Algae Scope receives the Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship 'Special Mention' Prize
A day at the Palazzo del Quirinale
On 29 October 2026, at the Palazzo del Quirinale in Rome, the President of the Italian Republic, Sergio Mattarella, presented Algae Scope with the Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship Special Mention at the Eni Award 2026. The ceremony was also attended by Eni's senior leadership team, including Eni's Chairwoman, Giuseppina Di Foggia, and Chief Executive Officer, Claudio Descalzi.
This video captures a snapshot of that day.
We'd like to reflect a little more on what this achievement means to us, and on how we got here.
Where it began
Venice-based startup, Algae Scope, was established in 2024 with a big question in mind: to what extent could seaweed offer a safer alternative to the chemicals that industries rely on today?
For decades, industries have relied on petrochemicals, PFAS and halogenated compounds to make materials water-repellent and flame-retardant. These chemicals persist, building up in our water, soil and air, and in our bodies. As evidence of their impact on human health has grown, so too has regulation. Industries now have to change due to laws that restrict the use of PFAS. Failure to do so now results in fines, sanctions and lawsuits across industries in several European countries including France, Denmark and Sweden, with a complete EU phase-out projected by 2030. Companies from the textile, polymer, construction and packaging industries need alternatives that work, can scale and that are cost-competitive when compared to the current price of PFAS.
Our solution
Our answer is a functional powder made entirely from seaweed. It replaces PFAS and halogenated chemicals to make materials water-repellent and flame-retardant. It is natural and non-toxic, and it is designed to fit into existing industrial processes for textiles, polymers and other materials.
Today it is being tested with industrial partners, from fabrics to electronic cables. The more we speak to manufacturers, the better we can fit the product to their processes, so that it helps them meet new standards without compromising on performance.
Value at every stage
Our material is designed to create and add value at every stage, from the sea to the finished product and beyond.
Seaweed grows without land, fresh water or fertiliser, and supports healthier coastal waters as it grows. For aquaculture, it is a new crop that diversifies production, cleans the water, and generates income for coastal communities.
The biomass is then used as fully as possible. Seaweed contains many valuable compounds, and our process can work alongside other uses, including biomass that remains after compounds such as biostimulants, alginates or fucoidan have been extracted.
Further along the chain, manufacturers are under real pressure to change. Textile producers need water-repellent and flame-retardant treatments that perform without PFAS. Electronics manufacturers need halogen-free flame retardants for cables and components. Our powder gives them a natural, non-toxic alternative that fits into their existing processes.
At the end of a product’s life, the loop closes. Unlike PFAS and halogenated compounds, a seaweed-based treatment does not leave persistent chemicals building up in water, soil and air.
What this recognition means
An award like this gives a new material the credibility that usually takes years to build. It gives industrial partners more confidence to test it, it opens conversations with investors, and it connects us with an ecosystem of researchers and companies working on the same transition.
It also shows that the blue economy is being seen as a source of real industrial solutions, not only of food and energy. Seaweed can be part of how manufacturing changes.
For us, it brings a responsibility as well as an opportunity: to turn this recognition into results, and to move our material from pilots to use at scale.
About the Eni Awards
Now in its eighteenth edition, the Eni Award has recognised research and innovation in energy and the environment since 2008. Its Scientific Committee has included scientists from leading research institutions around the world, among them six Nobel Prize laureates.
The Eni Joule for Entrepreneurship Special Mention is presented through Joule, Eni's school for entrepreneurship. It recognises teams, university spin-offs and startups, with the aim of supporting the application, development and transfer of technologies and building a sustainable innovation ecosystem.
The team behind it
Behind this moment is our team. Each of us brings different skills and experience, and together we are building something new and valuable for the market.
We come from very different backgrounds, and that is our strength. Each of us brings different skills and experience, and together we are building something new and valuable for the market. We are proud of what we have achieved together.
What comes next
The next chapter is about taking this material from recognition to real-world use, and we look forward to sharing that journey with you.
To get there, we are keen to hear from manufacturers who want to replace PFAS or halogenated treatments in their products, whether in textiles, polymers, electronics or other materials. We are also looking for testing partners, including laboratories and production sites, to help us validate performance in new applications and move from pilots to larger-scale trials.
We are open to conversations with investors who see the blue economy as a source of real industrial solutions, and who would like to support us as we scale production and bring our material to market.
If you would like to explore a collaboration, a trial or an investment, please get in touch with us at info@algae-scope.com
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