In Kokkola, seaweed from the Caribbean is transformed into raw materials for the wellness industry

Start-up company Origin by Ocean converts environmentally harmful seaweed into raw materials to be used in, for example, the cosmetics industry. The company’s first industrial-scale biorefinery will be built in Kokkola Industrial Park, which provides an excellent setting for business operations based on the circular economy.

In recent years, a new environmental issue has emerged in the Caribbean: Sargassum seaweed is taking over both the ocean and its shores. The volume of seaweed blooms is increasing rapidly every year – in 2025, there were up to 40 million tonnes of Sargassum blooms in our oceans. When the seaweed washes ashore, the decaying masses release methane and create a real problem in terms of disposal.

However, help is coming from the shores of the Gulf of Bothnia. The Espoo-based start-up company Origin by Ocean is starting to build a biorefinery in Kokkola, where Sargassum blooms will be turned into raw materials for industrial use.

– We generate guaranteed benefits by removing seaweed from the ocean and putting the biochemically valuable ingredients contained within, such as polysaccharides, to good use, says Annukka Tarvainen, Technology and Investment Director Activist at Origin by Ocean.

How was the idea of using seaweed as feedstock born? And why was Kokkola chosen as the location of the company’s new biorefinery?

Seaweed’s journey from an ocean menace to industrial feedstock began in the kitchen

Initially, Origin by Ocean was built on a combination of environmental concern and top-level chemical expertise found in Finland. The company was born out of love for the oceans when Mari Granström, the founder of Origin by Ocean, became concerned about the eutrophication of the seas.

Granström, who had already built a career in the international chemical industry, began to wonder whether she could find a solution for the environmental problem and also establish a sustainable business in the process. She began to develop a process for extracting biochemical ingredients stored in algae and harnessing them for industrial use. The first version of the seaweed treatment process was created in Granström’s own kitchen.

Since then, the process has been patented, and Granström has continued her systematic work to turn it into a business that generates demand. So far, Origin by Ocean has already engaged in pilot-scale cooperation with, for example, Finnish cosmetics companies and Marimekko, as algae-based thickeners were tested in Marimekko’s textile printing process.

Algae-based raw materials can reduce the use of synthetic polymers and fossil-based ingredients in the textile and cosmetic industries. Moreover, the packaging industry can also benefit from using seaweed-based materials in coating layers.

Origin by Ocean has adopted a regenerative business model. In traditional industrial operations, increasing the production volume also leads to increased emissions. However, a regenerative business model is based on achieving the exact opposite: the bigger the production volume, the better it is for the world.

– At present, Sargassum blooms are left on the shores and in forests to rot, releasing methane and carbon dioxide. If the seaweed is transported to a landfill, the same process takes place there. Origin by Ocean has found a useful application for Sargassum, and all the seaweed we use reduces the volume of harmful algae masses in the oceans, says Antti Koponen, Lead Chemical Engineer Activist at Origin by Ocean.

– We use every part of the algae feedstock. First, we extract the ingredients with biochemical value from the seaweed. The remaining biomass can be used in, for example, animal feed, which means that the process produces zero waste.

Everything from plots and electricity to hydrogen and ammonia

Kokkola is the perfect location for Origin by Ocean’s refinery due to the city’s strong industrial mindset. Globally, Kokkola is known especially for its vibrant chemical industry, and expertise in battery chemistry is one of the city’s key export assets.

In addition to battery chemistry, Kokkola’s innovation ecosystem is centred around the circular economy and intelligent solutions that support the industry, which Origin by Ocean also stands for.

– Our innovation ecosystem allows us to offer companies a platform for growth, cooperation, and developing new solutions. By doing so, we can give these companies’ business a boost, generate new expertise and, of course, open doors to new markets, says Piia Isosaari, Strategy Manager at the City of Kokkola.

Origin by Ocean’s biorefinery is being built in Kokkola Industrial Park (KIP). Kokkola Industrial Park was first established in the 1940s, under the ominous shadow of the Second World War. At that time, the state’s industrial policy was strongly steered by geographical location: the goal was to build industrial facilities along the seashore, as far from the eastern border as possible.

