About Us

We offer over 50 years of academic and industry experience in the production, quality assurance and application of microalgae. Experience matters in this difficult task of sustainable commercial production of algae that is environmentally sound and meets strict regulatory requirements.

To promote the health and well being of people and theplanet we live in through sustainable use of algae.

1. To consult and educate on the use of microalgae for all purposes:
   Food, functional foods, dietary supplements, feed, nutraceuticals, cosmetics and high value biochemicals
2. To provide educational services to make algae benefit all of mankind
3. To create awareness on the importance of algae for food security and sustainability

Dr. Amha Belay is currently a Visiting Scholar at UCSD and CEO of Algae4All, LLC, a consulting company focused on algae biomass production, quality assurance, product development, regulatory guidance, management, project evaluation and education.

Up to recently, Dr. Belay was Sr. Vice President and CTO of Earthrise Nutritionals, a company that has been engaged in outdoor Spirulina biomass production for food, feed, and nutraceuticals for about 40 years. He oversaw all scientific, technical, and regulatory aspects of Spirulina production. He has an extensive experience in microalgae biomass production, algal product development, quality assurance and health and other applications of algae in general and Spirulina in particular.  He is actively engaged in research on algae production for food, feed, fuel and biochemicals. He serves as a technical advisor, board member and expert reviewer of several organizations. He is a founding and past executive committee member of the International Society for Applied Phycology, a member of the Phycological Society of America, the International Society of Food Technologists, and the American Association for the Advancement of Science to mention a few. As a very well recognized expert in algae biotechnology and health and other applications, he has been an invited speaker in numerous venues nationally and internationally He is also a director of the Algae Biomass Organization, a non-profit organization promoting the development of viable technologies and commercial markets for renewable and sustainable commodities derived from algae.

Prior to joining Earthrise, Dr. Belay was Associate Professor and Head of the Biology Department, Science Faculty, Addis Ababa University, Ethiopia, Senior Fellow of the Third World Academy of Sciences, Italy, a research fellow at the Freshwater Institute, UK and a Senior Fulbright Fellow at the University of California, Santa Barbara. Dr. Belay has published several scientific papers, and has served as editor, editorial board member and reviewer of many journals.

He continues to be involved in university affairs in Ethiopia, advising students and participating in conferences. He has established a modest fund to support the participation of young scientists in the annual meetings of the Ethiopian Fisheries and Aquatic Science Association (EFASA) of which he is a member. He is also in professional contact with his former students, now professors in universities in Ethiopia.

Amha earned a bachelor’s degree in biology from Haile Selassie I University (now Addis Ababa University) in Ethiopia and his doctorate from the University of North Wales, UK.

Amha is a recipient of the “Distinguished Applied Phycologist Award” from the International Society for Applied Phycology and a “Lifetime Achievement Award” from the Algae Biomass Organization.