AlgaZen — Our Solution

How It Works

From waste stream to value stream — in six steps.

🏭

Capture

CO₂ from brewery fermentation & flue gas piped into PBR via gas spargers

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💧

Feed

High-strength brewery wastewater provides nitrogen, phosphorus & organic carbon as free nutrients

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☀️

Grow

Light-guide rods deliver optimal PAR. Algae fix CO₂ via photosynthesis and consume wastewater nutrients

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🔬

Stress

Nitrogen limitation + high light triggers astaxanthin accumulation in Haematococcus (3–5% dry weight)

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⚙️

Harvest

Biomass separated via centrifugation or filtration. Supercritical CO₂ extraction for astaxanthin

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💰

Monetize

Astaxanthin, biofertilizer, biochar sold. Carbon credits generated. Clean water discharged.

The Reactor

Proprietary flat-panel PBR with light-guide technology.

Our patented design uses internal acrylic rods with aspherical lenses to distribute photosynthetically active radiation uniformly — eliminating the dark zones that limit growth in every conventional system.

System typeFlat-panel photobioreactor

Volume per module1,000 L

Culture depth8–12 cm (optimal light penetration)

MaterialUV-resistant polycarbonate / acrylic

Surface/volume ratio100–150 m⁻¹

Light sourceRed (660nm) + Blue (450nm) LEDs

Photoperiod16:8 (light:dark)

Temperature20–30°C (controlled)

pH7.0–8.5 (CO₂-regulated)

CO₂ concentration2–5% enriched air

Hydraulic retention time10–14 days

MixingAirlift, 0.2–0.3 m/s laminar

Why light-guide rods matter

Conventional flat-panel PBRs lose 60–80% of light within the first 2 cm of culture depth. Our internal acrylic rods act as optical waveguides, channeling photons deep into the reactor volume. Result: 27% more biomass productivity and 26% more CO₂ capture than industry-standard systems — lab validated with Saint Arnold Brewing wastewater.

Light-guide rods illuminated in red spectrum

Our prototypes at Rice University — light-guide rods with LED illumination panel

Two-Stage Cultivation

Growth first. Stress second. Value always.

Our two-stage protocol maximizes both biomass yield and astaxanthin accumulation — the key to unlocking multiple revenue streams from one biological system.

Stage 1 — Green Phase

Rapid Biomass Growth

Chlorella vulgaris and Haematococcus pluvialis grow rapidly in nitrogen-replete conditions, consuming wastewater nutrients and fixing CO₂. The algae remain green, doubling every 2–4 days while treating wastewater at maximum efficiency.

Brewery wastewater provides all essential nutrients at zero feedstock cost — nitrogen (30–60 mg/L TN), phosphorus (5–15 mg/L TP), and organic carbon (300–800 mg/L COD).

Growth rate0.8–1.2 d⁻¹

CO₂ toleranceUp to 15%

Doubling time2–4 days

Nutrient sourceBrewery wastewater (free)

Light intensity200–400 μmol/m²/s

Stage 2 — Red Phase (Stress)

Astaxanthin Accumulation

Under nitrogen limitation and high light intensity, Haematococcus pluvialis shifts from green to red as it accumulates astaxanthin — one of nature's most powerful antioxidants and our highest-margin product. Cells encyst and turn deep red, concentrating 3–5% astaxanthin by dry weight.

Extraction via supercritical CO₂ yields pharmaceutical-grade natural astaxanthin commanding premium prices over synthetic alternatives.

Astaxanthin content3–5% dry weight

TriggerN-limitation + high light

Duration7–14 days

ExtractionSupercritical CO₂

Price (natural)$8,125/kg wholesale

Wastewater Treatment

Turning toxic effluent into treated water.

Brewery wastewater isn't a problem — it's premium algal growth media in disguise. Our system removes pollutants biologically while saving breweries $150K–200K/year in disposal costs.

How algae treat wastewater

Microalgae directly uptake nitrogen and phosphorus as nutrients for growth. Heterotrophic bacteria in the culture consume organic matter (BOD/COD) symbiotically. Photosynthetic oxygenation supports aerobic decomposition. The result: clean water that meets discharge standards, with zero chemical additives.

Why brewery wastewater is ideal

Unlike dilute municipal wastewater, brewery effluent has extremely high nutrient concentrations — precisely what microalgae need. This eliminates 70–80% of feedstock costs compared to artificial growth media, turning a waste liability into a competitive advantage.

