Our Algae and Botanicals Make Better Products

Kuehnle AgroSystems, Inc. (KAS) is a Hawaii biotechnology company with a world-class team of professionals. We research, develop and produce specialty chemicals and raw materials to make life better.  Our customers include multinational corporations along with valued regional companies and brands that require sustainable plant-based ingredients for aqua feeds, food, and personal care.

Active & Functional Ingredients
Cosmetic & Skincare Products
Agriculture & Aquaculture

Culturing Life at the Cutting Edge

KAS uses its extensive library of Hawaiian microalgal strains and exotic plant cell cultures (plant “stem cells”) to provide unique cross-disciplinary expertise in cell line creation, target maximization, and process scale-up methodology.  Industrial fermentation allows our ingredients to be cultured for highest efficiency and quality, and enables rapid access to markets by our partners. KAS works with its partners and customers to originate new concepts, and to discover and deliver preferred bioactives, colorants and other biofunctionals for their markets.

News

Aqua-Spark invests in KAS
KAS has closed a Series A funding round with new investor, Aqua-Spark. As the pioneer fund for sustainable aquaculture, Aqua-Spark is investing significant resources to support the transfer of KAS' pioneering technology to industrial scale. Prior to Aqua-Spark investing, KAS participated in an accelerator program through Hatch, another investment within Aqua-Spark's portfolio.
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KAS bolsters team to enter next phase of commercializing natural astaxanthin
Kuehnle AgroSystems (KAS), a Hawaii-based microalgae products company, announced today it has strengthened its executive and advisory teams as it enters the next phase of the commercialization of its groundbreaking product. Having developed a novel patented process for the low-cost sustainable production of natural astaxanthin in algae, KAS is now entering the scale-up phase. KAS plans to transfer their product into commercial production over the next six months. To support this technology transfer phase, Dr. Heidi Kuehnle, a founder of KAS, will take the role of CTO and focus on the technical and manufacturing elements. From 1st July Dr. Claude Kaplan will join the executive team as CEO, to focus on the commercial and investment elements of the business.
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Startup aims to come to aquafeed sector's rescue with natural coloring
Hawaii's Kuehnle AgroSystems (KAS) has developed a "dark fermentation" process for the microalga Haematococcus pluvialis, a trusted source of natural astaxanthin. It debuted the product in February this year.
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KAS wins the Seafood Innovation Award 2021 at NASF 2021 for astaxanthin fermentation technology
In competition between 8 companies at Seafood Innovation Day NASF 2021, the seafood industry’s own innovation award went to Kuehnle AgroSystems from Hawaii for their fermentation technology to produce natural astaxanthin for the aquafeeds market.
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KAS Debuts Natural Astaxanthin by Novel Fermentation
The company’s break-through is comparable to the emergence of algal DHA using fermentation to replace marine oils for healthy, sustainable nutrition.
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ASTAFUSION® Trademark Allowed by U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
ASTAFUSION® refers to KAS’s proprietary microalgal extract rich in powerful antioxidants and natural oils for use in making cosmetics and sold as a component and ingredient of soaps, essential oils and cosmetics.
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Introducing MOLOKINI®, Hawaiian Portulaca Stem Cell Concentrate
The Hawaiian Islands are recognized the world over for valued botanicals with healing, nutrition, and beautification properties. This now includes MOLOKINI® with Hawaiian Portulaca Stem Cell Concentrate (INCI: Portulaca Molokiniensis Callus Extract), a unique ingredient for skin care.
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MOLOKINI® Trademark Allowed by U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
KAS received notice from the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office that its trademark application for MOLOKINI® has been allowed. MOLOKINI® refers to KAS’s proprietary botanical extract rich in polyphenolics and betalains for use in making cosmetics.
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Introducing AstaFusion™, nature's blend of microalgal pigments
Our proprietary microalgal skin care ingredient, AstaFusion™, has been registered with the American Chemical Society and received its CAS Registry Number 1174756-78-5. AstaFusion™ is a natural, non-GMO oil-soluble pigment from the microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis macrozooid cell (pre-haematocyst).
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Publications

Kuehnle Moves Chlamydomonas Toward Commercial Applications
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Algae Planet
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Kuehnle AgroSystems files patent for algae strain for astaxanthin
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Nutraceutical Business Review
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New astaxanthin player debuts armed with ‘dark fermentation’ patent
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Hank Schultz
NutraIngredients-USA
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Digestibility of Schizochytrium sp. whole cell biomass by Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar)
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B.Hart, R.Schurr, N.Narendranath, A.Kuehnle, S.M.Colombo
Aquaculture, Volume 533, 25 February 2021, Article 736156
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Harnessing Algae for Natural Color and Sustenance
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University of Hawaii System
Noelo, Research and Innovation at the University of Hawaii, 2020 p. 26-27
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Brewing Change: Dark Fermentation of Photosynthetic Microalgae
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Kuehnle A., and R. Schurr
Industrial Biotechnology. February 2019 15(1):3-8
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Industrial Biotechnology Interview: A Conversation with Adelheid Kuehnle
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Kuehnle A.
Industrial Biotechnology. February 2017, 13(1): 11-13.
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Some Microalgae from the Hawaiian Islands with a Focus on Industrial Applications
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Kuehnle A., Schurr R., Perez M.
Current Biotechnology 2015; 4(4): 499-513.
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Algae-mediated valorization of industrial waste streams
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Perez M., N.A. Nolasco, A. Vasavada, M. Johnson, and A. Kuehnle.
Ind Biotechnol 11(4):229-234.
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Microalgae Crop Improvement: Tools for Quality Control and Molecular Breeding
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Schurr R. and A. Kuehnle.
Ind Biotechnol 10(3):237-243.
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Strategic Alliances Create Path to Commercialization for a Microalgae-Focused Start-Up
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Kuehnle A. and M. Ritchie.
Ind Biotechnol 9(5):286-288.
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