This young company transforms Breton seaweed collected on the beach into 100% sustainable design objects

A young design student based in Brittany, Hugo Kerbrat has decided to give new life to an abundant resource typical of the local coasts: brown algae. Although algae are already used in various sectors, from renewable energy to cosmetics to inks, the same cannot be said of the area in which Kerbrat operates. But he did not let himself be discouraged by the challenge and this is how in 2024 he gave life to Gwëmon, a startup founded with the aim of giving a new shape to this natural resource, developing an artisanal and innovative biomaterial.

Inspired by other virtuous realities of Brittany, Kerbrat has created a natural agglomerate composed of over 90% brown algae, natural fibres, minerals and a few additives of vegetal origin. All without synthetic glues, without resins of fossil origin and without the use of high temperatures: the production process is deliberately low-tech and with low environmental impact.

But what really sets this material apart is not just its sustainable composition, but how it brings with it the identity of the territory: the texture, the colours, the history of Breton seaweed are not hidden, but highlighted. Kerbrat’s idea is in fact to create objects and surfaces that tell the story of the place they come from.