What is the name of your organization?
IZALGUE
What is the name of your solution?
IZALGUE
Provide a one-line summary or tagline for your solution.
IZALGUE is an innovative eco-material for the construction industry, made from upcycled coastal algae.
In what city, town, or region is your solution team headquartered?
Brest, France
In what country is your solution team headquartered?
France
What type of organization is your solution team?
Other, including part of a larger organization (please explain below)
If you selected Other, please explain here.
We are still in the project phase, but we aim to officially register the company by Q3 2025. Currently, Izalgue is continuing its R&D phase within a laboratory at the University of Western Brittany (UBO).
Film your elevator pitch.
What specific problem are you solving?
Two specific problems: (1) The construction industry lacks sustainable, locally sourced, and bio-based materials, resulting in a high environmental impact and an excessive reliance on carbon-based resources as well as already overexploited sectors, such as timber. (2) Coastal municipalities (such as those in Brittany, Guadeloupe, Mexico, and the Ivory Coast), face growing challenges in managing stranded algae, a natural resource that is currently burned or discarded at significant environmental and financial cost.
What is your solution?
Izalgue is an eco-friendly insulation material made from algae that washes up on beaches, designed for the construction industry.
We process the coastal algae using a low-energy, sustainable method (which we intend to patent). The algae undergo a specialized treatment to transform it into a building material. We leverage the natural thermal properties of algae, which already have insulating capabilities, and enhance them to create lightweight, durable panels of 1,35m x 0,60m that provide excellent insulation to keep homes warm in winter and cool in summer. The panels are easy to cut and adapt, making them simple for professionals to install. Izalgue is biodegradable, non-toxic, and offers a renewable, local alternative to traditional insulation materials, promoting a circular economy and scalable.
Who does your solution serve, and in what ways will the solution impact their lives?
Coastal municipalities face increasing challenges with stranded algae on beaches. These algae reduce the attractiveness of coastal areas, drive tourists away, and disturb local residents. When left for more than 48 hours, green algae can release toxic gases, posing health risks. In France, municipalities are required to remove them within 48 hours - but what happens next?
Currently, there are very few solutions for revalorizing this biomass, so it is treated as waste. This represents a missed opportunity to turn a natural nuisance into a resource.
We’ve also been contacted by regions like Guadeloupe and Côte d’Ivoire (Africa), where algae accumulation near hotels is affecting tourism. But beyond the economic and health impacts, algae overgrowth also harms marine biodiversity and disrupts fragile coastal ecosystems. A scalable solution is urgently needed to transform this problem into a sustainable opportunity.
