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Rum & Sargassum at SEforALL Global Forum in Barbados

By SDSN Caribbean and Julianna Gil, Program Manager

On March 12 and 13, 2025, the Sustainable Energy for All (SEforALL) Global Forum was held in Barbados. It began with a high-energy pitch session inspired by the popular TV show “Shark Tank”. The session brought together three high-impact clean energy entrepreneurs, presenting to a panel of global investors and financiers. The judging panel included representatives from Lightrock, LeapFrog Investments, All On, and Bank of America, who evaluated each pitch on feasibility, scalability, sustainability, and impact.

Dr. Legena Henry’s Rum & Sargassum team presented their groundbreaking project, focused on turning invasive sargassum seaweed and rum distillery wastewater into biofuel. Rum & Sargassum’s pitch addressed two critical environmental challenges:

  1. The proliferation of sargassum seaweed along Caribbean coastlines has wreaked havoc on tourism and marine ecosystems.
  2. Over one million litres of wastewater are generated daily by Barbados’ rum distilleries.

The project utilizes anaerobic digestion to convert both waste products into a clean-burning biofuel, offering a scalable solution that can power electric vehicles, including Barbados' growing fleet of electric taxis. Beyond clean transport, the innovation supports local agriculture and aligns with national renewable energy goals, helping to boost climate resilience in the tourism sector.

Their standout solution earned Dr. Henry and her team the award for Best Shark Tank pitch in 2025. The prize also includes an exclusive mentorship with Lightrock, a leading global impact investment firm.

“The mentorship from Lightrock will be helpful in our scale-up efforts, as we are currently in discussions with a few serious potential funders on this phase of our development,” Dr. Henry shared after Rum & Sargassum’s win.

Rum & Sargassum’s win reflects the growing momentum behind Caribbean-led sustainability solutions. Dr. Henry’s project exemplifies how local innovation, when matched with global support, can address environmental challenges while driving economic opportunity.

To learn more about Rum & Sargassum, visit their website. Dr. Legena Henry is part of the University of the West Indies and SDSN Caribbean, which you can learn more about here.