Seaweed startup on Earthshot shortlist
Sydney-based Coast 4C joins 15 finalists from around the globe.
Fifteen finalists for the 2024 Earthshot Prize have been revealed, and among them is Coast 4C, a Sydney-based company breaking ground in the seaweed industry.
Coast 4C works with smallholder seaweed farmers and buyers around the world, linking coastal agricultural investment with conservation and promoting regenerative seaweed farming using a social franchise model.
The seaweed farming sector is growing but still heavily under-resourced, often depending on marine conservation grants, according to Coast 4C's founders Amado Blanco and Nicholas Hill. They are seeking to change that by providing financial support packages and resources.
They aim to not only protect and restore ocean habitats from human-caused damage, but to also help coastal communities secure legal rights to farm seaweed in designated areas.
“We are so honoured to have been selected for this opportunity to scale our efforts for greater impact,” co-founder Nick Hill said.
“It is an enormous privilege to receive this recognition for the team’s work to revive our oceans and build more prosperous and resilient coastal communities, and to have acknowledged the transformative power of the communities we partner with.”
While Coast 4C began operations in the Philippines and Mozambique, expansion plans are already in motion for Southeast Asia, Indonesia, and Cameroon.
"It is an enormous privilege to receive this recognition for the team’s work to revive our oceans and build more prosperous and resilient coastal communities"
This year’s Earthshot Prize finalists, including Coast 4C, were announced at the third annual Earthshot Innovation Summit, hosted in partnership with Bloomberg Philanthropies during New York Climate Action Week.
The 15 finalists were chosen from a pool of nearly 2,500 nominees submitted by more than 430 nominators from 75 countries. Representing six continents, the finalists also feature first-time entries from countries such as France, Ghana, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, and Nepal.
Each finalist falls into one of five categories: Protect and Restore Nature, Clean Our Air, Revive Our Oceans, Build a Waste-Free World, and Fix Our Climate. The finalists were assessed by Earthshot Prize’s selection partners and a 100-strong Expert Advisory Panel from fields like conservation, science, technology, business, finance, and policy.
The Earthshot Prize, founded in 2020 by The Prince of Wales, aims to spotlight and scale up innovative solutions to global environmental challenges. Over the past four years, the Prize has unlocked over £75 million in direct and in-kind support for its finalists.
“Today, we celebrate the incredible achievement, unwavering dedication, and urgent optimism that drives our fourth class of Earthshot innovators,” President and founder of The Earthshot Prize Prince William said.
“The passion of these finalists is a testament to what can be achieved when we tap into the enormous creativity, ingenuity, and optimism of communities around the world. Representing every corner of the globe, these finalists are leading the way in solving some of the most urgent environmental challenges. Their groundbreaking work is inspiring hope and action as we work to create a sustainable future for generations to come.”
The 15 finalists will compete for five £1 million prizes, which will be awarded at the Earthshot Prize Awards Ceremony in Cape Town, South Africa, on November 6.
See the full list of finalists here.
Coast 4C establishes cooperatives that train farmers with the support of government agencies. In just three years, these communities can have fully functional, regenerative seaweed farms. To encourage this sustainable practice, Coast 4C pays a premium for seaweed that is farmed regeneratively, while buyers benefit from more reliable, higher-quality, and traceable red seaweed. So far, the company has trained 680 farmers, with 200 of them already growing seaweed. By early 2024, Coast 4C had sold 512 tonnes of raw dried seaweed, generating $225,000 in revenue. Funded by grants from the Ocean Risk Alliance (ORRAA) and EY’s TRANSFORM Initiative, along with backing from two angel investors, the startup expects to reach over $2.8 million in revenue this year.
