Why is your project/product a real innovation: What improvement does it bring?
"Rising methane emissions in agriculture significantly contribute to climate change, yet realistic solutions are lacking. Using algae as a feed additive or compost supplement offers tremendous potential and is easy to implement."
How did you come up with the idea?
"The idea initially emerged during the 2023 Cambridge Zero Climate Challenge, a competition where small teams develop and present climate-friendly ideas within a few weeks. Encouraged by the jury's positive feedback, we decided to pursue the project beyond the competition."
Which milestone of your development have you just passed and which do you want to tackle next?
"Our most recent milestone was a collaboration with a Vietnamese university, where a student team evaluated local algae production and established connections with key players in the field. Next, we aim to conduct a pilot project to prove the feasibility of this technology."
The biggest challenge on the way to founding a start-up is...
"...finding the right balance between technical development, funding, and market entry."
When and why did you realise that you wanted to found a start-up with your idea?
"With our academic backgrounds in sustainability and innovation, the interest in founding a sustainable start-up has always been there. This idea made it clear that we had to pursue it further."
Why did you take part in the Early Ride programme and where do you want to be at the end of the programme?
"Building a start-up requires learning from others' experiences to avoid mistakes. The Early Ride program allows us to benefit from the stories and expertise of other founders, and by the end, we aim to have a more refined business model and initial partnerships."
The best reasons in favour of Baden-Württemberg as a start-up location:
About the team:
AlgeaSorb is a national-international team. All team members are from Germany, although Tristan Spreng is currently a PhD student at Imperial College London. There, the chemist works in a research group dedicated to carbon capture. Joshua Spreng completed his Bachelor's degree in Industrial Engineering at KIT (Karlsruhe Institute of Technology). Vincent Spreng is currently working on his Master's in Molecular Biotechnology at the University of Heidelberg.
The ICM Early Ride Program, is an incubator program for innovation projects originating from the academic environment in Baden-Württemberg, with a strong focus on mobility and production. Participants learn to think entrepreneurially and discover, test, and leverage market potentials.