Shift's Grant Fuels Seaweed Solution to Farming's Hidden Plastic Problem

VANCOUVER, BC – August 06, 2026 – In a move that underscores the growing trend of cross-industry impact investing, Shift, a company known for its customizable web browser, has awarded its second annual $25,000 Impact Grant to PhyCo Technologies, a marine biotechnology startup. The unrestricted funds are set to accelerate PhyCo's mission: developing a seaweed-based alternative to the petroleum plastics quietly choking the agricultural sector. This partnership highlights a powerful new dynamic in business innovation, where established tech companies are strategically deploying capital to fuel early-stage, deep-tech solutions to global environmental challenges.

The Unseen Environmental Crisis on Our Farms

While consumer-facing plastic waste dominates headlines, a far larger and more insidious problem lies hidden in the fields that grow our food. The agricultural industry is a colossal consumer of plastics, from the vast sheets of mulch film that protect crops to silage wraps and greenhouse coverings. According to the UN's Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO), agricultural value chains used 12.5 million tonnes of plastic in 2019, with crop production and livestock alone accounting for 10 million tonnes annually. The press release's assertion that 70% of plastic in the food system originates on the farm points to this often-overlooked source.

This reliance is projected to grow, with demand for agricultural films expected to increase by 50% between 2018 and 2030. The challenge is that these materials, often contaminated with soil and organic matter, are notoriously difficult and uneconomical to collect and recycle. As a result, they are frequently burned or buried on-site, leading to air pollution and long-term soil contamination. Over time, these plastics break down into microplastics, which can accumulate in soil at concentrations even higher than in marine ecosystems. These particles disrupt soil structure, harm microbial communities, and risk entering the food chain, posing a threat to food safety and human health.

This environmental crisis has created a significant market need, with the problem of agricultural plastics representing an estimated $100 billion opportunity. The global market for biodegradable mulch films is already valued at over $50 billion and is projected to nearly double by 2032, signaling a clear demand from farmers and regulators for sustainable alternatives.

A Solution from the Sea: PhyCo's Innovative Approach

Enter PhyCo, a female-founded startup born from a moment of stark realization. The company's genesis traces back to 2016, when co-founder and CEO Ranah Chavoshi, a marine biologist, photographed severe plastic pollution near a world-renowned diving destination. Years later, during a COVID-19 lab shutdown, that image inspired her to begin experimenting with seaweed-based bioplastics in her own kitchen. She later joined forces with biotechnologist Dr. Stacey Goldberg to formalize their venture, aiming to create a truly soil-biodegradable and non-toxic solution.

"Most people think food-related plastic starts at the grocery store, but much of it is used on farms long before food reaches the shelf," said Ranah Chavoshi. "We started PhyCo to develop a soil-biodegradable, non-toxic and petroleum-free alternative from seaweed, working in partnership with Indigenous communities. The Shift Impact Grant will help us move that work beyond the lab and get a practical, compostable solution closer to the farmers who need it."

PhyCo’s proprietary biorefinery process transforms seaweed into compostable films that can replace conventional polyethylene. The grant comes at a pivotal moment for the company, which recently completed the first phase of an international, production-scale pilot in Portugal. The pilot was a crucial success, proving the process could be scaled effectively while improving yields and reducing production costs—key hurdles for any novel material seeking to compete with entrenched petroleum products.

Beyond the Browser: A New Model of Corporate Impact

For Shift, a Certified B Corp that has built its brand on enhancing professional productivity, the Impact Grant program is a core component of its business strategy. It represents a deliberate move to leverage its success to foster innovation far outside its own industry. By providing unrestricted funding, Shift empowers founders to allocate capital to their most pressing needs, whether it's R&D, scaling production, or building partnerships.

"Ranah and Stacey are tackling a massive environmental problem that most of us never see," said Neil Henderson, CEO of Shift. "The Shift Impact Grant is designed to give founders the flexibility to put funding where it can make the greatest difference."

This initiative is deeply integrated with Shift's identity. The company, part of the Redbrick portfolio, pioneered carbon-neutral browsing and features a built-in "Carbon Meter" that allows users to track and offset the footprint of their online activity. This commitment to environmental accountability lends authenticity to its grant program. The success of the inaugural recipient, FireSwarm Solutions—which develops autonomous drones for wildfire management and has since been selected for a NATO program—has already demonstrated the catalytic power of this targeted, flexible funding model.

Cultivating Community and Commercial Viability

PhyCo’s strategy is distinguished not only by its technology but also by its business model, which embeds social and environmental responsibility at its core. The company is building a responsible supply chain by partnering directly with small-scale seaweed farmers in Indigenous and other coastal communities across Canada. This approach aims to create economic opportunities and support a nascent Canadian seaweed farming industry while restoring marine ecosystems. PhyCo is already in discussions with eight Indigenous Nations in British Columbia and is exploring educational partnerships in Atlantic Canada.

With the support of the Shift Impact Grant and recent investment from NorthX Climate Tech, PhyCo is poised to move from pilot to commercial scale. The company plans to increase its seaweed processing capacity more than tenfold by 2028, initially targeting small-scale organic farmers and greenhouse growers who feel the pain of plastic waste most acutely. As it moves toward commercialization, PhyCo's seaweed-based material offers a compelling differentiator in a bioplastics market dominated by starch-based PLA and PBAT films, promising a carbon-negative alternative that truly returns to the earth.