Impact ventures blending scientific innovation with commercial insight and philanthropic investment to drive measurable environmental gains.
As a venture studio, EnviroStrat advances the Blue Economy through projects that blend ocean regeneration with economic outcomes including seaweed farming, regenerative ocean farming, reef restoration, sustainable aquaculture and scallop restoration.
We were privileged to be asked to contribute to New Zealand's Sustainable Business Network's Predictions for sustainable business in 2025.
The organisation asked a select group of Kiwi innovators and visionaries to share their predictions for sustainable business as members of the Next 95.
Here's what we shared alongside others in this network.
How do you challenge the thinking that restoring a degraded habitat can't surely be a profitable activity? EnviroStrat's Kinanomics project is a great example of the blue economy, and this article explains how an environmental problem can also be a business opportunity. Kinanomics Aotearoa is set to scale in 2025. We enjoyed our Kinanomics work being featured in the Voices of Tangaroa podcast on Radio New Zealand. Here's how we achieved our proof-of-concept: The purpose of of Kinanomics New Zealand was: To develop a new, high value seafood export industry that provides commercial, social and environmental benefit to Aotearoa New…
EnviroStrat owns 50% of New Zealand’s largest specialist aquaculture consultancy; Aquaculture Direct Ltd. Aquaculture is a huge growth opportunity for New Zealand and EnviroStrat felt that supplementing its core scientific, economic and financial capabilities with deep technical aquaculture skills would provide a unique opportunity in the New Zealand and international aquaculture sector. Our work in aquaculture since acquiring Aquaculture Direct has blended their world-class technical and operational expertise with EnviroStrat's in-house understanding of business growth, the blue economy and project development.
EnviroStrat proudly owns and operates New Zealand’s first regenerative ocean farming initiative, dedicated to advancing sustainable seaweed cultivation. Our regenerative farming approach requires zero external inputs—no added nutrients or feeds—yet yields significant economic, social, and environmental benefits. Through Greenwave Aotearoa’s innovative commercial model, we are restoring ocean ecosystems, capturing blue carbon, and removing excess nutrients from marine environments. The cultivated seaweed offers versatile applications, including food, biostimulants, animal supplements, and pharmaceuticals. In partnership with GreenWave US, we are executing a $5 million, three-year pilot project designed to establish a high-value, sustainable seaweed sector in Aotearoa New Zealand. Find out more…
The news that we’re partnering with Urchinomics to form Urchinomics Aotearoa is a significant milestone for impact investment project development leader EnviroStrat, and exemplifies what’s possible when you bring together global and local expertise and capital. We’ve successfully collaborated with Urchinomics, the leading global urchin (kina) ranching and kelp restoration company over the past 18 months Kinanomics pilot. Following the success of the pilot, Urchinomics Aotearoa will scale its operations to tackle the pressing ecological and climate challenges posed by overpopulated kina barrens that have decimated kelp forest ecosystems throughout Aotearoa New Zealand. New Zealand operations are expected to kickstart…
EnviroStrat's Senior Environmental Scientist, Johnny Wright was interviewed by Radio NZ about the launch of our Kinanomics project. "Kinanomics" leading the way for a new delicacy to export | July 2023 EnviroStrat’s Kinanomics project is an innovative approach that leverages the economic, environmental, and cultural value of kina (sea urchins) to address ecosystem imbalances and support sustainable marine resource management. By focusing on the restoration of kelp forests through the targeted removal of overabundant kina, the project seeks to revitalise degraded marine ecosystems while creating commercial opportunities for high-value kina products. Kinanomics integrates traditional knowledge, community engagement, and cutting-edge science…
In the last few decades, Aotearoa New Zealand’s rocky reef coastal ecosystems have undergone significant changes. We’re now facing a massive ecological challenge, but it’s one that most people don’t know about because it’s happening under the water. Vast stretches of our seafloor that were once abundant with dense kelp forests have been overtaken by exploding populations of kina (sea urchins) which have grazed the kelp down to bare rock. The combination of the removal of kina’s natural predators (like snapper and crayfish) through commercial and recreational fishing, impacts from land use and warming oceans have led to a proliferation…
Stuff reported on New Zealand’s first planting of hatchery grown seaweed in Coromandel waters, noting that it could be the beginning of a new sector for the aquaculture industry. Alongside Dr Nigel Bradly, EnviroStrat CEO, GreenWaveNZ partners Dr Rebecca Lawton from the University of Waikato and Lucas Evans, CEO of Premium Seas were interviewed about the pilot. First seaweed planting in Coromandel waters historic moment for aquaculture | October 2022
The Bay of Plenty Times reported on the GreenWaveNZ pilot seaweed outplanting. Dr Nigel Bradly, EnviroStrat CEO, was interviewed at the event. “What’s really historic about today is this is the first time in New Zealand that we’ve had Ecklonia grown in a hatchery and put onto a farm. What we’re seeing now, we hope, is the start of something exciting, where we’re able to help ocean farmers create a supply chain with seaweed as a part, or all, of what they do.” First seaweed seedlings in the Hauraki Gulf for new industry | October 2022
EnviroStrat led the development and testing of the prototype of a bycatch-free fish trap. The trap is designed to improve the selectivity of commercial fishing by eliminating bycatch of non-target species and juvenile fish, and removes risk to seabirds, and impacts on marine mammals. EnviroStrat thoroughly investigated the feasibility of the device and carried out a trial of the prototype in the Leigh Harbour lasting 5 months to test its effectiveness in meeting the success criteria for the project. A number of challenges with the design aspects of the prototype were identified and solutions to fix these were provided to…
