The vertical farmer best known for its strawberries is also gearing up for its first international expansion via a new R&D center in Tokyo.
The fact Plantible has secured long-term offtake agreements and is able to scale in a modular fashion –scaling out rather than scaling up with proven tech—has helped build trust with investors, says its CEO.
While insect ag facilities are typically vertically integrated, Agroloop’s new BSFL facility near Budapest does not include a breeding unit, an operation it has entirely outsourced to FreezeM.
Insect waste (frass)—which contains nitrogen, phosphorus, and potassium—boosts soil health and provides a more balanced, slow-release nutrient profile than synthetic fertilizer, claims Innovafeed.
Aspire has “signed a term sheet” and is “working to close our financing at the end of the month,” says CEO David Rosenberg. “Demand still remains strong, but we have to scale up and produce consistently.”
Project will “provide capital to farmers in one of the poorest parts of the world through carbon credits,” says Uganda-based agtech partner NileOrbital Aerospace.
Loopworm is ramping up production at a facility in Bangalore capable of churning out 6,000t of silkworm and black soldier fly protein a year.
The startup aims to be fully scaled up at a 108,000sq ft facility next year, with production capacity of 3,500t of dry black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) protein and 9,000t of frass.
Phytoform utilizes gene editing to accelerate changes that might naturally occur through traditional breeding methods.
Plenty of commentators—and jaundiced investors—may query the economics of insect agriculture given the struggles of some high-profile players. But what about the touted environmental benefits? Is it a given that it is more sustainable to feed animals insect protein than, say, corn or soybean meal?
Antwerp-based FlyBlast has a stable black soldier fly breeding line that expresses human insulin “at very high yields,” claims CEO Johan Jacobs.
The firm started protein production in Amiens over the summer, but needs to secure more funding to get to a scale whereby it can “ensure profitability.”
The firm will use the funds to develop an industrial-scale facility and expand its team, says founder and CEO Douglas Martin.
“If you even mention the word algae, some investors start running for the exits, so we have to prove we’ve cracked it and that we can own it,” says founder and CEO Nick Hazell.
While burping ruminants are one of the leading sources of methane emissions, surprisingly small sums—just $233m according to AgFunder data—have been pumped into startups tackling the problem over the past decade.
Generate Capital recently invested $50 million in Grow Up Farms, which runs a renewable-energy-powered vertical farm in the UK.
Under the deal, CH4 Global will significantly increase the supply of its Methane Tamer supplements to CirPro and feedlot partners HB Rural and Mort & Co.
“For the first 100 tanks there, we have already sold all our product,” says founder and CEO Daniel Russek.
The tiny larvae are put in a state of suspended animation for up to 10 days without refrigeration, enabling insect protein producers to focus on rearing and processing.
Producing high-value proteins from genetically engineered black soldier flies is cheaper and more scalable than expressing them in engineered microbes via precision fermentation, claims Chilean startup ByBug.
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