Euglena Co. to Strengthen Functional Materials Business by Combining "Green Euglena" and "Gold Euglena"
Euglena Co., Ltd. has announced the acquisition of the microalgae Euglena "EOD-1 strain" business from Kobelco Eco-Solutions. By integrating "Gold Euglena," which is specialized for immune function, the company aims to accelerate its expansion into multi-functional healthcare materials.
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- 📰 Published: April 25, 2026 at 00:30
- 🔍 Collected: April 24, 2026 at 16:02
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Euglena Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Minato-ku, Tokyo; President: Mitsuru Izumo) has announced its intention to acquire the business related to the microalgae Euglena "EOD-1 strain" developed and sold by Kobelco Eco-Solutions Co., Ltd. (Headquarters: Chuo-ku, Kobe; President: Hideki Okumura).
Through this acquisition, Euglena Co. will inherit the notification for Foods with Functionality Claims (Notification Nos. K250, J814, etc.) for EOD-1 strain-derived paramylon, which is recognized for maintaining immune function. By integrating this with the paramylon research and product development that Euglena Co. has focused on to date, the company will accelerate the development of functional materials centered on immunity.
Since succeeding in the world's first outdoor mass cultivation of microalgae Euglena for food use in 2005, the company has developed its "Green Euglena" business, supporting a foundation of nutrition and health. On the other hand, the EOD-1 strain developed by Kobelco Eco-Solutions has been promoted as "Gold Euglena" through indoor tank cultivation, containing over 70% paramylon, with research and product development focusing on immunity and fatigue relief.
This transaction brings together the "nutritional depth" of "Green Euglena" and the "functional strength" of "Gold Euglena" under one group. By combining the research results, intellectual property, and cultivation technologies of both companies, Euglena Co. will provide wider and deeper value, ranging from daily nutritional support to high-performance materials that address complex modern health issues such as immunity, fatigue, sleep, and stress.
Background and Significance:
In recent years, the functional food market has continued to grow, and the value sought in products has evolved from single-functionality to "multi-functionality" that meets multiple health challenges. In particular, the immunity field has gained importance as a theme for routine health management.
EOD-1 strain-derived paramylon was the first in Japan to be accepted for an immune claim using dietary fiber as the functional component. It possesses high research value as it acts on both innate and adaptive immunity. The acquisition of this business is a strategic decision to incorporate this immune evidence into Euglena's research platform and expand paramylon as a "multi-functional material starting from immunity."
Synergies in IP, Production, and Business:
The intellectual property Euglena plans to inherit includes domestic and overseas patents (including pending applications) and various research data. In addition, trademarks such as "EOD-1" and "Gold Euglena" will be transferred. This is expected to lead to the development of new applications combined with Euglena's existing IP, strengthened IP defense, and improved proposal capabilities for BtoB raw material sales.
Furthermore, the indoor tank cultivation technology for the EOD-1 strain is crucial for quality stability and high functionality. Euglena Co. aims to achieve a more stable and competitive production system by utilizing both outdoor and indoor cultivation methods.
Through this acquisition, Euglena Co. will inherit the notification for Foods with Functionality Claims (Notification Nos. K250, J814, etc.) for EOD-1 strain-derived paramylon, which is recognized for maintaining immune function. By integrating this with the paramylon research and product development that Euglena Co. has focused on to date, the company will accelerate the development of functional materials centered on immunity.
Since succeeding in the world's first outdoor mass cultivation of microalgae Euglena for food use in 2005, the company has developed its "Green Euglena" business, supporting a foundation of nutrition and health. On the other hand, the EOD-1 strain developed by Kobelco Eco-Solutions has been promoted as "Gold Euglena" through indoor tank cultivation, containing over 70% paramylon, with research and product development focusing on immunity and fatigue relief.
This transaction brings together the "nutritional depth" of "Green Euglena" and the "functional strength" of "Gold Euglena" under one group. By combining the research results, intellectual property, and cultivation technologies of both companies, Euglena Co. will provide wider and deeper value, ranging from daily nutritional support to high-performance materials that address complex modern health issues such as immunity, fatigue, sleep, and stress.
Background and Significance:
In recent years, the functional food market has continued to grow, and the value sought in products has evolved from single-functionality to "multi-functionality" that meets multiple health challenges. In particular, the immunity field has gained importance as a theme for routine health management.
EOD-1 strain-derived paramylon was the first in Japan to be accepted for an immune claim using dietary fiber as the functional component. It possesses high research value as it acts on both innate and adaptive immunity. The acquisition of this business is a strategic decision to incorporate this immune evidence into Euglena's research platform and expand paramylon as a "multi-functional material starting from immunity."
Synergies in IP, Production, and Business:
The intellectual property Euglena plans to inherit includes domestic and overseas patents (including pending applications) and various research data. In addition, trademarks such as "EOD-1" and "Gold Euglena" will be transferred. This is expected to lead to the development of new applications combined with Euglena's existing IP, strengthened IP defense, and improved proposal capabilities for BtoB raw material sales.
Furthermore, the indoor tank cultivation technology for the EOD-1 strain is crucial for quality stability and high functionality. Euglena Co. aims to achieve a more stable and competitive production system by utilizing both outdoor and indoor cultivation methods.