Zivo Bioscience Taps Algae Titan Cyanotech to Scale Zivolife™ Production

TROY, MI – April 06, 2026 – Zivo Bioscience, a biotech firm long focused on research and development, has announced a landmark manufacturing agreement with industry heavyweight Cyanotech Corporation. The deal secures commercial-scale production for Zivo's proprietary Zivolife™ algal biomass, signaling a critical transition for the company as it moves to capitalize on the burgeoning global market for health and nutritional ingredients.

This partnership brings together Zivo's innovative, patented algal strain with Cyanotech's four decades of cultivation expertise, creating a supply chain intended to support Zivolife's launch into the animal health, human nutrition, and functional food sectors. For Zivo, a company that has operated in a pre-revenue state, securing a manufacturing partner of this caliber represents a transformational step toward generating its first significant commercial sales.

A Strategic Leap from Lab to Market

Zivo Bioscience (OTCQB: ZIVO) has navigated the challenging path of a development-stage biotech company, marked by significant financial risk but also promising innovation. The company's recent financial filings paint a picture of this high-stakes environment, showing a net loss of $1.03 million for the third quarter of 2025 and a limited cash runway. Yet, this is juxtaposed with strong insider buying and a stated focus on achieving revenue, which the company noted was "on the horizon" in a March 2026 shareholder letter.

The agreement with Cyanotech is the most tangible evidence of this strategic pivot. By leveraging an established producer, Zivo aims to bypass the immense capital expenditure and operational learning curve associated with building its own large-scale facilities. This move is designed to instill confidence in prospective commercial partners who require a reliable and scalable supply of ingredients.

"Securing Cyanotech as our manufacturing partner is a transformational step for ZIVO," said John Payne, CEO and Chairman of ZIVO Bioscience, in the official announcement. "Their decades of operational expertise, scale of production and commitment to quality provide the infrastructure we need to confidently respond to global market demand for Zivolife™. We are building a reliable supply chain for our partners, which is a critical step toward enabling initial commercial revenues."

The Promise of a Unique Microalgae

At the heart of the agreement is Zivolife™, an ingredient derived from Zivo's proprietary strain of Kelbsormidium flaccidum. The company positions this organism as distinct from common market alternatives like spirulina and chlorella. Genetically, it sits at an evolutionary crossroads between aquatic algae and land plants, a heritage that Zivo claims gives it a uniquely complex and potent bioactive profile.

Zivolife™ boasts a complete protein with all nine essential amino acids, along with a beta-glucan concentration reported to be three times that of spirulina. It also contains vitamins, minerals, and anti-inflammatory compounds, making it a versatile ingredient for the rapidly growing functional foods market. The global microalgae market was valued at over $1.2 billion in 2024 and is projected by some analysts to exceed $3 billion by 2035, driven by consumer demand for plant-based, nutrient-dense, and sustainable products.

Zivo is targeting this demand across multiple verticals. For human nutrition, Zivolife™ is positioned as a nutrient-rich "green powder" with a milder taste profile than its competitors. In animal health, the company has reported promising results from studies on its immune-modulating compounds, particularly in mitigating diseases like avian influenza and coccidiosis in poultry, attracting the attention of major global animal health firms.

Cyanotech's Hawaiian Powerhouse De-risks the Venture

The partnership's success hinges not just on Zivo's innovation, but on Cyanotech's proven execution. Operating since 1984, Cyanotech is a world leader in microalgae technology. Its 96-acre production facility on the Kailua-Kona Coast of Hawaii is one of the largest of its kind, benefiting from a pristine environment within a designated Biosecure Zone that allows for year-round cultivation.

Cyanotech brings a formidable track record of cultivating multiple algae species at scale, including its well-known BioAstin® Astaxanthin and Hawaiian Spirulina Pacifica®. The facility's operations are cGMP-compliant (current Good Manufacturing Practices) and its products have achieved GRAS (Generally Recognized as Safe) status from the FDA, providing a crucial stamp of quality and safety for Zivo's commercial partners.

Matthew Custer, President and CEO of Cyanotech Corporation, expressed confidence in the collaboration. "Cyanotech is proud to partner with ZIVO Bioscience and bring our cultivation expertise to the production of Zivolife™. The agreement provides ZIVO with scalable production capacity to support initial commercial volumes, with the ability to expand as demand increases," Custer stated. "ZIVO has developed a compelling proprietary algal biomass with strong consumer appeal, and we look forward to supporting their success."

By tapping into this established infrastructure, Zivo significantly de-risks its path to market, assuring potential buyers of a consistent, high-quality product supply. This move allows Zivo to focus on market development and securing offtake agreements, including a previously announced deal with distributor ZWorldwide, which committed to purchasing Zivolife's initial supply for the North American human nutrition market. With the production piece of the puzzle now firmly in place, Zivo Bioscience is better positioned than ever to turn its years of scientific research into a commercial reality.