Driven by discovery

simon.algenuity • Sep 05, 2018
Andrew Spicer, CEO of Algenuity
Discovery has always been at the heart of Algenuity, and it’s hard to imagine how it could be any different, as the company began in response to an open question – could I use the profit from Spicer Consulting to fund an algae biotech start-up? Nine years of discovery later, the answer is a resounding ‘yes’.

Before founding Algenuity, my only experience with algae was trying to kill it! However, in 2009, peak oil was a global story, algal biofuels were a hot topic in popular science magazines, and the time was right for the Directors at Spicer Consulting to give me the challenge to ‘do something with algae’. I spent the first two years working in the lab on my own – I was the glass washer, media prep person and plumber – and I attended as many meetings as I could to network with other scientists and to understand what opportunities there might be in this exciting area.

The truth is that we are surrounded by an incredible variety of organisms that we can harness to solve real world problems. Our lab is currently working with a species of algae that I discovered in my garden pond (see picture above), and it makes you realise that there are commercial opportunities right under our very noses. It’s this approach that sets us apart from other companies in our sector; we’re not limited to one type of algae or a niche market, and we have a breadth of understanding that crosses the whole algal phylogenetic tree, coupled with substantial technical knowhow and a problem-solving ethos.

Discovery runs throughout the company and is not limited to science – it has a positive impact on our recruitment process as well. Unlike some other start-ups, I wasn’t simply given a pot of money and told to hire indiscriminately. The algae biotech space is relatively small, so there wasn’t a queue of people knocking at my door with all the skills I needed. Instead, I ended up discovering people with valuable transferable skills, whether from economics and business or a background in bacterial screening at a meat products factory. Steadily, we’ve built a world-class team of both scientists and non-scientists, who all make vital contributions to the company.

As Algenuity has grown and my responsibilities as CEO have increased and I am, unfortunately, rarely in the lab. However, last summer I booked myself a two-week holiday to spend time back at the bench pushing through some high risk, high reward research ideas, away from my administrative and leadership duties. The thrill of scientific discovery is still what keeps me going and underpins our desire to be known as a catalyst for the whole scientific space surrounding algae. Our strapline – Making algae work – is true for us on so many different levels. We’re helping to turn an industry with so much potential into something that really delivers on its promises.
About Algenuity 
Algenuity is an algae technology development and licensing company with world-class expertise in algal biotechnology, solving problems that deliver a positive global impact. Algenuity’s multidisciplinary team develops proprietary and integrated solutions that increase productivity and performance of algal strains, reduce time to market for algal bioproducts, and boost overall profitability. These enabling technologies include the Algem® labscale photobioreactor, a non-GM directed evolution platform, GM strain engineering platforms, and novel bioprocess development and optimisation tools. Algenuity is located in Stewartby, Bedfordshire, within the United Kingdom’s Golden Triangle for biotech between London, Cambridge, and Oxford.

For more information, visit www.algenuity.com 
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