Immersion Group: Betting the farm for a better world
From its origins as an idea during the COVID pandemic, to securing a major investment from one of the world’s largest marine product companies, Australian-based FutureFeed licensee, Immersion Group, has come a long way in a short time.
“I remember when Immersion Group was merely an idea. Locked down during the depths of the COVID pandemic on my farm in Gippsland (Victoria), I was regularly meeting with Dr John Statton (Co-Founder and Director) via Zoom who couldn’t travel across from Perth (Western Australia) as the borders was closed,” Immersion Group CEO Scott Elliott said.
Elliott, an environmental scientist, had previously worked on seagrass restoration with Statton, an aquaculture expert working at University of Western Australia. The pair recognised the immense potential of Asparagopsis seaweed for reducing livestock methane emissions.
Following those exploratory conversations during the pandemic, Elliott took a significant risk, selling his farm to fund the establishment of Immersion Group.
Since literally “betting the farm” for the dream of a better planet for their kids, the Immersion Group founders have seen a series of impressive milestones:
Established partnerships with research institutions University of Western Australia (2021-Present), University of Melbourne (2021) and Deakin University (2022-Present).
In 2023, formed partnership and cornerstone investment with Japan-based Nissui Corporation, to build strategic support for research and development, patents, production engineering and business development into markets/multi-national companies globally.
Establishment of a new pilot production facility in Victoria in 2023.
Recent expansion of operations into New Zealand via a relationship with Cawthron Institute; refining production systems and post-harvest techniques.
Proprietary cultivation technology, achieving industry-leading bromoform concentrations and growth rates for Asparagopsis.
Asparagopsis trials now planned with tertiary education institutions, beef feedlotters and dairy processors. Some trials have already commenced, and larger, industry-scale trials for the Wagyu and dairy sectors are planned for the next 12 months.
The company has seen its fair share of choppy waters. However, teamwork and industry collaboration has seen Immersion Group through to the other side of several challenges.
Initially, the company focused on offshore Asparagopsis production. However, in mid-2022, heavy rainfall led to run-off containing freshwater and sediment that left a destructive film on top of Port Phillip Bay for several months.
“The irony wasn’t lost on me,” Elliott reflected.
“The La Niña system that delivered several weeks of record-breaking rainfall was likely triggered by climate change, the very same thing we were hoping to address via Asparagopsis.”
The team strategically shifted its focus to onshore methods.
“In 2022 we employed techniques from France to seed our offshore farm in Port Phillip Bay, Victoria. And several months after seeding, we were forecasting a bumper crop of seaweed,” Elliott said.
Significant investment and a strategic partnership with Nissui Corporation came in 2023. A leading Japanese seafood producer, Nissui brings a long-term view on the development of the Asparagopsis industry.
“We feel very proud to be the first startup that Nissui Corporation has invested in and we take that responsibility very seriously,” Elliott said.
“Immersion Group is working towards gaining Asparagopsis approvals in Japan via Nissui Corporation.”
The company will be sharing further details on trials planned for both Australia and Japan in coming months.
Elliott said he and Statton continue to be motivated by the same thing that drew them to this industry in the first place: their conviction that Asparagopsis offers the most effective, safe and proven product to reduce enteric methane emissions from ruminant animals.