The search for new natural sources of hydrocolloids with stabilizing, thickening, and good binding capacity, from raw materials that are environmentally friendly and that contribute to the circular economy is a challenge for the food industry. The aim of the study was the preliminary characterization of a spray‐dried hydrocolloid from high Andean algae Nostoc sphaericum. Four eco-types of algae from Peruvian high Andean lagoons located above 4000 m were considered. The samples were collected in the period March—April 2021 and were subjected to a spray drying process in an aqueous medium. The characterization showed that the dehydrated nostoc ecotypes presented high protein and carbohydrate content, making it a potential material for direct use as a functional food for humans. The spray‐dried product presented good stability for its use as a hy-drocolloid, with zeta potential values (ζ), around 30 mV, evidencing the presence of ‐CO‐, ‐OH, ‐ COO‐, and ‐CH groups, characteristic of polysaccharides, representing 40% of total organic carbon on average, giving it low water activity values and particle size at the nanometric level. Major min-erals such as Ca (>277 mg/100 g), Mg (>19.7 mg/100 g), and Fe (>7.7 mg/100 g) were reported. Spray-dried nostoc is a hydrocolloid material with high potential for the food industry, with good nutritional content and techno‐functional behavior.