Koralo has developed seafood from the combined fermentation of two major protein sources: microalgae and mushroom mycelium, creating what is essentially a hybrid protein product from two types of superfoods.
“Microalgae naturally contains the nutrition of the sea in terms of omega-3 as well as the various proteins and vitamins; whereas mycelium from mushroom roots is high in protein and also provides a desirable texture for these products,” Koralo Co-Founder and CEO Sina Albanese said.
“Our fermentation process is patented, it is a co-fermentation that allows us to maximise this nutrition from the sea as well as to speed up production whilst keeping the product as a clean label one with just five ingredients.
“Prebiotics and postbiotics are also naturally present in the products after manufacturing – we’ve dubbed the line as NEW F!SH and started with salmon in 2024, moving on to shrimp in 2025 then scallops.”
Koralo has entered B2B discussions with major South Korean firms such as CJ Cheiljedang and Hyundai, and plans to enter both the Singapore and European markets too.
“Based on pricing, we are already at price parity with fresh seafood and are working on reaching this for frozen seafood as well,” she said.
“This is of course a major driver in Asia, and in South Korea we have found that there is strong interest in food that is low calorie and low fat which we are, and importantly there is also a lot of interest in foods with functional benefits such as beauty, immunity and so on.
“In markets like Europe sustainability may be enough to sell, but in Asia the best method to reach consumers is in a different way, meaning that products must not only be delicious but also offer them functional benefits beyond just taste.
“In South Korea specifically, a product can stand out well if it also offers beauty benefits – and we have developed our products to be naturally packed with those omega-3s, vitamins, protein and pre-/postbiotics to benefit not only brain, heart and gut health, but also for hair and skin to glow.
“The messaging here really is that products like NEW F!SH are not looking to really replace conventional protein, but really to enhance the current protein sector and benefit not only vegetarian consumers but everyone.”
Plant-based base not large enough
Albanese also highlighted that targeting plant-based consumers alone is not a very viable strategy in Asia, because the base has remained small even after several years of pushing.
“Plant-based in itself is a tough market and much smaller than anyone previously assumed,” she said.
“There is some strength in this market here in South Korea specifically, and a lot of potential to attract repeat consumers – but again, sustainability is not enough to sell long-term, and consumers here need top-notch products particularly when it comes to mouthfeel.
“This means that the chewiness needs to be just right no matter what sort of plant-based product is being highlighted – for us this is where the mycelium comes in, and we have tested many different types of mushrooms for their texture and flavour profiles to identify the right combinations to get suitable mouthfeels for fish, meat, crustaceans and so on.”
