11 Quirkiest Jobs That Will Be Billion-Dollar Industries by 2026 (Includes 4 Wildcards)

8. Bonus 1 — Seaweed Farming Commercialists (Wildcard)

Seaweed moves from coastal curiosity to sizable commodity when used at scale for food, animal feed, and carbon removal. Specialists who can manage large kelp farms, design processing workflows, and negotiate supply contracts are emerging. Statista and industry reports highlight growing demand for seaweed-derived ingredients and potential uses in carbon-credit markets. The field feels whimsical—ocean gardening meets industrial agronomy—but corporations and startups are piloting large-scale farms and processing facilities. Evidence includes startup funding rounds and corporate partnerships that appear in Crunchbase, along with government aquaculture programs supporting expansion. Regulatory clarity, logistics, and commodity pricing will determine whether seaweed farming reaches billion-dollar industry status by 2026 in particular regions. Current signals are promising for regional industry clusters, though global-scale, multi-billion-dollar outcomes would require rapid scaling beyond current public projections.