Copenhagen-based microalgae company Algiecel has strengthened its leadership team with the appointment of Mette Ingeman Pedersen as chief financial officer and Tove Feld as chair of its board, as the company prepares to scale commercial production of its marine bioactives platform. Algiecel develops microalgae-based ingredients designed to provide sustainable alternatives to fish-dependent supply chains for the nutrition, pet food and personal care sectors. Pedersen brings more than two decades of finance and commercial leadership experience, most recently serving as CFO of Topsoe’s Power-to-X business, alongside previous senior roles at Saxo Bank, Nordea and Danske Bank. Feld joins with 35 years of experience in energy, infrastructure and industrial technology, having held executive positions at Ørsted, DONG Energy, Siemens Wind Power and DNV, as well as serving on multiple corporate boards.
Algiecel develops microalgae-based ingredients for the food, pet food, dietary supplement and personal care industries. Founded in 2021, the company cultivates microalgae in modular photobioreactors using artificial light, water and captured carbon dioxide to produce marine bioactive ingredients. Its technology is designed to provide an alternative to ingredients derived from wild-caught marine resources while enabling controlled and scalable production.
The appointments strengthen a female-led leadership team headed by CEO Susanne Palsten Buchardt and support Algiecel’s next phase of growth, building the financial, operational and governance capabilities needed to scale its controlled marine bioactives platform for nutrition, pet food and personal care markets.
Mette joins Algiecel after more than 20 years in senior finance, advisory and commercial roles across the Nordic region, with a focus on helping science-based and purpose-driven companies turn innovation into scalable business models. She previously served as CFO of Topsoe’s Power-to-X business, where she helped build the finance function and operating model for a rapidly scaling organisation, supporting the commercial deployment of green technologies and first-of-a-kind industrial infrastructure.
Her experience also includes senior finance leadership roles at Saxo Bank, Nordea and Danske Bank, spanning finance transformation, IPO readiness, valuation modelling and fundraising preparation. At Algiecel, Mette will lead the finance function as the company prepares for commercial expansion and future investment.
“Algiecel is entering a decisive stage, where strong financial discipline must support ambitious commercial execution,” said Mette Ingeman Pedersen, CFO at Algiecel. “The company has developed a platform with the potential to make high-performing microalgae ingredients more reliable, scalable and commercially accessible. My focus will be on helping Algiecel build the structure, investor confidence and financial resilience needed for long-term growth.”
At the same time, Tove will chair Algiecel’s board of directors with 35 years of experience in energy, infrastructure, renewables and strategic transformation, including more than 15 years of board experience across private and listed companies. An engineer by training, she has held senior leadership roles at Ørsted and its predecessor DONG Energy, including Chief Technology Officer and Head of Engineering, and has also held senior leadership roles at Siemens Wind Power and DNV.
“Algiecel’s opportunity is not only about producing microalgae; it is about building a reliable industrial platform for marine bioactives,” said Tove Feld, Chairperson of the Board of Directors at Algiecel. “The company combines biology, engineering and sustainability in a way that is highly relevant to the future of ingredient supply. I look forward to supporting the team as it moves towards commercial scale.”
Her appointment brings additional expertise in scaling technology-based companies, internationalisation, investment, risk management and governance. At Algiecel, Tove will support the company as it moves from platform validation towards commercial production.
“Scaling Algiecel requires more than promising technology,” said Susanne Palsten Buchardt, CEO of Algiecel. “It requires operational discipline, financial rigour, industrial experience and a leadership team capable of turning innovation into reliable commercial supply. Mette and Tove bring exactly that. Their appointments strengthen our ability to execute as we build Algiecel into a trusted supplier of effective microalgae ingredients delivered at scale.”
With Susanne as CEO and Mette joining as CFO, women are represented across Algiecel’s central executive and board-level roles, including Head of Legal & HR, Rikke Dybvad, Board member Merete Lundbye Møller and Tove’s appointment to the board.
Algiecel’s compact, modular bioreactors cultivate Nannochloropsis oceanica microalgae using artificial light, water and captured CO₂. The model is designed to provide predictable supply, consistent product quality and lower-risk, flexible scaling, helping customers reduce exposure to marine ingredient supply volatility. Algiecel raised DKK 60m (€8m) in 2024 to support the continued development and scale-up of its technology.
Read the orginal article: https://arcticstartup.com/algiecel-names-mette-ingeman-pedersen-cfo-tove-feld-board-chair/
