Triodos’ investment into the Faroese seaweed farming industry - the group’s first investment into the sustainable aquaculture industry - raises the total capital raised by Ocean Rainforest to € 2.5 million. Other notable shareholders include Katapult Ocean, Twynam, and WWF.

Founded in 2007, Ocean Rainforest was ahead of the curve, seemingly anticipating the massive boom in global seaweed production that was to come in the following years. Driven by the idea that growing seaweed in the ocean would take up CO₂ and mitigate climate change, cultivation began in 2013 after years of research and trials. Today the company employs 25 people and expects to produce 400 tonnes of seaweed biomass by the end of 2024, making it the largest cultivated seaweed producer in Europe.

“Ocean Rainforest addresses three impact pillars: from an environmental perspective, cultivating seaweed at scale is associated with significant enhancement of marine biodiversity and water quality. Seaweed-based fertilisers and animal feed also contribute to the sustainable agriculture transition. From a consumer perspective, consumption of seaweed-based products improves the digestive system and brings anti-inflammatory and other benefits,” said Adam Kybird, fund manager at Triodos, in a press release.

“Finally, from a socio-economic perspective, the company creates positive impact for coastal communities, creating jobs and positioning the Faroe Islands at the forefront of sustainable seaweed cultivation,” he added.

Ocean Rainforest has also begun to expand its reach, cultivating giant kelp in Santa Barbara, California, as part of a research and development project. The company recently applied for permission to transition this to commercial cultivation.

“We see the investment by Triodos Food Transition Europe Fund as a confirmation of our business strategy and our purpose to improve people’s wellbeing and make a unique contribution to our blue planet. With the funding provided by Triodos we will be able to further scale our production and capitalise on the huge potential of this global growth market while contributing even more to our sustainability goals,” said Olavur Gregersen, Ocean Rainforest co-founder and chief executive.

Farmers Markets Near Me

Farm2Me Guide of Farmers Markets is not just a map – you can finally search by day, location, and see what’s open — it’s a vibrant, living community celebrating the hardworking farms and makers all over the country, every day.

Get lost in the intricate stories of the farms. Discover their journeys, the products they love, and the reasons behind what they do.

Take advantage of the map when you’re visiting a new neighborhood, when you’re traveling around the country / world, or just looking for something special in your neighborhood.

We’ve spent 14 years building this, so enjoy!

Tiny Grocers Near Me

Farm2Me Map of Independent Grocers is not just a map – it’s a vibrant, living community celebrating the hardworking shops and shopkeepers you pass by every day.

Get lost in the intricate stories of shop owners. Discover their journeys, the products they love, and the reasons behind what they do.

Take advantage of the map when you’re visiting a new neighborhood, when you’re traveling around the country / world, or just looking for something special in your neighborhood.

We’ve spent 14 years building this, so enjoy!

Pro Tip #1

Challenge: Spend 36 hours in a new city, use this guide to add farmers market and local grocer stops to your itinerary. Share it with us!

Fine & Raw Chocolate was established in 2007 in a notorious Williamsburg, Brooklyn artist loft by Daniel Sklaar. Daniel launched into making small Fine & Raw Chocolate batches and sharing them with friends, Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale then started delivering them on his bicycle to local purveyors of fine food. It was apparent that the chocolate flavor was so good it was borderline addictive. Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale grew based on the premise of producing organic, unparalleled quality chocolate and a shear love of the chocolate making process.

The “raw” in Fine & Raw is something of a misnomer. Sklaar and Fine & Raw Chocolate company do roast some of their organic cacao beans under lower temperatures and for longer durations than common in standard high-heat processing. Says Sklaar, “Raw chocolate is an amazing source of antioxidants. We’re basically looking to maintain those while playing with the unique flavor profiles of raw chocolate.” Fine & Raw offers chocolates using both “raw” and combinations of “raw” and conventionally roasted beans.

Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale manufactures the finest chocolate in the world. Fine & Raw Chocolate wholesale specialize in bean-to-bar, organic chocolate bars and truffles, spreads and well, anything our imaginations can think of it. Fine & Raw Chocolate start by sourcing the worlds finest cacao beans and specialize in clean ingredients lists. Their products are always organic, plant-based and next level.

Fine & Raw Chocolate's first point of sustainability is a radically-transparent cacao supply chain which is focused on quality and direct relationships with cacao farmer! Fine & Raw's cacao is sourced from the highest quality and most ethical suppliers in Ghana and Ecuador. "We ensure that our farmers are paid above fair trade wages, because we believe farmers should have the economic freedom and empowerment to farm organically and develop sustainable land management practices. It is currently estimated that less than 0.5% of cacao beans are organic. By cultivating long-lasting and ethical relationships with suppliers and farmers, we hope to continue providing economic support for the organic cacao industry."

Made in Brooklyn, NY

Founded by Daniel Sklaar in 2007

Ryse

Amazon Bets Big on Smart Homes, You Can Too

VCs know how difficult it is to spot promising early investment opportunities. Even the Sharks from Shark Tank declined the offer to buy 10% of Ring for $700,000 - a decision they would regret when Amazon acquired Ring, turning the $700,000 into $10M!

RYSE is the smart-home brand poised to follow a similar trajectory. The founder pitched on Canada’s version of Shark Tank, Dragons’ Den and received two offers - it seems the Dragons’ learned from the Sharks’ mistakes. Don’t make the same mistake the sharks did.

Invest now.

AI TOOLS

Tech tools powering the best DTC brands

Rebuy: AI-powered personalization for e-commerce (link)
Klaviyo: Email personalization with AI integrations (link)
Smartly.io: Personalize your Ads 100,000x with AI, per geography and customer use case (link)
Range.me: Meet 3 buyers free, and over 50,000+ emerging food buyers (link)
Okendo: Reviews & Loyalty based on paclaging, flavor, ingredients, CX, and more (link)
Fairing: Attribution Surveys to help make sense of customer intent blackholes (link)
Algolia: Personalized Search using AI for e-commerce (link)
Braze: Personalized Customer Profile Databases (CDP) (link)

THAT’S A WRAP