Is spirulina the new kale? A Thai startup is bringing back the tiny green algae

EnerGaia is using the rooftop of a Bangkok Novotel to harvest spirulina, an algae some are calling the spinach of the future

The hot Thai sun is beating down on the rooftop of the Hotel Novotel Bangkok on Siam Square, in downtown Bangkok. There, a few dozen white barrels line the edges of the rooftop; inside, a bright green jam is bubbling in the heat. There's no smell - just the captivating sight of an urban farm harvesting spirulina, an edible green algae sometimes referred to as the "spinach of the future".

The Novotel's rooftop spirulina farm is the brainchild of EnerGaia, a Thai startup pushing the boundaries of urban farming. Saumil Shah, EnerGaia's 42-year-old director and founder, decided to invest in the microalgae business after reading an article about how carbon dioxide from an industrial facility could be used to grow algae.