MiAlgae secures £2.5m for Grangemouth Omega-3 facility
Scottish biotech company MiAlgae has secured £2.5 million from the Scottish National Investment Bank to support a new commercial-scale production facility in Grangemouth.
The investment will help the company scale production of its plant-based Omega-3 ingredient, made using by-products from the whisky distilling process.
MiAlgae said the funding will also support new employment opportunities at the Grangemouth site, with its workforce forecast to grow from 60 to around 156 people by the end of 2028.
Whisky by-products as a feedstock
MiAlgae produces an Omega-3 powder using material left over from whisky distilling. Its biotechnology process turns that feedstock into an ingredient that would otherwise usually be sourced from wild-caught fish.
Omega-3 is widely used in aquaculture feed and pet nutrition, where it supports areas such as skin, coat, cognitive and joint health.
The company describes its product as sustainable and fully traceable, and says its process supports Scotland’s circular economy by creating a commercial use for distillery by-products.
For Scottish industry, the model links food and drink, biotechnology and manufacturing. Whisky production generates large volumes of by-product, while feed and nutrition producers need reliable sources of Omega-3 that are less dependent on marine supply chains.
From university project to commercial scale
Founder and chief executive Douglas Martin set up MiAlgae in 2016 while studying synthetic biology and biotechnology at the University of Edinburgh.
The university has continued to back the company’s technology as the business has developed. MiAlgae gained wider recognition in 2024, when it was shortlisted for The Earthshot Prize in the Revive Our Oceans category.
Martin said the investment would support MiAlgae’s mission to protect oceans while meeting global demand for sustainable nutrition.
He said the new facility represented a significant milestone for the company and would help MiAlgae scale its impact while contributing to the regeneration of Grangemouth as a sustainable industrial hub.
Investment supports jobs in Grangemouth
The Scottish National Investment Bank said the deal supports its innovation, net zero and place missions.
Jane Reoch, executive director of innovation at the bank, described MiAlgae as one of Scotland’s most promising biotech companies, citing its innovation credentials and scale-up potential.
She said the company’s growing presence and planned job creation in Grangemouth would contribute to the area’s industrial economy.
Grangemouth has a long association with heavy industry, and the MiAlgae facility adds a different kind of industrial activity to the town.
If the forecast hiring is delivered, the company will create around 96 additional roles by the end of 2028.
The project also gives the wider Falkirk area a growing foothold in industrial biotechnology, linking university research, sustainable manufacturing and food-chain supply.
For suppliers, the facility may create future opportunities in engineering, logistics and process services as production scales. For the whisky industry, it adds another potential outlet for distilling by-products.
MiAlgae’s next test will be turning commercial capacity into sustained sales across the aquaculture and pet nutrition markets.
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