Omega-3s might be tiny molecules, but they pack a big punch. Powering everything from brain performance to heart health and helping combat obesity, they are essential for keeping human bodies in top shape. Yet, traditional fish-based supply covers only 30% of global demand, leaving most people deficient and many consumers wary of taste, allergens, and sustainability questions. Surprisingly to many, fish don’t actually make Omega-3s. It all starts with microalgae, the original producers of omega-3s, which are then consumed by fish. That simple reframing of ‘going straight to the source’ sparked the idea for NutrAureus.
Meet the founders of NutrAureus, one of 18 teams in Sprout Accelerator’s Spring25 Cohort, from the Riddet Institute in Palmerston North. Dr Mariam Al hattab leads on precision fermentation and downstream processing, with years spent optimising microalgae in both phototrophic and heterotrophic systems. Dr Rajesh Sathyamoorthy brings industrial experience, from strain engineering to scale-up and commercial insight. Rounding out the founding team is Professor Munish Puri, who has many years of experience in strain screening, bioprocessing development and scaling from lab to industry. Together, they describe themselves as resilient, visionary, and practical.
Their solution is a precision fermentation platform that produces high levels of polyunsaturated fatty acids such as DHA and EPA, the forms most beneficial to the human body. By designing the process around heterotrophic microalgae that naturally produce omega-3s, NutrAureus bypasses the need for fisheries and offers a plant-based, clean-label alternative suitable for a wide range of consumers. The team has built a substantial collection of omega-3 strains and can fine-tune the fatty acid profiles for different needs and uses, such as infant formula or tailored ratios for older adults.
A surprising discovery for the team was that many products on the market claim to have omega-3s but contain only alpha-linolenic acid, which has a low conversion to the more beneficial DHA and EPA. This underscored the need for a clean-label product that provides a great source of DHA and EPA. The gap between what labels say and what people actually receive, combined with the reality that fish oils can’t meet global needs, made it clear to the team that this couldn’t remain an academic project within the lab.
Now the journey focuses on scale. The team has worked at 10 L and is moving to a controlled 100 L pilot to validate commercial viability, locking in a process that delivers quality oil at a cost that works. Beyond the lab, their goal is simple, to provide omega-3s people can trust, with labels that are easy to understand, on shelves where families shop.
As part of the Sprout Accelerator’s Spring25 Cohort, NutrAureus is sharpening its go-to-market strategy, building partnerships, and crafting a story with guidance from Sprout and their mentor. The next milestone is to validate their pilot production and lock in a path to scale. With Sprout’s community behind them, the team aims to bring clean, sustainable DHA and EPA from heterotrophic microalgae to local supermarkets and, ultimately, to everyday plates.
