Shift Browser Awards Second Annual $25,000 Impact Grant to PhyCo
Unrestricted funding will help the biotechnology company advance seaweed-based alternatives to agricultural plastics
VICTORIA, BC, Aug. 6, 2026 /CNW/ -- Shift, the world's most customizable browser, today named PhyCo™, a female-founded marine biotechnology company, as the recipient of its second annual $25,000 USD Shift Impact Grant.
PhyCo was selected for its work taking on the $100 billion agricultural plastics problem that is largely hidden from consumers. An estimated 70% of plastic in the food system comes from agricultural production, including mulch film spread across fields to protect crops. Once used, that plastic can be difficult to collect and recycle.
PhyCo is working to replace these materials with compostable alternatives made from seaweed. The company works with small-scale seaweed farmers in Indigenous and other coastal communities across Canada to build a responsible supply chain.
"Most people think food-related plastic starts at the grocery store, but much of it is used on farms long before food reaches the shelf," said Ranah Chavoshi, co-founder and CEO of PhyCo Technologies. "We started PhyCo to develop a soil-biodegradable, non-toxic and petroleum-free alternative from seaweed, working in partnership with Indigenous communities. The Shift Impact Grant will help us move that work beyond the lab and get a practical, compostable solution closer to the farmers who need it."
The idea for PhyCo began with a photograph.
In 2016, Ranah Chavoshi, a marine biologist, photographed severe plastic pollution near one of the world's best-known scuba diving destinations. The scene was far removed from the pristine coastline she expected to find, and the image stayed with her. Years later, during a COVID-19 lab shutdown, she began experimenting with seaweed-based plastic at her kitchen table. Chavoshi later joined forces with biotechnologist Dr. Stacey Goldberg to turn the experiment into PhyCo.
The grant follows a major step forward for the company. PhyCo recently completed the first phase of its international, production-scale pilot, testing its process outside Canada with a partner team in Portugal.
The pilot showed that PhyCo's process can work at a larger scale. The team improved its yields, reduced production costs and learned how to adapt the process for new regions. With support from the Shift Impact Grant, PhyCo will build on those results as it moves closer to commercialization and expands its work with coastal communities.
"Ranah and Stacey are tackling a massive environmental problem that most of us never see," said Neil Henderson, CEO of Shift. "The Shift Impact Grant is designed to give founders the flexibility to put funding where it can make the greatest difference. For PhyCo, that means introducing a promising seaweed-based plastic alternative to the industries that need it."
Created with support from Redbrick, the Shift Impact Grant provides unrestricted funding to startups, nonprofits and entrepreneurs in the United States and Canada working to solve environmental or social challenges.
Shift created the grant as part of its commitment to supporting technology that benefits both people and the planet. The company also offers carbon-neutral browsing through its built-in Carbon Meter, which helps users measure and offset the estimated environmental footprint of their browsing.
The inaugural recipient, FireSwarm Solutions, used its $25,000 grant to advance autonomous drones designed to operate inside wildfires at night and under conditions that are too dangerous for human pilots. Since receiving the grant, FireSwarm has been selected for NATO's DIANA 2026 Challenge Programme and recognized by Foresight Canada as one of the country's leading climate technology companies.
To learn more about the Shift Impact Grant, visit https://shift.com/impact-grant/.
About Shift
Shift is a customizable browser built to help professionals consolidate apps, manage multiple accounts and reduce digital overload. Designed for control, flexibility and transparency, Shift is redefining what the modern browser can be. As part of the Redbrick portfolio of companies, Shift is a Certified B Corp and a pioneer in carbon-neutral browsing.
Learn more at www.shift.com
Media Contact: [email protected]
About PhyCo
PhyCo™ is a marine biotechnology company based in Vancouver, BC, developing home-compostable, seaweed-based alternatives to petroleum plastics for agriculture. Co-founded in 2022 by marine biologist Ranah Chavoshi and biotechnologist Dr. Stacey Goldberg, PhyCo partners with coastal and Indigenous communities across Canada to responsibly source seaweed, targeting the 70% of plastic use that happens behind the scenes in food and agricultural systems. The company's mission is to replace petroleum-based plastics with compostable, carbon-negative alternatives that farmers actually want to use.
Learn more at www.phyco.ca
SOURCE Shift Technologies Inc.
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