Founders Story
Joe Milani
Founder
For Joseph Milani, health, innovation, and sustainability have always been more than ideals; they’ve been a way of life.
A lifelong natural health enthusiast, Joseph was the kind of person who always showed up with the latest powders, herbs, and remedies to keep his family and friends feeling their best. A triathlete in his younger years and still an avid cyclist and gym-goer at 64, his passion for staying active has been the thread running through his personal and professional journey.
That journey began in Portland, Victoria, where in 1991 Joe founded Southern Canning Pty Ltd, pioneering heat canning and flexible pouch processing of premium Australian seafood. Over the next four decades, he became a recognized leader in global food canning technology, with companies around the world seeking his expertise. His reputation for innovation was further cemented in 2020 with the launch of the TWELVE abalone brand, a premium Australian export celebrated for its quality and craftsmanship.
But for Joseph, food was always more than nutrition, it was medicine. That conviction led him, in 2017, to establish Southern Ocean Biotech Pty Ltd with a bold new vision: to unlock the therapeutic potential of Australian abalone. In partnership with CSIRO, Australia’s national science agency, and the Fisheries Research and Development Corporation (FRDC), Joe spearheaded the research that led to Abagen®, the world’s first patented abalone-derived bioactive peptide. Clinically proven to have powerful anti-inflammatory effects, Abagen® is a scientific breakthrough built on both tradition and innovation.
For Joseph, the creation of Abagen® is a full-circle moment, transforming a lifetime of passion for natural health into a legacy product with the power to help people stay active, recover faster, and live well at any age.
Today, Abagen® stands as the culmination of Joseph Milani’s 44 years of expertise, his entrepreneurial spirit, and his unwavering belief that nature, when paired with science, holds the key to human health and vitality.
In front of our Portland factory stands the Southern Ocean Biotech signboard, a simple marker of a bold dream. When Joe founded the company in 2017, it was with a singular purpose: to create Abagen®. Unlike his earlier ventures in food canning and exports, this was not just another business—it was the realization of a long-held vision to dedicate an entire company to unlocking the healing potential of abalone. Every brick, every piece of equipment, and every process within the facility was designed around that mission. The sign is more than just a nameplate; it represents Joe’s determination to transform a lifetime of experience into a legacy of health innovation.