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Pigment-producing microorganisms and microalgae are quite common in nature. However, it is a long way from the Petri dish to the marketplace. Ten years ago, scientists wondered if such productions would be a scientific oddity or an industrial reality. The answer is dual as processes using fungi, bacteria, or microalgae already provide carotenoids or phycocyanin at an industrial level. Another product is peculiar as Monascus red-colored food is consumed by more than one billion Asian people; however, still banned in many other countries. European and American consumers will follow as soon as toxin-free strains have been developed. For other pigmented biomolecules, some laboratories and companies invest a lot of money as any combination of new source and/or new pigment requires a lot of experimental work, process optimization, toxicological studies, and regulatory approval. Time will tell whether investments in pigments such as azaphilones or anthraquinones were justified. Future trends involve combinatorial engineering, gene knock-out, and the production of niche pigments not found in plants such as C50 carotenoids or aryl carotenoids.