Parameter	Inlet	Outlet	Removal
BOD	4,593 mg/L	45 mg/L	99.0%
COD	4,280 mg/L	125 mg/L	97.1%
Total Nitrogen	380 mg/L	19 mg/L	95.0%
Total Phosphorus	48 mg/L	0.8 mg/L	98.3%
TSS	564 mg/L	25 mg/L	95.6%

Data from lab-validated trials using Saint Arnold Brewing Company wastewater

Carbon Capture

Photosynthesis is the original carbon capture technology.

Microalgae fix CO₂ 10–50× faster than terrestrial plants, with no non-photosynthetic structures (roots, trunks) wasting captured carbon. Every kilogram of biomass we produce removes 1.83 kg of CO₂ from the atmosphere.

Carbon credit pathway

Co-founder Manuja Dayanath (PhD, Monash University) is developing a certified carbon balance methodology to quantify CO₂ sequestration — addressing prior rejections of microalgae carbon credits by standards bodies like Verra. This unlocks recurring revenue from voluntary and compliance carbon markets projected to reach $93/ton by 2030.

6CO₂ + 6H₂O → light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂

1.83 kg

CO₂ per kg biomass

5.5 t

CO₂ per m³ per year

4.53 t

CO₂ fixed per year (18 PBRs)

8.8 t

CO₂ avoided (incl. substitution)

Revenue Streams

Four products. Zero waste.

Unlike algae ventures that failed chasing a single commodity, AlgaZen stacks multiple high-margin revenue streams from every batch of biomass.

🔴

Astaxanthin

Premium natural antioxidant extracted from H. pluvialis. 2–5× more valuable than synthetic. Nutraceutical, cosmetic, and aquaculture markets.

$8,125/kg wholesale

🌱

Biofertilizer

Residual biomass after astaxanthin extraction. Rich in nitrogen, phosphorus, and micronutrients. Organic agriculture market growing 10–21% annually.

$26/kg

📊

Carbon Credits

Certified CO₂ sequestration generates tradeable credits on voluntary and compliance markets. Price trajectory strongly upward through 2030.

$93/ton by 2030

🧹

Wastewater Treatment

Service fee replacing brewery disposal costs. Each brewery saves $150K–200K/year — we charge a fraction and still generate margin.

$200K/yr savings per brewery

Technology Comparison

Cheaper. Cleaner. More valuable.

Technology	Cost/ton CO₂	Energy	Treats Wastewater	Produces Revenue	Scalability
AlgaZen Microalgae	$45–65	Solar-powered	Yes	4 streams	High
Chemical CCS	$150–250	High	No	No	Medium
Direct Air Capture	$600–1,000	Very High	No	No	Low
Activated Sludge	N/A	High	Yes	No	Medium
Reforestation	$15–50	None	No	Limited	Land-limited

Scaling Plan

18 PBRs. $0.88M/year. Under 1-year payback.

Our first commercial-scale deployment: 18 flat-panel PBRs (1,000L each) producing 2.07 tonnes of dry biomass per year with an operating margin above 70%.

2.07 t/yr

Dry biomass produced

103.3 kg/yr

Astaxanthin extracted

504 m³/yr

Wastewater treated

4.53 t/yr

CO₂ directly fixed

$0.88M/yr

Projected revenue

<1 year

Payback period

CAPEX: ~$0.61M (PBRs + ancillaries + scCO₂ extraction unit). OPEX: ~$0.18M/year. Operating margin: >70%. Additional value not modeled: wastewater treatment credits + CO₂ utilization credits.

Microalgae that eat waste and breathe profit.

From waste stream to value stream — in six steps.

Capture

Feed

Grow

Stress

Harvest

Monetize

Proprietary flat-panel PBR with light-guide technology.

Why light-guide rods matter

Growth first. Stress second. Value always.

Rapid Biomass Growth

Astaxanthin Accumulation

Turning toxic effluent into treated water.

How algae treat wastewater

Why brewery wastewater is ideal

Photosynthesis is the original carbon capture technology.

Carbon credit pathway

1.83 kg

5.5 t

4.53 t

8.8 t

Four products. Zero waste.

Astaxanthin

Biofertilizer

Carbon Credits

Wastewater Treatment

Cheaper. Cleaner. More valuable.

18 PBRs. $0.88M/year. Under 1-year payback.

2.07 t/yr

103.3 kg/yr

504 m³/yr

4.53 t/yr

$0.88M/yr

<1 year

See it in action.