Fremantle Seaweed buys FutureFeed assets to lift supply

Fremantle Seaweed has acquired onshore nursery, production technology and equipment from FutureFeed, bringing the Western Australian startup closer to commercial supplies of Asparagopsis for cattle feed.

The acquisition adds onshore cultivation to Fremantle Seaweed's existing open-ocean operations and brings forward its first commercial sales target to 2027. It gives the company the ability to cultivate both life stages of Asparagopsis, a red seaweed used as a feed ingredient that has been shown to cut methane emissions from ruminants by more than 80 per cent.

FutureFeed was established by CSIRO and holds the global intellectual property for Asparagopsis as a feed ingredient. Fremantle Seaweed has worked with it as a cultivation partner since March 2025.

The assets include nursery and seaweed production technology for the tetrasporophyte phase of Asparagopsis, which is generally grown onshore in tank systems. Fremantle Seaweed already cultivates the seaweed's gametophyte phase in the open ocean at Cockburn Sound in Western Australia, where it has been growing Asparagopsis since 2023.

By combining the two approaches, Fremantle Seaweed aims to build a more dependable supply chain as it moves from research and cultivation into commercial production. The new arrangement is expected to help it scale output and provide a more reliable supply to cattle producers seeking feed additives that reduce methane emissions.

The transaction follows the purchase of an ocean-backed facility at 20 Mews Road in Fremantle, funded by a AUD $4 million grant from the Western Australian Government's Investment Attraction Fund. Fremantle Seaweed has also raised AUD $4 million in seed funding, giving it a total of AUD $8 million in disclosed backing as it develops production.

Its onshore approach differs from recirculating aquaculture systems and is designed around prefabricated tanks, a smaller site footprint and contamination controls intended to lower operating costs. Those features matter because one barrier to wider use of methane-reducing feed products has been the difficulty of producing seaweed consistently and at scale.

Interest in Asparagopsis has grown as livestock producers and agricultural supply chains face pressure to cut emissions. Methane from cattle is a major source of agricultural greenhouse gas emissions, and seaweed-based feed additives have drawn attention as one of the more practical ways to reduce enteric methane without changing herd structure.

Fremantle Seaweed is one of several Australian companies trying to turn that scientific promise into a commercial farming input. Its strategy combines offshore cultivation, where it has built experience growing seaweed in marine conditions, with onshore nursery production to support the full life cycle of the crop.

Chris De Cuyper, Chief Executive Officer and Founder of Fremantle Seaweed, said: "We started this business growing seaweed from a boat, and we're now taking a major step towards commercial production by bringing onshore cultivation into our operations. This facility gives us the capability to grow both phases of Asparagopsis at scale, strengthening our ability to deliver a consistent and commercially viable supply to cattle producers.

"This is an important milestone for Fremantle Seaweed and for the Australian seaweed industry. Our focus now is on turning five years of technology development and cultivation experience into a reliable supply of seaweed-based feed that farmers can adopt at scale. The farmers we speak to are looking for practical, affordable ways to reduce emissions without compromising the way they operate, and that is the opportunity we are working to deliver."

For FutureFeed, the sale transfers a cultivation asset from technology development to a producer focused on supply. The company has played a central role in developing the science and intellectual property around Asparagopsis feed products, while relying on commercial partners to expand production.

Alex Baker, Chief Executive Officer of FutureFeed, said: "With FutureFeed's role in commercialising the core CSIRO technology and developing the science, technology and intellectual property underpinning Asparagopsis as a feed ingredient, we're pleased to see this cultivation capability move into Fremantle's hands, with the company now focused on taking production to the next stage."

The deal underlines how the sector's next phase is likely to depend less on laboratory results and more on whether producers can grow, process and deliver seaweed in volumes that fit mainstream livestock operations. Fremantle Seaweed's immediate task is to turn its expanded cultivation base into supply ahead of its 2027 sales target.