Since then, the infrastructure in the area has been developed in a systematic, far-reaching manner. Over the years, companies, higher education institutions and RDI operators have found their way to Kokkola Industrial Park.

– The first question is always the same: do you have plots, meaning land zoned for industrial use. Yes, we do. The next question is whether we have an electricity supply available. Yes, we have that, as well, says Jonne Sandberg, Development Director of the City of Kokkola.

– We also have an abundance of available raw materials. There are around thirty basic industrial commodities available in the KIP area, including sulphuric acid, nitrogen, hydrogen and ammonia. When synergies already exist, companies can skip exploring options on how to build a storage facility for ammonia, for example. And then, of course, there are the logistics, including a railway network and the port – we have a 14 metres deep fairway, and the tracks run directly from the port to the industrial area. In addition, we have an All Weather Terminal, which allows ships to enter and have their cargo unloaded or loaded in a sheltered environment.

From Kokkola to the world

In Kokkola Industrial Park, one person’s waste is another person’s commodity. For example, carbon dioxide generated in one company’s limestone production process can be transferred through pipelines to another plant which needs carbon dioxide as a raw material for the pharmaceutical industry. Even Origin by Ocean benefits from this synergy – the existing infrastructure in the area means that the company does not need to build the refinery from scratch.

– KIP provides access to basic utilities such as compressed air, water, vapours and chemicals. In addition, we can tap into the infrastructure in the area. This reduces costs and the duration of the refinery building process, Annukka Tarvainen explains.

In practice, the completed biorefinery will be run by the chemical industry company CABB Group. Through the cooperation, Origin by Ocean will be able to draw on CABB’s invaluable manufacturing knowledge and professional expertise. CABB, on the other hand, gets to expand its operations in new directions, including into the regenerative business sector which aims to actively improve the state of the environment and society.

Although the seaweed blooms in the Caribbean are a major environmental concern, Origin by Ocean has not forgotten the adjacent Baltic Sea.

– As part of our value chain, we also intend to farm Fucus vesiculosus, or bladderwrack, in the Baltic Sea. This is the first ever seaweed farm in Finland, and we have received the first experimental farming permit from the state, Tarvainen says.

When bladderwrack is harvested at the right time, the process also extracts nutrients from the sea. Thanks to Origin by Ocean’s separation process, these nutrients can be recycled and kept away from the sea, where they would contribute to the eutrophication of the waters.

The biorefinery to be built in Kokkola is one milestone in the process of expanding the seaweed business. In fact, the company already has the next steps in mind.

– Our refinery in Kokkola may not be enough to save the world, but when we can scale the operations and build larger refineries in the Caribbean we can truly make a difference, Tarvainen envisions.

– Still, the Kokkola refinery creates new income sources for local small-scale operators, also in the Caribbean. They can use their boats to harvest more seaweed as feedstock for our Kokkola refinery and earn an income in the process, adds Antti Koponen.

An open-minded atmosphere brings jobs and investments to Kokkola

In Kokkola, companies can find excellent opportunities for building successful new business alongside the valued local expertise in battery chemistry. The city, higher education institutions, RDI operators and companies all work together to create jobs and draw investments into the region. In turn, Kokkola Industrial Park is a pioneer in the development of industrial activities based on the circular economy.

In fact, both Piia Isosaari and Jonne Sandberg hope that the area will expand to host new business activities and an innovative start-up culture. Origin by Ocean is a fresh example of such next-generation industries.

Antti Koponen and Annukka Tarvainen from Origin by Ocean recognise the desire to support new forms of business that is so tangible in Kokkola. They praise the city for its keen enthusiasm, openness to new ideas, and readiness to make and facilitate new connections.

– Since the very beginning, the City of Kokkola has been extremely committed to promoting the realisation of our investment. They have made us feel more than welcome to KPI. Whenever we have faced problems or challenges, the local operators have supported us and helped us forward, Koponen says.

In other words, the attitude in Kokkola could not be better. Perhaps we will see many more stories like Origin by Ocean’s on the western coast – with or without the seaweed!

Kokkola is a member of the InnoCities network. The leading development themes for Kokkola are battery chemistry, the circular economy and intelligent solutions supporting industry.

Want to know more Finnish miracles? Subscribe to InnoCities newsletter (published 3-4 times / year) from below!