A growing team, new investment and a specialist R&D facility are putting Deep Blue Biotech on an exciting trajectory – and helping to build a unique cyanobacteria innovation ecosystem in Sheffield.

Deep Blue Biotech first moved into Sheffield Technology Parks’ (STP) shared lab space in 2025, when the company was in its early stages: developing its technology, building a team and proving the potential of its approach to sustainable chemical production.

After securing just over £1million in funding, the Sheffield startup has moved into a double lab space here at STP, giving the team the space and specialist facilities it needs to accelerate its R&D and grow operations.

Founded in March 2023 by Tim Corcoran and Manuel Rios, Deep Blue Biotech is developing a new approach to chemical production using cyanobacteria – microscopic blue-green algae from the ocean. The company is initially focused on producing hyaluronic acid, a high-value ingredient with applications across health, beauty and wellness.

For CEO Tim Corcoran, the opportunity lies in tackling one of the fundamental challenges of sustainable chemical production: making it commercially viable.

“Sustainable chemical production is an area that has traditionally been expensive and inefficient. Many companies have attempted it and failed, mainly because they have focussed on commodity chemicals which don’t sell for much. But, by targeting more expensive chemicals like hyaluronic acid, we see good commercial potential in the beauty and personal care industries.”

The perfect space for growth

Deep Blue Biotech’s move into a double lab facility follows a £400,000 innovation grant, alongside private investment. Together, this is expected to bring the company’s total investment to just over £1.2 million, and this investment is already translating into growth.

The company is recruiting for four new positions, all of which will be based in Sheffield. Three appointments have already been made or are at the final contractual stage, including a laboratory technician, a molecular biologist and a highly specialist cyanobacteria upstream processing expert - who has been headhunted from Columbia and is relocating to Sheffield.

The new laboratory will also give Deep Blue Biotech capabilities it couldn't access in the shared space. A dedicated, sealed grow room allows the team to cultivate different cyanobacteria specimens under controlled conditions, including temperatures of up to 32°C.

That means the scientists can run more experiments, test different variants and accelerate the pace of innovation.

For a company working at the cutting edge of a highly specialist field, that additional capacity could be transformative.

Building a cyanobacteria ecosystem in Sheffield

Deep Blue Biotech’s decision to stay in Sheffield is about more than finding the right laboratory.

The company’s R&D is closely connected to the University of Sheffield, which has significant expertise in cyanobacteria, with dedicated research activity across two different schools and departments.

Cyanobacteria innovation is a highly specialist field, and it is rare to find such a concentration of expertise and activity in one place. With two dedicated university labs already operating in the city, Deep Blue Biotech’s commercial R&D facility is creating the foundations of a local ecosystem that connects academic research, entrepreneurial activity and commercialisation.

For Sheffield, that presents an exciting prospect. Deep Blue Biotech is helping to establish a new area of specialism for the city – one with potential applications in a growing global market for sustainable, ocean-derived ingredients.

From R&D to production

Over the next 18 months to two years, Deep Blue Biotech hopes to build its own production facility. The aim is to validate the technology at scale, demonstrate that the proposition works commercially and move towards generating significant revenue from its product.

Tim’s ambition is for that facility to be in Sheffield. There is, however, a significant challenge to overcome. The production process requires substantial energy, making energy costs an important consideration for any future facility in the UK.

One potential solution is to develop a self-sustaining facility capable of generating its own electricity from renewable sources, something Tim is keen to explore once this stage of investment and expansion is complete.

If it can be made viable, keeping production in Sheffield would be another important step in building the city's emerging cyanobacteria ecosystem. If not, Deep Blue Biotech is considering locations elsewhere in Europe, while maintaining its R&D operation in Sheffield.

Either way, there is a clear and exciting ambition for the team: to grow from an innovative R&D startup into a commercially scaled sustainable chemicals business with global reach.

The value of community

For Tim, the facilities at Sheffield Technology Parks are only part of the value of being based here. The company is surrounded by other science and technology businesses, many of which are at a similar stage of development and facing comparable challenges. 

He explains,

“It’s brilliant being able to speak to other interesting companies, many of which are at a similar stage with similar headaches – so sharing experiences can be very reassuring.”

He describes the environment as a “really lovely” one, and values the opportunity to meet people working in related areas, whether that is sustainable chemical production, personal care or other emerging technologies.

That sense of community becomes increasingly important as a company grows. Access to space, equipment and infrastructure matters, but so does having a network of people who understand the realities of building an ambitious science business.

Creating the conditions for ambitious companies to grow

Deep Blue Biotech’s journey is exactly the kind of progression Sheffield Technology Parks exists to support.

From taking its first steps in shared laboratory space, to securing investment, creating highly skilled jobs and moving into a dedicated R&D facility, the company is now entering an exciting new phase.

Tom Wolfenden, CEO of Sheffield Technology Parks, said:

“Deep Blue Biotech is a fantastic example of what can happen when ambitious science businesses have the right conditions to grow. Our role is to provide the space, connections, and supportive environment that enables companies to focus on developing their technology and building their businesses. Seeing the team progress from our shared lab into their own dedicated space is exciting – not just for Deep Blue Biotech, but for Sheffield and the wider innovation ecosystem.”

And what’s next for Deep Blue Biotech is even more exciting, as it helps to put Sheffield on the map in a rare and highly specialist area of science and technology. If Tim can realise his ambition of building a production facility here too, the city could become home to an end-to-end cyanobacteria innovation ecosystem – from world-class research, through R&D and commercialisation, to production.

We’re really looking forward to seeing this next chapter unfold.