KELP FARMS Named Finalist of the International She Wins Climate Eco-Accelerator

Seaweed cultivation project recommended to World Bank investors.

Following a competitive selection process, KELP FARMS has advanced to the finals of the international eco-accelerator She Wins Climate. KELP FARMS is a pioneering climate project launched by the foundation in partnership with Greenway Global, focused on seaweed cultivation. Last summer, the project yielded its first harvest — approximately 70 tonnes of seaweed.

The project addresses a broad range of environmental and industrial challenges:

— Biodiversity conservation through the creation of thriving marine ecosystems that support the reproduction of sea life

— Carbon footprint reduction — seaweed acts as a remarkable natural filter, capable of absorbing up to 10 times more CO₂ than land-based vegetation of the same surface area

— Marine ecosystem restoration following man-made disasters, such as oil or fuel spills in coastal waters

— Production of premium eco-raw materials for the food, cosmetics, pharmaceutical, aviation, manufacturing, and other industries

According to KELP FARMS founder Olga Lakustova, the global seaweed market is currently valued at approximately $15–22 billion and growing. By the early 2030s, it is projected to exceed $40–50 billion.

«Beyond their practical applications as a valuable industrial raw material, seaweeds are an extraordinary biological filter. Last year, our foundation’s researchers conducted a laboratory experiment examining the ability of cystoseira seaweed to absorb fuel oil that spilled along the Black Sea coastline in late 2024. The results were striking: within just 21 days, fuel oil concentration dropped by 82% — even at levels 60 times above the maximum permissible limit. This demonstrates that marine sanitation farms represent a highly effective response to man-made environmental disasters like the one that struck the Black Sea in December 2024,» said Olga Lakustova.

KELP FARMS, along with the other finalists of the She Wins Climate international eco-accelerator, has been recommended to World Bank investors as a high-impact climate project.

She Wins Climate is a flagship program of the International Finance Corporation designed to accelerate the growth of women-led climate startups and expand their access to investment in emerging markets and developing economies. The program targets a number of systemic barriers to new eco-ventures: it connects regional startup acceleration programs, funds a peer-learning platform for climate fund managers, and raises awareness of how to effectively support climate-focused startups.

Eighteen projects were selected to compete in the finals, all of which are currently in active fundraising mode. Together, they address pressing climate challenges spanning agri-tech, economics, energy, alternative materials production, and environmental resilience. In 2026, the program aims to raise $13 million to support their development.