We coined the term.

We define it as the mass cultivation of photosynthetic microorganisms for business purposes.​

The industry was founded on a concept that has been used for many centuries by certain tribes in Africa and Central America. These tribes used naturally grown and nutritious Spirulina as a staple food crop.  In the US, the modern industry began in the 1980s when Cyanotech began growing photosynthetic algae in an open pond in Nevada. Cyanotech is now a publicly traded company with operations in Hawaii. Since the 1980s, mass cultivation of photosynthetic algae has grown into a billion dollar global industry. In 2024, it is more common in India, China, and Europe than in the US. 

Cultivation technology has evolved from manmade open ponds - also known as 'raceways' - to closed, tubular photobioreactors (tPBRs). Closed tubular photobioreactors offer 3 key advantages over raceways: (1)prevention of contamination, (2)control of culture conditions, and (3)increased Photon Surface Area (PSA) to boost productivity. In parallel with the development of cultivation technologies, the downstream processing methods are also improving.