customers at the beginning of this year.
“You could say that the past year has marked our transition to a new stage of development. The new production facility has begun operating at full capacity, we have doubled our turnover and created a new e-commerce platform. All of this will enable us to develop our exports much more actively,” says the company’s CEO.
Although export sales have not yet reached the company’s sales volumes in Latvia, “SpirulinaNord” is seeing high levels of loyalty among its international customers. Over the past two years, the team has analysed leading European e-commerce solutions in detail, tested several platforms and has now developed a system that enables it to target customers in different European markets much more effectively.
The company is also expanding its product portfolio. Taking into account recommendations from customers and doctors, it has developed a new product – fresh spirulina in sea buckthorn juice. It contains less sugar than the company’s previous spirulina syrups while offering a milder taste than pure sea buckthorn juice. Within its first six months, the new product has already become particularly popular among people who avoid sugar in their daily diets, including people with diabetes, as well as consumers who prefer more tart flavours.
At the same time, the company has carried out laboratory analyses of its products, confirming that all “SpirulinaNord” products meet the nutritional claim “source of iron”. A study involving more than 40 women is currently being conducted to assess how regular consumption of the company’s products over an eight-week period affects iron levels in the body. The company plans to present the study results, together with at least one new product, at the international “Riga Food” exhibition in September this year.
Alongside product development, the company continues to improve its internal processes. It currently employs seven people and also works with several external service providers. To strengthen the team’s expertise and accelerate process improvements, the company is also using LIAA’s support programme for attracting highly qualified specialists. Through the programme, four specialists have joined the company to help introduce more efficient production processes, automation solutions and best practices.
Looking ahead, the company’s ambitions remain high. As sales increase, “SpirulinaNord” plans to gradually expand its production capacity. Although its production facility remains relatively small on a global scale – typical spirulina farms in Asia are around a thousand times larger – the company does not aim to compete on volume.
“We want to become a well-recognised European brand for delicious and healthy fresh spirulina products. We will continue to enter new European markets step by step and develop products that make spirulina accessible to an increasingly broad range of consumers,” emphasises Agnese Stunda-Zujeva.
The programme is financed under Measure 1.2.1.4 “Support for Improving the Technology Transfer System” of Specific Objective 1.2.1 “Strengthening Research and Innovation Capacities and the Uptake of Advanced Technologies by Enterprises” of the European Union Cohesion Policy Programme 2021–2027.
