Andrew Izaara, a Ugandan scientist, has made history by having his innovative startup, Nautical Elixir, showcased on the iconic Times Square billboards in New York City.
Nautical Elixir is a groundbreaking startup that transforms fish waste into premium collagen for the cosmetics industry, addressing environmental challenges while creating a valuable resource for beauty products. By extracting high-quality hydrolyzed freshwater collagen peptides from repurposed fish waste, the startup is tapping into the growing global collagen market, projected to expand by almost 10% by 2030.
With fish collagen being 1.5 times more absorbable than other sources, Nautical Elixir plans to explore applications in nutrition, pharmaceuticals, and dental care. The startup has gained international acclaim, earning a spot among the 50 semi-finalists in a global competition and now competing in the prestigious Moonshot Final Event.
The competition offers a $50,000 grand prize and the opportunity to showcase their innovation to industry experts and potential investors. Izaara, an Aquaculture Scientist at NARO-Mukono ZARDI, developed the concept with fellow Executive MBA graduates from Quantic School of Business and Technology.
The team is excited to pitch their sustainable innovation, which has the potential to transform both the cosmetic industry and the fish processing value chain. This achievement puts Uganda on the global map, showcasing the country’s potential for innovation and entrepreneurship. The Nautical Elixir team’s success serves as an inspiration to Ugandan innovators and entrepreneurs, demonstrating the possibilities of turning local challenges into global opportunities.