This week, we’re spotlighting another one of our ten CCEI Summer Fellowship Accelerator startups: Atlantic Sea Solutions. This startup is creating sustainable, edible coating from seaweed to increase the shelf-life and food safety of perishable foods.
CCEI’s Kate Savinelli was able to sit down with team member Anuj Purohit to discuss their background, mission, and vision.
—
Atlantic Sea Solutions, a promising startup, is making waves in the food industry with its innovative approach to extending the shelf-life and enhancing the safety of perishable foods. This breakthrough is made possible through a sustainable, edible coating derived from seaweed. Anuj Purohit, a key member of the team, recalls the origin of the idea.
“The idea is Dr. Mingyu Qiao’s, who is my supervisor and the principal investigator of this project. Not just UConn, but the state of Connecticut in general, is trying to develop the seaweed industry at large. Different stakeholders were encouraged to come up with ideas where we can develop a seaweed-based ecosystem.”
The core team driving Atlantic Sea Solutions consists of Dr. Mingyu Qiao (Faculty, CAHNR), Anuj Purohit (Staff, CAHNR), and Matt Cleaver. Dr. Qiao, the President and co-founder, provides not only the initial funding, but valuable technical and tactical guidance.
“Dr. Qiao co-founded his own company while he was a postdoctoral research associate at Cornell University, and raised close to 14 million non-dilutive funding,” Purohit highlights.
Matt Cleaver, COO, brings extensive experience from his previous roles in corporate strategy and operations.
“Matt has a great network of angel investors and stakeholders in the agriculture industry, which is huge. He brings vast experience and networking to the table.”
Purohit himself is a food scientist with a broad range of expertise. “During my graduate school years, I’ve dabbled in pretty much everything. At my previous startup, I was hired as a chief microbiology scientist, but in the startup world, you realize there’s so many fires to put out,” he explains. His diverse background equips him to handle multiple aspects of the venture, from food safety to product development.
Starting any venture is never without its challenges. One significant obstacle for Atlantic Sea Solutions has been securing intellectual property.
“The lawyers and stakeholders evaluating our intellectual property were critical [at first], but it was actually helpful for us in the long run.” He explains that while the process has been slower than expected, the feedback has been invaluable.
Another challenge the startup has faced has been the laboratory and hiring process.
“I built up our whole lab from scratch. It took slightly longer for me to transition from setting things up to actually doing R&D as a scientist,” he recounts. Finding the right partners also took time and effort, but the team eventually connected with Cleaver, whose expertise and networks have been instrumental.
Despite these challenges, the team has achieved significant milestones.
“A major win for us was qualifying for UConn’s NSF I-Corps programming: Accelerate UConn Phase 1. We had some traction and experience with UConn before we got into the program, but that was a big milestone — as well as getting into CCEI’s Summer Fellowship,” he shares.
Additionally, the team has qualified for the National I-Corps Program, a testament to their potential and dedication.
With their participation in the CCEI Summer Fellowship Accelerator, Atlantic Sea Solutions has been awarded $15,000 in non-dilutive funding. The team plans to strategically invest these funds in several key areas.
“We’ll use a major chunk for marketing and brand development. We’ll also allocate funds for attorney fees to negotiate the licensing of our technology, and for travel to network and conduct customer discovery.”
The team is also focused on the practical aspects of running their startup, including hiring a summer intern to assist with market sizing and other tasks. “Andrew Carter has been a great help. Whatever I delegate to him, he’s on it, and we’re all so glad to have him on board.”
Atlantic Sea Solutions is poised to revolutionize the food industry with their seaweed-based technology. As they continue to innovate and expand, Atlantic Sea Solutions exemplifies the power of interdisciplinary collaboration and sustainable innovation in addressing global challenges like food waste.
For those interested in learning more or getting in touch with the team, reach out via email at anuj.purohit@atlanticseasolutions.com or mingyu.qiao@atlanticseasolutions.com.