Company insight
Astaxanthin powerhouse in the making
The biggest step for any start-up in the biotechnology sphere is to grow from the lab to a functioning and profitable mass scale production company. Only a few have done this successfully in the microalgae industry in recent years. One of these companies is Algalif Iceland, a world leader in the production of high-quality sustainable natural astaxanthin.
A
lgalif is now among the largest astaxanthin producers in the world
and renowned for quality, reliability and sustainability. With its new production facilities in Iceland nearing full function in 2023, Algalif will not only be the best, but also the largest producer of astaxanthin in the world. All this has happened under the leadership of its CEO, Orri Bjornsson, who lead this start-up from humble beginnings to a major player and a beacon to all in its field. Bjornsson has been working in the pharma and nutraceutical industries for nearly 25 years. He has extensive experience in building, starting up and upgrading new plants in many different countries.
The biggest challenge is always building the right team and the right spirit. At Algalif we have managed to do that, and that is the secret to our success.”
A green company: sustainability as a way of life
CEO Orri Bjornsson (pictured) has extensive experience building and starting up new plants around the world.
Leadership and team building At Algalif, Bjornsson’s professional and personal management style has helped the company overcome many challenges
“Our mission is to become the best microalgae producing company in the world. We are already among the biggest and the quality of our product is unmatched.”
Currently, Bjornsson is taking Algalif to new heights with his strong leadership skills and competence in good manufacturing practice (GMP), general quality, project management, recruitment, and operations. Growing the company from a 5,000m² to 12,500m² plant, and from 1,500kg annual production of pure astaxanthin, to over 5,000kg annual production, is a notable achievement. The new factory will be state-of-the-art and further strengthen Algalif’s ability to be a reliable supplier and a quality leader in the industry.
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on the road, big and small. However, he admits, the most difficult ones always have to do with the more human aspects of running a company, such as creating and managing the right team. “Through my work in Europe, I gained extensive experience in building and starting up new plants, as well as in upgrading plants in all sorts of conditions. That led me to a position as a consultant for the United Nations in Africa.
“My track record in getting things done on time and within budget finally led me to Algalif almost a decade ago.
Algalif is a relatively young start-up company in the biotechnology sector. It was founded in 2012 and started operations in Iceland in 2013. It currently sells astaxanthin around the world through several successful
partnerships with many of the most prestige players in the field. “Our mission is to become the best microalgae producing company in the world” says Bjornsson. “We are already among the biggest and the quality of our product is unmatched according to our customers. Apart from that, sustainability has always been a big factor for us.” Algalif is truly a green company, using only 100% green renewable geothermal energy and working under strict zero fossil fuel and zero waste policies. Bjornsson’s vision of building a successful company based on quality, reliability and sustainability has materialised in Algalif. Sustainability is a way of life at Algalif. The Biotechnology sector is young, and the industry is changing fast. “My advice”, says Bjornsson, “to other entrepreneurs who aspire to venture into biotechnology is to remember that this is team work. Sure, you need vision, you need knowledge and capital, but the team is the heart and soul of each start-up company.” ●
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