Enjoy this message from our team at JellyCoUSA
Left – Peter Chiarelli, Ph.D. — CEO & Co-Founder
Right – Kelsey Stefan, M.D. — Chief Product Development Officer
The story of America’s only 100% U.S.-sourced jellyfish collagen
JellyCoUSA began in a research lab at the University of Georgia, where a professor and graduate student spent more than 7 years developing what would become America’s only 100% U.S.-sourced jellyfish collagen, SimplySEA™. In 2024, they co-founded JellyCoUSA to bring this technology to market.
PART I: WHY JELLYFISH? A HISTORICAL SUPERFOOD
Jellyfish have been consumed in Asia for centuries and are considered a superfood due to their high-quality collagen content. In Georgia, USA, cannonball jellyfish are one of the most abundant marine biomasses in the ocean and come summer, they wash up on the beaches completely wasted.
PART II: A STRUGGLING COASTAL ECONOMY
In the 1990’s, Georgia’s first jellyfish industry began shipping these jellyfish overseas. For the next 20 years, the industry grew into the state’s largest seafood fishery by landings, creating much-needed jobs in the off-season of shrimping; however, due to geopolitical tensions and rising costs, exports of jellyfish have completely stopped. Couple that with the shrimp industry being outcompeted by cheaper, imported seafood. The result? Many generational Georgia shrimping families have gone out of business.
PART III: RESEARCH TO MARKET
At the University of Georgia, Dr. Kevin Mis Solval and Dr. Peter G. Chiarelli asked a simple question: How can we create demand for these jellyfish and help struggling coastal communities? Since they are considered a superfood in Asia and Americans do not like eating jellyfish, they wondered if there was a way they could extract that collagen and turn it into something much less intimidating, like a powder.
That’s exactly what we did.
After 7+ years of research, SimplySEA™ Jellyfish Collagen Peptides was born: America’s ONLY 100% U.S.-sourced jellyfish collagen peptide.
The only problem was no one believed in it.
Bringing a completely new ingredient to market is not easy. Rather than waiting for someone else to take a chance on jellyfish collagen, we decided to pave our own path. To prove demand and showcase its potential, JellyCoUSA launched America’s first jellyfish collagen skincare product made with SimplySEA™ in December 2025.
PART IV: LOOKING AHEAD
Today, JellyCoUSA is not simply a skincare brand. We are a next generation American manufacturing company working to bring collagen production back to the United States for the first time in decades.
In a marketplace flooded with low-cost imports, we believe the best way to compete is not by being the cheapest, but by producing the highest-quality, scientifically backed products from a resource that is both unique and difficult to source throughout much of the world.
And it all starts from Georgia jellyfish.
MESSAGE FROM OUR CEO
I pray this story inspires you to out there and chase a dream that has a purpose and a higher calling. If you’re a student, never underestimate the potential of your work. Love what you do and importantly do not be afraid to fail. For when we are working for God above ALL else, you simply cannot fail. Redirected? Yes. But fail? No. There is a peace that transcends all understanding in that truth. Don’t quit. You got this.
God bless,
Peter G. Chiarelli, PhD
Follower of Jesus Christ
CEO & Co-Founder
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Whether you love the ocean and the coast, are a strong advocate for Georgia-Grown products, American manufacturing, or anything in between, ALL people are welcome to follow our journey @JellyCoUSA and join as we redefine what is possible with jellyfish.
