PhyCo Technologies Inc. 

Seaweed bio-materials as a climate solution in agriculture
Sector: Agriculture
Technology: Carbon Management
NorthX Backing: $100,000
Project Value: $100,000
Project Status: Active

PhyCo Technologies Inc. is a Canadian biomaterials company developing home-compostable, seaweed-based alternatives to petroleum plastics for agricultural and food-related applications. Founded in 2022 by two female scientists, PhyCo integrates sustainable technology, coastal community partnership, and circular-economy principles to reduce plastic pollution and greenhouse gas emissions. Using a proprietary biorefinery process that valorizes seaweed and marine by-products, PhyCo produces earth-digestible bioplastic films designed to lower environmental impact while supporting local coastal economies. 

The Problem

From production to grocery retail, our global food systems consume over 50 million tonnes of plastic each year. While plastics help improve yields and reduce spoilage, their overuse drives soil contamination, microplastic pollution, food safety risks, and mounting waste management challenges.

The Solution

PhyCo is addressing plastic pollution and GHG emissions by producing fully compostable bioplastics made from upcycled organic waste and carbon-sequestering seaweed.

PhyCo’s biorefining technology creates economic, environmental, and social value for British Columbia. The non-toxic and compostable bioplastic products produced reduce GHG emissions and prevent microplastic pollution while enhancing coastal ecosystems, aligning with BC’s CleanBC roadmap.

With NorthX’s investment, PhyCo will scale its biorefinery, grow partnerships with early adopters, and validate life cycle impacts, delivering measurable climate benefits and advancing circular materials for agriculture. This funding will contribute to an increase in seaweed processing from pilot volumes (9,000 kg wet weight in 2026) to commercial scale (100,000 kg by 2028).

“This project marks a significant advancement in creating circular, compostable bioplastics designed to reduce agriculture’s dependence on fossil-based plastics. With the support of NorthX, PhyCo is accelerating innovation in Canada, scaling our technology, gaining customer traction, and bringing climate-smart biomaterials to market faster. Together, we’re accelerating the transition to materials that work with nature, not against it.”
RANAH CHAVOSHI, FOUNDER OF PHYCO TECHNOLOGIES INC.
PHYCO TECHNOLOGIES

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The B.C. Centre for Innovation and Clean Energy (CICE) is now NorthX