Dreams come true when you put them into words and take that first step. ——Mitsuru Izumo (President, Euglena)

Euglena holds the power to solve the world's challenges

"To make people and the Earth healthy with Euglena." It was with this grand dream in our hearts that we founded Euglena in 2005. The origin lies in a reality I witnessed in Bangladesh during my first year of university. While grains could be harvested, balanced nutrition was unattainable. One in four children suffered from malnutrition, which led to illness and ultimately high mortality rates. At age 21, still strongly driven to change this reality in the poorest nations, I had a fateful encounter with euglena.

With children during my first visit to Bangladesh (August 1998)

Euglena is a type of algae, like wakame or kombu seaweed. It's a very rare organism possessing both the characteristic of plants—photosynthesis—and the characteristic of animals—the ability to move through water. Though only 0.05 millimeters in size, it holds immense potential to solve various problems facing the Earth, such as food, environment, and energy. In addition to 59 nutrients found in both plants and animals, it also contains a unique component called paramylon, which adsorbs oils and other substances.

In fact, nutritional deficiencies aren't limited to developing countries. Even in Japan, many people consume enough calories but suffer from nutritional deficiencies. While it's recommended to eat 350 grams of vegetables daily, few actually meet this target. Fewer people eat fish too, citing reasons like messy kitchens, lingering odors on clothes, and difficulty preparing it. Young people are also clearly deficient in important unsaturated fatty acids like docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). Telling such people to "eat fish" just gets a "But it's hard to eat!" response. Well then, isn't Euglena yogurt a good option? It contains DHA too.

Currently, beyond these nutritional applications, we are advancing research toward commercialization as a biofuel for jet engines, with cooperation from airlines. Expectations are high for this groundbreaking eco-energy that doesn't increase atmospheric carbon dioxide.

Mentors and Anchors: Essential for Chasing Dreams

Looking back, I've overcome numerous hurdles. The struggle to achieve the world's first successful large-scale outdoor cultivation of Euglena. The days when, despite finally succeeding globally and completing the supplement, it simply wouldn't sell. And the crisis of running out of funds. I'm not naturally someone with particularly strong willpower or a natural leader. I was able to overcome these hardships precisely because of the presence of my "mentor" and my "anchor."

My mentor was Professor Emeritus Nagayoshi Hisa Nakano of Osaka Prefecture University, a leading authority in Euglena research. Before founding the company, I barged into his office and made the unreasonable request, "Please tell me everything you know about your research to date." In response, he introduced me to nearly 100 researchers across Japan. He is a profoundly significant figure, a spiritual mentor whose impact cannot be fully expressed by the word "benefactor" alone. I didn't want to embarrass such a mentor. I felt I absolutely had to succeed to avoid disappointing him. Keeping that resolve in my heart meant that no matter how difficult things got, I could always find the strength to think, "I'll push through for one more hour."

The other anchor is like an anchor that holds my heart steady. Whenever I see it, it always reminds me of my starting point. That's why an object, rather than a person, is better. My anchor is a blue T-shirt I bought in Bangladesh during my student days. I keep it in plain sight in my closet. When I get dressed in the morning, I remember the children of Bangladesh and tell myself, "Right, I have to push through today too," spurring myself on.

If "correct understanding" exceeds 50%, Euglena will spread rapidly

Nearly ten years have passed since our founding, and thanks to everyone's support, our business has progressed steadily. However, it's also true that accurate understanding of Euglena hasn't fully taken hold yet. Surveys show that less than half of people know about its attributes and health benefits. The rest either don't understand it well or have images of caterpillars or green worms. Our current challenge is how to push awareness and understanding beyond the 50% mark. We believe that if awareness and understanding increase by just another 10%, positive feedback will kick in, rapidly spreading it to 100%. To achieve this, we need to appeal not only from a scientific perspective but also to people's emotions. Whether it gains recognition like lactic acid bacteria is now the most critical moment.

People often remark, "You really started a venture, didn't you?" In my view, ventures or startups aren't something you begin only when everything is perfectly prepared and ready. Yet, for some reason, many people say things like, "I'm preparing to start a business," or "I'm studying to become an entrepreneur." If I differ from others, it's on this point. At the founding stage, the mass cultivation technology for euglena wasn't complete, and I had no investors. I started, struggled through, and somehow made it to where we are now. I don't possess any extraordinary ability to chase dreams. If I had to put it into words, it's not about waiting until everything is perfectly prepared before acting; it's about acting first. Then, with a mentor and an anchor, you can surge forward. Even if you feel embarrassed or overwhelmed, you should voice your dream first. Put it into words and take that first step. It's no exaggeration to say that this is the essence of realizing your dreams.