AlgaEnergy and Concentric Ag Enter into Distribution and Product Development Agreements

AlgaEnergy N.A. Inc., the U.S. subsidiary of Spain-based AlgaEnergy S.A. and a global leader in microalgae biotechnology, and Concentric Ag Corporation, a leading developer of microbial and plant nutrient crop inputs, have signed a two-pronged partnership agreement.

The first agreement establishes AlgaEnergy as the exclusive global distributor of Concentric's microbial product, Synergro® (sold as Inocucor Garden Solution® in California) and its cell-free microbial metabolite product, Synergro M2 TM. The agreement excludes Concentric's core business in Canada and the United States for broadacre and row crops. Synergro and Synergro M2 will continue to be sold through Concentric's existing distribution channels.

The second agreement is a strategic partnership that enables AlgaEnergy to combine Concentric's patented microbial technologies with AlgaEnergy's proprietary microalgae technologies to create unique biological products, which AlgaEnergy will then distribute to growers in its global markets. Concentric will market these products in both Canada and the U.S. for broadacre and row crop growers.

"The business potential of these agreements is huge," AlgaEnergy's President of International Agribusiness D. Ry Wagner stated. "Immediate access to Concentric's current best-in-class microbial and cell-free microbial metabolite products expands AlgaEnergy's product portfolio with outstanding products that are complementary to our microalgae-derived products. At the same time, our ability to create unique, high-performance products that synergistically combine AlgaEnergy's microalgae technology with Concentric's microbial consortia technology promises to yield whole new classes of products for AlgaEnergy's grower-partners worldwide."

Wagner said AlgaEnergy's international group has established business units in major agricultural markets around the world and additional business units are in progress. As a result, AlgaEnergy now has a solid distribution system in place in key agricultural markets in Europe, the Americas, Africa and Asia-Pacific. Concentric's Synergro and Synergro M2 will be added to AlgaEnergy's product mix in these markets.

Jarrett Chambers, chief commercial officer of Concentric, said the partnership with AlgaEnergy will help expand the California specialty crop market for Synergro that Concentric has cultivated for the past four years. Grower data confirms incremental yields with Synergro due to more efficient nutrient use and reduced abiotic stress.

"Our two companies are also aligned in our business goals," said Chambers. "We want to accelerate adoption of sustainable technologies that can be easily integrated into a grower's nutrient management plan. Our joint R&D efforts will be directed at meeting the challenge of sustainability while maximizing the genetic potential of the crop."

Wagner said the innovation in today's agriculture is coming from nimble venture-backed companies such as AlgaEnergy and Concentric, adding: "We are actively seeking other partnerships with innovators in the months and years to come."