How NorthX helped Cascadia Seaweed scale from pilot to commercial production
In May 2026, Cascadia Seaweed reached a major milestone with the opening of its new processing facility in Port Edward, British Columbia. Developed in partnership with Metlakatla Development Corporation (MDC), the facility represents the culmination of years of work to build a made-in-BC seaweed cultivation and processing business that supports sustainable agriculture, coastal economic development, and Indigenous partnership.
The opening marks a significant step forward for a company that, until recently, was operating at pilot scale while working to prove that its seaweed could become a commercially viable agricultural input.
In 2023, NorthX invested $1.125 million in Cascadia, helping the company build the infrastructure needed to grow and process larger volumes of seaweed while expanding its agricultural product business. The investment formed part of a broader $5.8 million project and helped advance the company’s growth, culminating in the opening of the Port Edward facility.
Today, Cascadia Seaweed works with six Indigenous partners across BC, operates five active farm sites with a total of 32 hectares under cultivation, and has grown harvest volumes from approximately 20 wet metric tonnes in 2021 to more than 500 wet metric tonnes in 2025.
Through its ocean-to-farm model, the company transforms cultivated seaweed into agricultural products designed to help farmers stay competitive in an ever-changing industry. Cascadia describes its solution as “sustainable aquaculture supporting regenerative agriculture.”
In practical terms, that means turning cultivated seaweed into products that help crops make better use of available nutrients, improving efficiency while reducing dependence on synthetic fertilizers.
“Our goal is to help reduce synthetic fertilizers by about 30%, and our trial results demonstrate that this is not only possible, but achievable under real-world growing conditions.”
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
Building around farmers’ needs
Cascadia Seaweed was founded by Michael Williamson, Bill Collins, and the late Tony Ethier, who saw an opportunity to build something almost entirely new in BC: a commercial seaweed cultivation and processing industry that could support more sustainable food systems while creating economic opportunities in coastal communities.
Bringing together experience in marine science, aquaculture, sustainability, and business development, the founders shared a vision of unlocking the potential of one of BC’s most abundant natural resources. In the company’s early years, that meant exploring how cultivated seaweed could support a range of environmental, economic, and food system outcomes while helping establish a new sector in Canada.
As Cascadia grew, the team identified a significant opportunity in agriculture and pivoted to bring natural solutions to crop producers across North America in 2023. Research and field trials demonstrated that seaweed-based products could help improve nutrient use efficiency, increase crop resilience, and support growers facing rising input costs and changing environmental conditions.
As the company began working more closely with growers, distributors, and agricultural partners, the team quickly learned that product performance alone wouldn’t drive adoption. Any new solution would need to fit seamlessly into existing operations, deliver clear value, and make economic sense for farmers. That lesson helped shape both Cascadia’s product development and go-to-market strategy.
“Farmers already see themselves as stewards of the land. But at the end of the day, they also have to make the economics work. If a product is too expensive, too complicated, or requires new equipment, adoption becomes much harder.”
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
Cascadia built its products and distribution around that reality.
The company sells primarily through agricultural distributors and formulators rather than directly to growers. Reliability and timing are critical. During narrow weather windows, distributors may need product delivered immediately so growers can apply it within days.
Because the company cultivates and processes its own seaweed, it can maintain greater control over quality and supply consistency.
Scaling an ocean-to-land business
Cascadia spent years building the infrastructure needed to cultivate, process, and deliver its products at commercial scale while navigating the realities of ocean farming, marine permitting, weather, and first-of-kind infrastructure projects.
NorthX’s investment supported a critical stage in that growth.
Since the project began, Cascadia has advanced from TRL 5 to TRL 8, generated more than $1.5 million in BC revenue, and secured 23 international trademarks. Today, 40% of Cascadia’s workforce are women, including 15% in management roles.
“NorthX’s investment in Cascadia came at a critical juncture where our business was moving from start-up to commercial viability. Their support helped the company secure matching equity capital from impact venture funds and family offices, and later from institutional funds such as AAFC, FCC, and Genome BC.”
— Rob Napoli, CFO, Cascadia Seaweed
While technology development and infrastructure expansion were critical to Cascadia’s growth, the company’s long-term partnerships with Coastal First Nations have been equally important to its success.
Rooted in partnership
A defining part of Cascadia’s growth has been its long-term partnerships with Coastal First Nations across BC.
From cultivation and marine operations to processing infrastructure, workforce development, restoration initiatives, and ownership opportunities, Indigenous partnerships have helped shape the company’s development from its earliest days.
