Are algae the food of tomorrow? Cécile Bury and Victoire de Lapasse are convinced of this. The two young women founded Neptune Elements, a start-up whose ambition is to democratize the consumption of seaweed in order to create a sustainable and healthy food offer, while contributing to the preservation of the environment. They are finalists for the 6th edition of the Perle de Lait Trophy, which honors women entrepreneurs with committed and innovative projects.

How did you get the idea of Neptune Elements ?

In 2050, there will be 9 billion people to feed, and today the land is already saturated. We realized that we had to rethink our food production methods. Seaweed is an exceptional and untapped resource. In addition to its nutritional richness, seaweed is a superhero for the planet because it captures CO ₂ faster than plants and its cultivation does not require fertilizers, pesticides or water.

The mission of the company is twofold, explain to us.

First, we want to democratize seaweed on plates. To do this, we have created a range of seaweed-based products, such as dehydrated ones to sprinkle or our spreads. Secondly, we are working to develop the seaweed farming sector in France.

What excites you about entrepreneurship?

Seeing that we have an impact is a real source of fulfilment. Beyond the mission of Neptune Elements, we appreciate the hands-on side of entrepreneurship: research and development, marketing, accounting, finance… we manage a wide variety of things. And above all, we are not alone, since we are taking our whole team on board with us in this project.

What motivated you to apply for the Perle de Lait Trophy?

For us, it is very important to participate in a prize that rewards women. Two women in the food industry is quite rare. It would be a strong signal that our project wins.

If you win, what projects do you want to realize thanks to the endowment and support of La Ruche (national network of business incubators)?

La Ruche's mentorship will allow us to meet other entrepreneurs to expand our network. As for the financial endowment, we plan to allocate it to the development of our algae hatchery, necessary for the creation of our own culture park.

Vote and try to win a Solikend solidarity stay or a gift card valid on a selection of online stores of former Perle de Lait Trophy finalists! At the end of the public vote, the Perle de Lait Trophy will go to the entrepreneur who has received the most votes.

Source journaldesfemmes.fr