For investors and business partners
Novelgen is an R&D-driven startup that uses microalgae to clean water while fixing CO₂ and producing food and resources. We are starting validation and commercialisation in aquaculture and expanding into water treatment and resource circulation. This page sets out the facts needed for an evaluation, within the scope of public information.
Key facts
- Legal name
- Novelgen Co., Ltd. (株式会社ノベルジェン)
- Founded
- 2019 (spin-out of the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology)
- Locations
- Head office: Nagahama, Shiga (Nagahama Bio Incubation Center); Tokyo branch: Ginza, Chuo-ku
- CEO
- Atsushi Ogura, Ph.D. (Professor, Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology)
- Team
- 22 members
- Focus
- Microalgae for water purification, CO₂ fixation, aquaculture (feed, fattening, seed production) and resource circulation
- Main products
- Bloomo AI-controlled algae cultivation unit; Bloomo Cloud remote monitoring
- Intellectual property
- 12
- Main public funding
- MAFF SBIR Phase 3 fund (subsidy cap of up to ¥1.247 billion through March 2028, as published by the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology) — non-repayable, non-dilutive; not equity
Investment thesis in brief
Large problems backed by regulation
Eutrophication (nitrogen and phosphorus), the energy and CO₂ footprint of wastewater treatment, and shortages of feed and seed in aquaculture. Tightening regulation and decarbonisation targets are increasing demand for solutions in all three.
One platform, several markets
The same algae cultivation platform (Algal Bloom Capture) and unit (Bloomo) are deployed across aquaculture, water treatment and resource circulation, so implementation experience in the first market carries over to the next.
Start where revenue is closest
We are commercialising first in aquaculture (short-term oyster fattening, feed and seed), the most advanced line, while water and digestate treatment are being built up step by step with joint-validation partners.
Business model
We aim for a recurring-revenue model that combines operation, data and licensing, rather than equipment sales alone.
Bloomo sales and operation
Sales of the cultivation unit plus strain supply and operational support. Indicative figures per unit — CAPEX US$250–400k and ARR US$72–120k per year — are published on the product page.
Bloomo Cloud (subscription)
Remote monitoring and optimisation of cultivation, and data for quantifying environmental value.
Licensing (water infrastructure)
For infrastructure such as sewage treatment, we envisage a licensing model with infrastructure companies and municipalities.
Biomass and environmental value
Use of recovered algal biomass as feed, fertiliser raw material and materials, and LCA-based quantification of CO₂ fixation.
Development stage by business line
An honest view of where each line stands — the same information as “From research to commercialisation” on the home page.
| Line | Market | Current stage | Next step |
|---|---|---|---|
| Bloomo (aquaculture) | Oyster fattening, feed, seed production | Validation; pilot deployments under way | Commercial deployment |
| Bloomo Cloud | Remote monitoring, MRV data | In pilot operation | Standard offering for Bloomo sites |
| ABC / carbon credits | CO₂ fixation | Field trials started | Third-party LCA/MRV review |
| Sustainable Materials | Fertiliser, feed, carbon-storing materials | LCA assessment and trials | Trials with co-development partners |
| Bloomo (water treatment) | Industrial wastewater, sewage, digestate | R&D and small-scale validation | Sample evaluation, joint validation |
| Novelglue | Bio-adhesives (medical, bio) | R&D | Application-specific evaluation |
Nature of the funding secured
R&D has been financed mainly through non-repayable public R&D funding (non-dilutive). The main published item is the Ministry of Agriculture, Forestry and Fisheries (MAFF) SME Innovation Promotion Program (SBIR Phase 3 fund), with a subsidy cap of up to ¥1.247 billion through March 2028, as published by the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology.
This is not equity. Amounts and industry classifications shown in external databases may not reflect the company accurately.
