On a mission to produce the purest natural astaxanthin, nature’s strongest antioxidant

Main image: axabio^® production facility.

Flamingos owe their pink colour to one molecule. Astaxanthin is a red carotenoid made by the freshwater microalgae Haematococcus pluvialis, and it is one of the strongest antioxidants in nature. It neutralises singlet oxygen 6,000 times more effectively than vitamin C and 550 times more than vitamin E. That is why consumers seek it out for skin health, eye protection, cognitive health, gut health and healthy metabolism.

But astaxanthin is only as good as the way it is made. Algae absorb what is in their water, so a poor growing system can carry heavy metals into the final ingredient. Uneven light leaves cells half-mature, which gives less stable astaxanthin and a dose that falls short of the label. For a premium brand, that gap between label and reality is a risk to your reputation.

axabio^® built its technology to close that gap. The Belgian biotech grows natural astaxanthin in patented, AI-optimised fourth-generation (Gen-4) flat-panel photobioreactors. This technology sets the quality standard premium brands need, delivering the purest, most stable and most consistent natural astaxanthin available.

The quality of astaxanthin is decided inside the reactor, long before extraction. Gen-4 was designed to give every algae cell the same ideal conditions.

Light reaches every cell. The algae grow in thin, vertical panels with a culture layer of only 2 to 2.5 cm. LEDs light each panel from the outside, so no cell sits in the dark. All cells mature at the same pace and build up the same high level of astaxanthin. For you, that means a uniform ingredient in every delivery.

Production never stops. The panels run as a continuous cascade. Young green algae flow straight into stress panels, where they turn red and fill with astaxanthin. Because the process is continuous, there are no transfer losses and uptime reaches about 90%. You get reliable supply you can plan around.

AI watches the culture around the clock. Sensors follow every panel, and AI systems adjust light, nutrients, temperature and pH in real time. Small problems are caught before they affect quality, so each delivery matches the specification you approved.

Nothing gets in. The system is fully closed, so outside contaminants never reach the culture. Your product stays clean from the very first cell, with zero heavy metals.

Independent third-party laboratories tested axabio^®'s astaxanthin. The results show four clear strengths.

• Bioavailability. The algae are harvested fully mature, with a balanced diester/monoester ratio of 0.54. Diesters are the form your body absorbs best.
• Purity. Arsenic, cadmium, mercury, lead and other heavy metals all fall below the limit of quantification. Extraction with supercritical CO₂ uses zero chemical solvents and leaves no residue.
• Stability. A low cis/trans ratio of 0.223 shows the molecule stays in its active form. Potency tested at +1.0% versus label, so your product delivers the dose you claim.
• Eco-footprint. High culture density means 60 to 70 times less water than open-pond production. Energy use is 37% lower than comparable indoor facilities, and the site runs on renewable energy.

In March 2026, axabio^® became the first natural astaxanthin producer in the world to earn B Corp certification. B Lab gave it a B Impact Score of 108.5, well above the 80 points needed. Its strongest results came in the environment category, driven by the energy savings of its Gen-4 technology.

For you, this means independent, public proof behind your own sustainability claims.

"Being sustainable and becoming B Corp should be the norm, not the exception," says Jonas De Cooman, co-founder and CEO of axabio^®. "We wanted to set that standard for our industry. We hope more will follow."

axabio^® supplies Gen-4 astaxanthin in the format your product needs.

• Lipid-based formulas: axapure™ oleoresin.
• Cold-water dispersible format: axafine™ water-dispersible powder.
• Microencapsulate formats: axapearls™ and axabeads™ microencapsulated powders.
• Ready-to-launch formats: axagels™ softgels, axagums™ gummies, axacaps™ capsules and axafocus™, a synergistic blend with algae-derived omega-3.

Every product comes with scientific documentation, regulatory support and full traceability, so your claims are backed from day one.

Want to try it yourself? Feel free to request a sample here.

The best way to judge a production process is to see it.

Visit axabio^® in Hemiksem and walk through the photobioreactors with the team.