iwi

iwi (Qualitas Health dba iwi) is a USA-based company focused on sustainably farming microalgae to produce its proprietary Omega-3 oil and protein products and ingredients.

iwi produces omega-3 oils from microalgae grown in open ponds in the desert of Texas, where conventional farming is deemed impossible. By using eco-friendly farming practices, iwi cultivates algae at a commercial scale on non-arable land using non-potable salty water from the local aquifer while capturing CO2 and releasing oxygen in the process. iwi’s products are not only more sustainable than fish or krill oils; they’re also healthier, with superior human absorption properties.

Omega-3 supplements are important for heart health, brain health, eye health, and healthy inflammation modulation. Typically, omega-3s are produced from fish or krill oil, but fish don’t produce omega-3 themselves; they get it from consuming algae. As of 2018, over 90% of wild fisheries were overfished or at maximal capacity, with fish populations in coastal areas near depletion. Krill overfishing leads to cascading problems, as krill is a critical food source for other species and plays an important role in carbon sequestration by consuming phytoplankton. 

iwi is skipping the “middle” fish by extracting essential omega-3 oils straight from its proprietary strain of microalgae Nannochloropsis sp. This algae strain is saltwater-based and highly resilient to heat and cold, making it ideal for growing in a desert climate.  Moreover, the technology behind iwi’s algae holds three patents for the EPA-rich omega-3 oil in a unique polar lipid form. In addition, cardiometabolic health benefits have been demonstrated in multiple separate clinical studies.

iwi’s algae also contains high-quality protein. Their production yields almost 6,000 lbs of essential amino acids per acre of pond using zero arable land or freshwater, a much higher yield compared to growing crops in fields, making microalgae a key source of nutrients for the growing global population. A provisional composition of matter patent has been published, and the production methods for protein extraction have been validated at large-scale.