Zinzino has announced that the company has initiated a process to acquire 35% of Xion International Group to form a joint venture to produce algae using bioreactors.
Zinzino has now completed the first step in the process and acquired 35% of the shares in Xion.
Together, the next step in the joint project to develop the cultivation method and production of microalgae in a joint venture, in which Zinzino owns 55% of the shares, is now being initiated to secure a future sustainable supply of omega-3 for the company's main product, BalanceOil+.
This is a very important strategic initiative to meet the increased demand for the product arising from Zinzino's global expansion and high sales growth.
Xion is a production company with its own patents based in Spain that has developed one of the world's first high-tech photobioreactor systems for the production of the nutrient-rich microalgae spirulina.
Xion's groundbreaking, award-winning technology sets a new standard for sustainable, efficient and clean production and creates great opportunities for large-scale cultivation and production of all types of photosynthetic, plant-based algae.
The company's operations are currently conducted on a small scale, with most of the production going to Zinzino's existing spirulina-based products, which were added through the acquisition of Xelliss in 2024.
Xion has an annual turnover of approximately €1.3m. The partnership gives Zinzino access to Xion's IP rights, which opens up opportunities to further develop and increase brand protection for Zinzino's product portfolio.
Zinzino is acquiring 35% of the shares in the company for a fixed purchase price of €1.2m.
"Sustainable solutions are the future," said Dag Bergheim Pettersen, CEO of Zinzino.
"Fish oil is a finite resource. Through our expanded collaboration and future partnership in Xion, we are securing an incredibly important raw material resource without increasing our climate footprint, while strengthening and advancing our brand protection."
"Zinzino will continue to invest in future solutions in algae technology and bioreactors," he added.
"Together with Xion, we intend to form a specialised omega-3 company under the name PhytoFerm in which Zinzino owns 55% of the shares."
"This will be a pure algae company focused on next-generation sustainable nutritional solutions."
This venture marks a further strategic step towards positioning Zinzino as a global leader in high-quality omega-3 products of the future.
Tino Bacchetta, founder of Xion, said that PhytoFerm will be a cutting-edge company in the production of omega-3 and other oils from algae, based on the latest bioreactor technology.
"By combining two advanced systems – photobioreactors and fermentation – with our HYBRID platform, PhytoFerm is ready to secure the future of pure nutritional supplements that make a real difference," said Bacchetta.