Sofie Allert is the co-founder and CEO of Swedish Algae Factory. Swedish Algae Factory was founded because of Allert’s passion for making use of a natural resource that can create sustainable value for society – algae. Swedish Algae Factory have developed a circular economic business model around a group of algae called diatoms.

The organic biomass of diatoms is surrounded by a nanoporous silica shell. This silica shell has naturally exceptional light-altering and absorbent properties that are useful in several industries, where the material can replace harmful or less efficient chemical substances. These unique properties can be used for efficiency enhancement of solar panels, improvement of battery capacity, UV light protection in sunscreens and paint and absorption and moisturising in skincare products.

Today Swedish Algae Factory operates an algae cultivation facility in Kungshamn, Sweden, where algae is cultivated whilst absorbing the nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus in wastewater released from a land-based fish farm. The nutrients are trapped in the organic biomass of the algae. This organic biomass is a by-product after extraction of the algae shells and can e.g. be utilised to produce more sustainable feed or fertilisers.

Allert has a bachelor degree in biotechnology and a master’s degree in entrepreneurship and business design from Chalmers University of Technology.