Qualitas Health, doing business as iwi, has partnered with Grupo Indukern (, and Gullspång Re:food VC to accelerate company growth through the development of innovative, algae-centered products, and increase its footprint in the plant-based products market.
Qualitas Health (Houston, TX), doing business as iwi, has partnered with Grupo Indukern (Barcelona, Spain), and Gullspång Re:food VC (Stockholm, Sweden) to accelerate company growth through the development of innovative, algae-centered products, and increase its footprint in the plant-based products market. The partnerships closes Round A funding for Qualitas, and opens direct access for iwi to the investors’ advanced facilities and teams, along with their expertise.
“Qualitas has a great story to tell,” explained Peter Odemark, a Gullspång Re:food managing partner, in a press release. “Its algae is cultivated in impressive pond systems built on nonarable land in the desert, place minimal footprint on the natural ecosystem, harnessing natural sun-power for energy and utilizing saltwater, while creating jobs in rural communities. We share the same values and vision for creating a better future, better nutrition and to protect the planet.”
“Grupo Indukern and Gullspång Re:food are the perfect partners for the current scaling stage,” said Miguel Calatayud, CEO of Qualitas Health. “They bring know-how and expertise, to iwi’s existing supplement business and wider recognition of our newly developed Nannochloropsis algae protein. They also provide a global vision, a distribution platform for Europe and other countries and regions, and unique expertise in plant-based proteins and finished products. Their knowledge, skilled technological team, and advanced technologies will help in conducting clinical research and accelerate the regulatory process for Europe.”
The new algae protein ingredient and product line will be launched in 2022, which iwi says will offer a full complement of essential amino acids and vital nutrients. The ingredient will also be water soluble, with little impact on texture, flavor and aroma. The main markets the protein will target are personalized nutrition, high-performance sports nutrition, and adult nutrition for protein deficiencies.