Filipino-backed TrueAlgae bets big on green tech

Oscar Lumen, director of the U.S. subsidiary of Japanese trading firm Kitra Corporation and an early investor in U.S.-based biotech firm TrueAlgae, splits his time between food exports and agricultural innovation.

In an exclusive interview with DAILY TRIBUNE’s Straight Talk, Lumen shared how TrueAlgae, a company rooted in deep scientific research and a global vision, is tapping into one of nature’s smallest organisms, microalgae, to help solve some of the planet’s biggest challenges.

“We’re engaged in expanding our global footprint in agri-tech and biotech sectors,” Lumen said. “Our mission is to tackle glocal issues — global, but with local relevance — like food security, climate change, and agricultural productivity.”

Game-changer algae

The solution, he explained, lies in Chlorella, a specific strain of microalgae that TrueAlgae cultivates and mass-produces using a patented system based in Florida.

“Algae is the building block of the planet’s ecosystem,” Lumen explained. “It’s microscopic, but it signals soil and plants to absorb more energy and enrich themselves. What we’re essentially producing is a kind of metabolic water that rejuvenates the soil.”

TrueAlgae’s process isn’t just theoretical — it’s commercially proven. Trials on berry farms in Florida yielded notable increases in crop output, including strawberries, melons, corn, and even avocados. The results were so promising that TrueAlgae is now exploring applications in animal feed, especially for poultry.

“This is a scalable, modular system that fits in just 15 square meters,” Lumen said. “For under $1 million, you can build a facility that produces 100,000 liters of our product annually.”

Bringing the revolution home

Now, Lumen wants the Philippines to be part of this green revolution. He’s been in talks with the Department of Agriculture’s Bureau of Agriculture and Fisheries Standards (BAFS) and the Bureau of Plant Industry (BPI) to get regulatory clearance for TrueAlgae’s product as an organic soil enhancer.

“What’s really crippling our local farmers is the high cost of fertilizers,” he said. “After the Russia-Ukraine war, the global fertilizer market became unstable. This metabolic water is a natural, cost-effective alternative.”

Lumen added that the technology is well-positioned to align with the government’s push for organic farming and sustainable agricultural practices.

TrueAlgae’s business model is built on local production with global scalability. Much like Coca-Cola partners with bottlers around the world, the company envisions setting up modular facilities in every country it operates in.

“It doesn’t make sense to ship water across oceans,” Lumen noted. “Our goal is to produce locally and scale globally.”

TrueAlgae is now looking for strategic partners in the Philippines to set up local manufacturing units, test on native crops, and explore entry into the animal feeds and nutraceutical sectors.