How agricultural waste can become sustainable protein and fertiliser

Two years ago we set up InsectBiotech SL.

We saw an opportunity to make a serious dent in agri waste streams, make money and drive sustainability innovation, which seems needed.

In short, we've worked out how to take olive and other waste, treat it, and transform it into feed for Black Soldier Fly larvae. These larvae grow pretty big, and when harvested every couple of weeks, are an amazing protein and fertiliser source.

How does this work? Well, we collect the waste from a mill we work with, we treat it so it becomes digestable. We feed to to the larvae. They poo fertiliser, lots of it, and then we harvest them for their protein and nutrient content.

There's more, of course, but articles can't be too long.

And there's a fair few bullets below, on where we are, and what need to make this work, at SCALE.

So please do us, and the world of a waste, a favour.

'Like' this post, forward this, and if you want, support us.

We still need some seed investors.

Maybe you, or someone you can can be one of them?

The basic headlines are:

• We’re a purpose driven ‘waste to value’ B2B start up making high value protein, oils and fertiliser from agricultural residues/waste in Spain.

• Our products and operations offer HUGE CO2e reductions for the petfood, olive, aquaculture and livestock supply chains.

• We’re moving fast: We’re close to starting our Series A raise and have found the feedstock suppliers and factory build suppliers to be online with a major factory within two and a half to three years.

• We’ve found the largest collection of feedstock in Europe in one place (olive waste in Spain, 4.8m tonnes a year)

• We’ve worked out how to convert that waste (at 80%, 20% waste carbs from beer, bread etc) into protein and fertiliser.

• The pre-treatment is the key, and we’ve run 100 trials already, and have extraordinary results re conversion rate.

• We’re using Black Solider Fly larvae to bio-convert this pre-treated olive waste into the high value protein, oils and fertiliser.

• The protein (milled, ground, frozen or dried larvae) is a nutritious, low carbon, regenerative ingredient for petfood, aquaculture and animal feed.

• The fertiliser (called Frass) is a biogenic, regenerative, soil health enhancing, low carbon fertiliser ideal for agriculture.

• We’ve got two production units running, one at the University of Granada, with six scientists working on it.

• The second is at an olive oil mill nearby, to further test pre-treated feedstock for optimal larvae growth.

• Our ‘secret sauce’ is the pre-treatment, using natural products/options, to make the waste deliver the larvae growth and nutritional profile that we need.

• We’ve raised significant seed capital, and looking for more, to complete our trials and prepare for series A raise.

• We aim to build a 10,000 tonne PA facility near the olive waste, by 2026/7. There will be a lot of matched funding/grants/debt in that raise.

• We’ve also found two very well located sites for factories and are in the process of securing these sites for development in 2025/6 when our series A funding is secured

• Right now we are about to confirm some local investors on board in Spain for the seed round completion. But we need some more seed money, so looking to find more high net worth investors/Angels/Family offices, in Spain or anywhere else.

• We are filing patents for IP protection in 2024, and locking in feedstock suppliers long term with joint venture approaches, which are being set up now.

• We have developed excellent relationships with government, had grant and loan approval already and the Andalusia authorities are excited to be supporting us

• We’re a finalist at this event in July, and will use it as a major fundraising platform: https://alhambraventure.com/las-startups-finalistas-de-alhambra-venture-2024/

If you've got this far in the post, you must be somewhat interested, and please do get in touch if you want to know more. Thanks for reading.