Mawimbi Ocean Innovations

Mawimbi Ocean Innovations

Mawimbi Ocean Innovations

Transforming coastal communities in East Africa through a climate-smart, innovative and inclusive seaweed farming-as-a-service model

Lamu

Kenya

For-profit, including B-Corp or similar models

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Our oceans are in crisis. Climate change, overfishing, pollution, and habitat destruction have pushed marine ecosystems to a critical tipping point - severely affecting the livelihoods of coastal communities who depend on the ocean. In East Africa, vibrant coastal communities have historically relied on the Indian Ocean for food, income, and cultural identity. As marine resources dwindle, many are forced to abandon traditional livelihoods and turn to alternatives such as informal taxi services, low-paid domestic work, tourism, or subsistence farming. Seaweed farming, introduced in the region in the 1980s, holds promise but remains outdated and vulnerable. Current methods expose producers - often women - to climate change impacts, particularly rising seawater temperatures, which limit the species they can grow and the markets they can reach. Poor access to global best practices has led to low yields, inconsistent quality, and degraded farming conditions. Moreover, producers are at the mercy of volatile global markets and a handful of international buyers who dictate prices and terms. This leaves local seaweed producers with minimal profit margins, little bargaining power, and no clear pathway to sustainable, resilient livelihoods. New, climate-smart, inclusive models for seaweed farming are urgently needed to support ocean regeneration and coastal resilience.

Mawimbi Ocean Innovations delivers a “seaweed farming-as-a-service” solution to support climate-resilient coastal communities in East Africa. We equip local people - especially women and youth - with the tools, knowledge, and resources to become successful seaweed producers. Our climate-smart infrastructure includes innovative long-line systems adapted for deeper, cooler waters, science-backed seed optimisation, and smart technologies for remote monitoring and traceability. Co-developed with communities, these tools improve productivity, sustainability, and logistics while lowering costs for scalability. Through our nucleus farms, community members gain hands-on experience and fair employment, with pathways to lease or own farms via inclusive financing and guaranteed markets through stable purchase agreements—fostering economic autonomy. We also enable decentralized processing and access to higher-value markets such as pet food and biostimulants, alongside traditional carrageenan markets, improving pricing and incomes. By combining technology with community-driven design, Mawimbi offers a scalable model that improves livelihoods and restores ecosystems. Once scaled to 2,000 communities, our solution could reach over 200,000 direct and 1 million indirect beneficiaries, while sequestering approximately 567,500 tonnes of CO₂ annually. With support from governments, NGOs, and investors, our model has the potential to positively impact 3-5 million people across the region over the next 10-15 years.

Mawimbi Ocean Innovations serves coastal communities in East Africa who face significant socio-economic challenges, including limited access to education, resources, and employment opportunities. Historically, they have been marginalized, with many dependent on unsustainable fishing practices. Our pilot site is near Faza on Pate Island in Lamu County where the average monthly income is $127.50 for men and $94.15 for women. This, coupled with the socio-political context in northern Kenya and proximity to Somalia, has created security challenges which further underscores the need for stable, community-driven solutions. By creating a stable and sustainable industry on Pate Island, we are creating employment opportunities to help mitigate reliance on more volatile, destructive and potentially dangerous economic activities, such as illegal fishing and extremist group recruitment. The establishment of a nucleus farm in Faza contributes to both the economic and social stability of the region, offering a much-needed avenue for resilience in a security-sensitive area. Our "seaweed farming-as-a-service" model aims to provide the community, particularly women and youth, with the tools, knowledge, and resources to engage in sustainable seaweed farming. This model not only helps increase income but also provides meaningful work and promotes climate-resilient farming practices that protect the local environment.