Key Takeaways
- Coast 4C has closed a US$2.5 million seed round led by Hatch Blue's Blue Revolution Fund, a €92 million sustainable aquaculture vehicle, with co-investors including Conservation International Ventures, elea, RS Group, Potato Impact Partners, Minderoo Foundation, Kibo Invest, and Azulito Fund.
- The company connects smallholder seaweed farmers in Southeast Asia to global processors through traceable, responsible supply chains, providing farmers with technical support, inputs, and market access.
- Southeast Asia produces the majority of the world's carrageenan — a seaweed-derived ingredient used in food, cosmetics, and pharmaceuticals — but supply remains fragmented across informal networks, limiting quality, consistency, and farmer income.
- Proceeds will be used to reach breakeven ahead of a Series A, expand the farmer network across coastal communities, and complete the rollout of a digital farm management and traceability platform.
- Coast 4C was a 2024 finalist of the Earthshot Prize and announced the round at the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly during London Climate Week.
Coast 4C Closes $2.5M Seed Round to Connect Seaweed Farmers to Global Markets
Regenerative seaweed company Coast 4C has raised US$2.5 million in a seed round to scale its platform linking smallholder farmers in Southeast Asia with global processors of carrageenan and other seaweed-derived ingredients. The round was led by the Blue Revolution Fund (BRF), a €92 million fund managed by aquaculture investor Hatch Blue, with participation from Conservation International Ventures, elea, RS Group, Potato Impact Partners, Minderoo Foundation, Kibo Invest, and Azulito Fund — a donor-advised fund held at ImpactAssets.
The raise brings together family offices, venture philanthropists, and institutional VC funds, with several early backers increasing their exposure alongside new investors entering at seed stage.
The Problem Coast 4C Is Addressing
Southeast Asia supplies the bulk of the world's carrageenan, a seaweed-derived ingredient found across food, cosmetics, and pharmaceutical products. Despite this position, the supply chain remains fragmented, operating largely through informal networks that constrain product quality, consistency, and the incomes of the smallholder farmers at the base of the chain.
Coast 4C works directly with farming communities, providing technical assistance, inputs, and connections to international buyers. Its model also incorporates marine ecosystem stewardship, combining regenerative farming practices with community-managed protected areas to support ocean health alongside commercial output.
Digital Traceability at the Core of the Platform
A key component of the Coast 4C platform is a digital farm management and traceability system that gives processors visibility into supply origins and quality. The company plans to complete the rollout of this system with seed round proceeds, alongside broadening its farmer network across additional coastal communities in the region.
“The successful completion of the funding round marks a pivotal moment for Coast 4C. We will use the proceeds from the seed round to reach breakeven ahead of a Series A round, driving scale initially within Southeast Asia before expanding into other regions. We also plan to expand our farmer network across coastal communities and complete the rollout of our digital farm management and traceability platform,” said Nick Hill, Founder & CEO of Coast 4C.
Investors on Why They Backed Coast 4C
Lead investor Hatch Blue has supported Coast 4C since early stages, including through its accelerator and a pre-seed fund, giving the firm direct visibility into the company's development before committing BRF capital at seed.
“Smallholder farmers have long been treated as grant recipients rather than equity-backed producers. Having supported Coast 4C through our accelerator and pre-seed fund, Hatch Blue has seen firsthand what this company is capable of. BRF's investment is our way of proving that impact-oriented companies can sustain institutional capital, and that the sector is ready for it,” said Sol Park, Principal at Blue Revolution Fund, Hatch Blue.
“We're excited to partner with Coast 4C, one of the few entrepreneurial models building real economic opportunity for marginalized coastal communities. By turning seaweed farming into a viable livelihood, the company gives these communities both the means and the incentive to protect the marine ecosystems they depend on,” said Stéphanie Abels, Executive Director at elea.
“There's a lack of investment going to Southeast Asian seaweed despite it being one of the world's top producers. The region faces a bottleneck in quality supply that has repercussions on the industry. We need companies like Coast 4C to help change that,” said Bernice Tang, Director of Impact Investments and Strategy at Potato Impact Partners.
Coast 4C Announced the Round at London Climate Week
The raise was announced at the Earthshot Prize Impact Assembly during London Climate Week, co-hosted by the Earthshot Prize and Bloomberg Philanthropies, where Coast 4C is participating as a 2024 Earthshot Prize finalist. The prize, launched by Prince William in 2020, supports innovative approaches to environmental challenges. Additional closing support came from a grant provided by the Blue Carbon Action Partnership — an initiative hosted by the World Economic Forum and backed by the UK Government's COAST programme — in collaboration with the Asia Pacific Community of 1000 Ocean Startups, which helped cover final legal costs for the round.
