GreenWave, a nonprofit dedicated to building regenerative ocean farming systems and sustainable seaweed value chains, recently launched Kelp CoLab, a groundbreaking 10-month collaborative R&D program designed to unlock kelp's potential as a functional ingredient in personal care formulations.
Partnering with Unilever Foundry as the inaugural anchor company, the program will address critical market barriers by enabling brands, suppliers and technical experts to co-develop high-performance, sustainable kelp-based solutions.
Applications for this year's program, which will focus on leveraging kelp's bioactive properties for skin care and formulation benefits, close on Oct. 6, 2025.
Bridging the Gap to Commercial Viability
According to GreenWave, despite kelp's recognized potential as a regenerative crop with significant bioactive properties, market adoption remains limited due to technical barriers and isolated development efforts. The newly announced Kelp CoLab program targets these challenges through a structured collaborative approach.
"Brands are excited about kelp," says Grace Collery, senior market development program manager at GreenWave. "But we hear the same thing again and again, 'We love the idea — we just don't know how to work with it.'"
The program shifts focus from kelp as a standalone ingredient to its integration as a functional component that provides behind-the-scenes value across formulations.
Technical Focus: Personal Care Applications
For the inaugural cohort, participants will investigate kelp's natural properties — including bioactives and functional components — for personal care applications. Target benefits include hydration enhancement, skin barrier support, anti-inflammatory properties and natural emulsification functions.
Unilever Foundry serves as the anchor company, providing technical expertise and market insight while defining success metrics for kelp-based solutions. The collaboration model enables shared technical learnings and reduces individual R&D costs and risks.
Collaborative Innovation Model
The program addresses inefficiencies in parallel development efforts across the industry. "No one company can build this market alone. Innovation is hard enough already, and not to mention expensive," says Sam Garwin, GreenWave's director of market development.
"But when companies collaborate, they can learn from each other and get to solutions faster, instead of everyone reinventing the wheel."
Beyond technical development, participants gain direct supply chain exposure through visits to regenerative kelp farms, strengthening connections between brands and ingredient producers.
Market Development Strategy
GreenWave's decade-long experience in seaweed value chain development informs the program's design. The organization positions Kelp CoLab as part of a broader strategy to establish kelp as a central component in consumer product formulations.
"Everyone's so tired of greenwashing," says Sam Garwin, GreenWave's director of market development. "This is more than just an R&D program — it's a chance to be part of something bigger, to help unlock the potential of this ingredient and position brands as legitimate leaders in sustainable innovation."
The initiative aims to create scalable pathways for regeneratively farmed kelp while ensuring value chain benefits extend from farmers to consumers.
Application Process
Kelp CoLab accepts applications from personal care brands interested in kelp-based formulation development. The program targets both emerging and established companies prepared to lead innovation with kelp ingredients. Applications close Oct. 6, 2025.
