Entocycle, a London-based company, has recently raised €4.6M to advance the use of insect proteins for a more sustainable future.
The startup, which has the support of top athletes, now has plans to broaden the distribution of all of its products, from complete insect farm builds to insect breeding solutions.
Climentum Capital was the driving force behind the €4.6M Series A investment raise. It has financial support from ACE & Company, Teampact Ventures, Lowercarbon Capital, and well-known athletes including Antoine Dupont, Nikola Karabatic, James Haskell, and Antoine Brizard.
It is becoming more difficult to feed our fast-expanding population in a wholesome manner while coping with a lack of food supplies. It has become obvious that our existing eating habits and methods for supplying food cannot be maintained over the long term, and we urgently need to reconsider.
Modest insect has been recognized as a viable option as a result of this rising understanding, and the insect market is booming. Insect protein may hold the key to addressing environmental problems like soy-related deforestation, overfishing, and pollution from the release of agricultural waste into our rivers and seas, as well as enhancing food security.
Although the agri sector is still relatively young, it is expanding quickly, and UK-based Entocyle is making its presence felt. The firm, which intends to accelerate the production of insect proteins, just acquired further funds to launch its solutions, and several elite sportsmen are involved.
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“We’re fueling this rapidly expanding business internationally and aiding in the construction of a more sustainable and safe future for food and feed,” said founder Keiran Whitaker. Insect markets can truly take off now that we have the science and technology to unlock production efficiency.”
“We’re grateful that our investors are traveling with us on this adventure because they share our desire for a more sustainable food system that will enable the recovery of the natural world and the delicate ecosystems upon which we all depend.
Entocycle was established in 2016 to expedite the transition of the world to using insects as a sustainable source of protein. Large-scale food producers and waste management organizations may transform organic waste into high-value insect proteins, lipids, and fertilizers thanks to Entocycle’s “complete farm” design and construction service.
“We finally have a solution to decentralize and localize production, alleviate the global feed deficit, and speed the shift towards low-carbon alternative proteins, all at once,” says Yoann Berno, general partner at Climentum Capital. There is no better insect breeding technique on the market, so we’re happy to be in the lead.”
Yoann went on: “It would take years and millions of dollars to recreate the breeding solutions that Entocycle has developed for small farmers and large-scale waste managers.
Entosight™ Neo, the company’s main product, is a software and hardware bundle based on an optical sensor that tracks and gathers information on the well-being and productivity of a black soldier fly colony.
For improved feed conversion rates, lower mortality, and larger insects on farms, the Entosight™ Neo eliminates the need for manual human operations like weighing larvae, multi-step handling, and inaccurate counting.
With growing interest from large-scale food producers looking to secure protein supplies or waste management companies looking to upcycle organic waste into higher-value products like protein or lipids, the company has also developed a turn-key modular fly cage, a highly effective breeding system, and offers full BSF farm design, commission, and build service to new entrants to the insect industry.
The investment indicates a new phase in protein research, one that may have long-term environmental advantages. By 2050, the UK could substitute insect protein for 20% of its soy imports, according to a recent WWF study.
With this fresh capital, the company will now launch a range of goods and services to cater to both established insect businesses and up-and-coming players globally. Entocycle will also increase the team’s size from its present workforce of 21 as it works to commercialize operations and improve the marketability of its goods and services.
Image Credit: Entocycle
