João Navalho

João Navalho is Co-Founder and President of the Board at Necton, S.A., the oldest microalgae production company in the European Union, and President of the Board at AllMicroalgae – Natural Products, S.A. He is also Co-Founder and Vice-President of GreenColab. Actively involved in the development of the microalgae industry since 1991, João brings deep expertise in the practical aspects of microalgae production — from strain improvement to large-scale cultivation in raceway ponds, photobioreactors, and fermenters. His experience extends to downstream processing (DSP), product development, and navigating the regulatory challenges of bringing algae-based products to the EU market. An entrepreneur by nature, João has a strong track record in founding and managing algae companies in the highly regulated, conservative and innovation-averse EU business environment, demonstrating resilience and endurance in one of the world’s most complex markets for food, feed and biotech products.