Algae-Based Biomanufacturing Facility Receives $1M Award For Expansion

ABERDEEN, MD — Leaders announced this week that Maryland's first fully integrated algae-based biomanufacturing facility will expand its services in Harford County thanks to a $1 million award from the state.

The Equitech Growth Fund award from TEDCO - a state-supported agency that assists technology companies - will go to local biomanufacturer BrightWave LLC. Combined with a $2 million match from the venture capital firm Actual VC, the funding will enhance BrightWave’s ongoing work with Early Charm Ventures VC at Harford County’s CONVERGE Center in Aberdeen, located near Aberdeen Proving Ground.

Biomanufacturing uses living systems, like algae, bacteria or enzymes, to make materials in cleaner, more efficient ways than traditional manufacturing. BrightWave’s state-of-the-art photobioreactor systems are "revolutionizing the production of high-grade algae biomass" on a scale that meets the demands of various industries from food to cosmetics to fuels, ensuring reduced greenhouse emissions and promoting organization-wide decarbonization, according to its website.

Building on the state’s earlier $500,000 Build Our Future investment, which helped to establish tools now powering CONVERGE’s biomanufacturing ecosystem, this new award will support advanced production equipment and key facility upgrades, including:

• BrightWave’s patented photobioreactors, enabling high-density, controlled algae growth for consistent biomaterial production.
• Specialized downstream processing tools, such as custom pyrolysis units and dewatering systems, which turn raw algae into usable products efficiently on a mass scale
• Upgrades to air handling, water processing, environmental controls and bioprocessing utilities ensuring the facility can operate safely, reliably and at the level required for commercial production. These improvements will transform 1,000 square feet of CONVERGE into a state-of-the-art production floor capable of making sustainable materials—from carbon-negative building products to specialty chemicals used in personal care, aerospace and defense.

“This award, strengthened by Harford County’s continued partnership, accelerates CONVERGE’s emergence at light speed as a premier hub for advanced manufacturing and opens the door to exceptional high-value job creation throughout the region,” said Ken Malone, CEO of Early Charm Ventures.

Below are some of the ways different industries use BrightWave's photobioreactors, per their website:

Food production

Organic food manufacturers can install BrightWave's photobioreactors in their primary manufacturing facility, significantly increasing production of algae-based food additives.

Animal feed supplements

Feed manufacturers can install BrightWave's industrial-scale photobioreactors to enhance their feed supply with micro-algae – cultivated onsite – that leads to improved animal health and growth rates downstream.

Cosmetics

Cosmetic brands can install BrightWave's industrial-scale photobioreactors to produce ingredients for natural pigments and bioactive compounds.

Pigments and dyes

Clothing and shoe manufacturers can use BrightWave's industrial scale photobioreactors to improve their dye production process by replacing synthetic dyes with algae-based alternatives.

Biomaterials

Bioplastics manufacturers can use BrightWave's industrial scale photobioreactors to co-locate algae feedstock production with their primary manufacturing activities, which leads to significant reductions in raw material and production costs, and improved product sustainability KPIs.

Biofuels and SAF

Fuel producers can use BrightWave's industrial scale Photobioreactors to cultivate algae for biodiesel and SAF production. The project reduces production costs due to the efficient use of onsite waste materials and CO 2, meeting sustainability benchmarks and attracting investment to scale operations.

Pharmaceuticals and other marine organisms

Pharmaceutical companies can utilize BrightWave's photobioreactors to isolate bioactive compounds from marine bacteria, resulting in new eco-friendly drug formulations.

Wastewater treatment

Municipal wastewater treatment plants can use BrightWave's industrial scale photobioreactors for tertiary effluent treatment. This leads to a large (chemical-free) increase in nutrient recovery and an even larger boost in biogas production, while also improving the quality of the discharged water.