“As coastal British Columbians, the health of our coastal ecosystems is a priority. This is why we have put enormous effort into our partnerships with First Nations, the caretakers of the sea, and building our team of marine experts. “
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
Today, Cascadia has six Indigenous partnerships with Nations involved in marine operations, processing, restoration, and biodiversity monitoring, helping create a model that combines economic development, environmental stewardship, and shared prosperity through long-term collaboration.
In 2025, two Nations formalized its investment in Cascadia, becoming shareholders in the company and deepening its role in BC’s emerging seaweed sector.
“We’ve always seen our First Nations partners as builders of this business,” adds Williamson. “As Cascadia has grown, creating opportunities for long-term ownership and economic participation has been a natural extension of that approach.”
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
The Port Edward milestone
One of Cascadia’s most significant partnerships has been with Metlakatla Development Corporation (MDC), the economic development arm of Metlakatla First Nation.
In 2021, conversations between Cascadia Seaweed and MDC began with a shared interest in aquaculture development and marine infrastructure in the Prince Rupert region.
Over the years that followed, those conversations evolved into technical collaboration, cultivation planning, and a formal partnership that now anchors Cascadia’s Northern Hub. As the landowner for both the marine tenures and the Port Edward processing facility, MDC has played a central role in supporting the development of Cascadia’s cultivation and processing operations within Metlakatla Territory.
The result is Cascadia’s newly operational processing facility in Port Edward, marking the company’s transition from pilot-scale operation to commercial seaweed producer. The facility builds domestic processing capacity for seaweed-based agricultural products and unlocks Cascadia’s ability to process larger volumes, improve efficiencies across its value chain, and meet growing demand from agricultural customers.
The facility is also one of the most tangible outcomes of NorthX’s investment in Cascadia, helping the company move from cultivation and product development into larger-scale production and commercialization.
“We’ve built this business step by step from cultivation through to advanced processing, overcoming the challenges of scaling within this sector,” Williamson said. “With the facility now operational, our focus shifts toward expanding market adoption and growing our presence in agriculture markets in North America.”
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
From cultivation to conservation
As Cascadia Seaweed expanded its cultivation and processing operations, the company also began applying its expertise through its services division, Cascadia Nature-based Solutions.
Projects have included building a kelp restoration nursery for the National Research Council of Canada — and shipping it to Nova Scotia on time and on budget — and developing biodiversity monitoring systems with underwater LookSea cameras, and a proprietary web-based dashboard called OceanNexus, that expands capacity, scope and frequency of biodiversity monitoring efforts.
In one project funded through the BC Salmon Restoration and Innovation Fund, Cascadia deployed its underwater cameras at multiple farm sites over two years to study how kelp cultivation contributes to marine habitat and biodiversity.
Alongside its commercial operations, this work has established Cascadia as a leading expert in seaweed cultivation, restoration, marine ecosystem research, and value chain development.
Advice for Canada’s emerging seaweed sector
When asked what advice he would give other Canadian companies looking to advance the seaweed sector, Williamson emphasized the importance of building strong partnerships, maintaining a long-term perspective, and staying focused on creating practical commercial solutions.
“This isn’t easy work… but if we can build a profitable business while supporting ocean health, strengthening coastal communities, and helping agriculture become more regenerative, then we’ve done something truly worthwhile.”
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
Cascadia’s growth demonstrates that building a successful seaweed business requires patience, strong community relationships, operational discipline, and a willingness to navigate the challenges that come with developing an entirely new industry.
The company’s experience underscores the importance of pairing environmental impact with a viable business model that delivers measurable value to customers, demonstrating that industry can build at scale while working in harmony with communities and the environment.
What comes next
With the Port Edward facility now operational, Cascadia is focused on expanding production, increasing adoption of seaweed-based agricultural products across North America, and continuing to strengthen its cultivation and processing network.
For Williamson, the opportunity extends far beyond any single company. With growing demand for sustainable agricultural inputs, nature-based solutions, and resilient food systems, BC’s coastline, expertise, and Indigenous partnerships position the province to become a global leader in seaweed cultivation and processing.
“Over the past 7 years, Cascadia Seaweed has focused on building all stages of our value chain, from seed production and farming through to harvest, processing and product development. By prioritizing research and innovation, we are dedicated to developing and scaling seaweed cultivation in a responsible way that addresses the urgency of climate change and food security while unlocking the full potential of this sustainable resource.”
— Michael Williamson, CEO and Co-founder, Cascadia Seaweed
Photo credit: James MacDonald Photography