Capital structure, financials and financing terms are not published. They are explained in a meeting under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
Third-party recognition
Including THE BLUEKEEPERS AWARD 2025 Local Engagement Award at Expo 2025 Osaka, Kansai; Toyo Keizai’s “100 Amazing Ventures” 2025 (ESG & impact); and the AgriFood SBIR Pitch Matching 2026 Best Business Concept Presentation Award. Newspaper, TV, university and government coverage is listed with links to each source.
Media coverage, awards and programs →How we think about defensibility
We do not publish technical specifics; below is the framework only.
Strains and selection
Non-GMO selection and a library of strains suited to different environments.
Hardware and control
The Bloomo cultivation unit combining IoT sensing and AI control, and Bloomo Cloud remote monitoring.
IP and validation
12 IP assets and a track record of validation under public programs. The content and filing status of the IP are explained under NDA.
Leadership team
The team covers research (CEO: genetic engineering, microalgae), IP and business strategy (CSO: patent attorney, IP portfolio building), scale-up process development (CDO: mass-production technology at a chemical manufacturer) and seafood distribution (CMO: oyster distribution and opening EU exports).
Meet the team →Key risks and mitigation
The main risks we recognise as an R&D-driven startup, and how we address them.
- Scale-up and biological variability
- Algae cultivation tends to be less stable outdoors and in real wastewater, so we standardise operation through AI control and remote monitoring and scale up step by step from small units.
- Speed of market adoption
- Aquaculture and water treatment have long equipment-renewal cycles. We lower the barrier to adoption with single-unit trials and sample evaluations.
- Dependence on public funding
- R&D has been financed largely through public funding. During the SBIR Phase 3 period (to March 2028) we are moving towards a revenue base from product sales, services and licensing.
- Regulation and certification
- Each application — fertiliser registration, water-quality standards, carbon-credit methodologies — has its own regulatory requirements. We address them with LCA-based quantification (ISO 14040/14044) and application-specific pre-assessment.
Milestones to date and ahead
- 2019 Founded as a spin-out of the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology
- 2023 Selected for MAFF’s SBIR Phase 3 fund (subsidy of up to ¥1.247 billion through March 2028); exhibited at NEDO’s International Conference on Carbon Recycling
- 2025 Demonstration facility for short-term oyster fattening completed in Nagahama (reported in the press); THE BLUEKEEPERS AWARD 2025; selected for “100 Amazing Ventures”
- 2026 Selected for a JETRO long-term program in Europe; exhibited at VivaTech and Hello Tomorrow; AgriFood SBIR Pitch Matching 2026 award
- Mar 2028 Scheduled end of the SBIR Phase 3 program period
Frequently asked questions from investors
- Is this the same company as “Novelgen” companies outside Japan?
- No. Novelgen Co., Ltd. (株式会社ノベルジェン) is a spin-out of the Nagahama Institute of Bio-Science and Technology, founded in 2019 in Nagahama, Shiga, Japan. It has no capital or business relationship with companies in other countries that use the English name “Novelgen”.
- Has the company been funded mainly through equity?
- No. R&D has been financed mainly through non-repayable public R&D funding (non-dilutive). The main published item is MAFF’s SBIR Phase 3 fund (subsidy cap of up to ¥1.247 billion through March 2028). Capital structure and amounts raised are not published.
- Does the company have revenue?
- Financial information is not published. The development stage of each line is shown in the table above; the most advanced is validation and pilot deployment in aquaculture. Details are provided in a meeting.
- Can we discuss investment or a business partnership?
- Yes. Please contact us through the contact form. Terms and detailed materials are provided in a meeting under a non-disclosure agreement (NDA).
- Can you share technical details or the content of your IP?
- Technical information such as strains, cultivation conditions and the content of our IP is not published. It is shared after an NDA, to the extent appropriate for the purpose.
Request a meeting
We welcome enquiries about investment, business partnerships and co-development. The contact form opens with “About Investment & Capital Alliance” selected (for business partnerships, choose “About Partnership”).
Request a meetingNote: this page is based on public information and is not a solicitation of investment. Forward-looking statements reflect current plans or press reports and actual results may differ.