Insects startups.

The tasty beef steak model is showing signs of fatigue, cows release too much methane which is considered a greenhouse gas like CO2. humans have to choose between a juicy meat meal and catastrophic flooding and drought due to climate change. The alternatives are abundant and the change is difficult but necessary, farming is expected to evolve, replacing cow farm with cricket farm and so on.

According to BITEBACK BIOTECHNOLOGY, the edible insect industry market is expected to be at almost 5 billion dollars in the next 6 years.

Brands are also looking for an alternative to vegetable oils. Palm, soy and sunflower oils have their side effects. They are in competition for soil and water needed elsewhere, insects oil is an advantageous solution because we can have oil with less resources.

A lot of startups in the agtech and biotech are exploring this interesting field, developing and selling: protein powders, oils, fertilizers, animal foods,... the most interesting case is the search for a animal protein source for astronauts or the future mars colony.

Cricket

On October 2021, Arch Grants published a press release announcing MIGHTY CRICKET as one of 2021 Global Startup Competition winners with $50k grant. MIGHTY CRICKET is a startup offering protein products from crickets:

- oatmeal made with oats and cricket powder,

- cricket flour,

- cricket powder

flavors and textures are reached through additional ingredients like: apple, cinnamon, coconut, chocolate.

Silkworm pupae

On the 22 February 2021, SASIN SCHOOL OF MANAGEMENT published a post announcing STAPLECT as the winner of 2021 scg bangkok business challenge Thailand competition with US$ 3,000 prize. They offer a cheaper and greener alternative protein powder made from silkworm pupae.

Black soldier fly

On the 01 June 2021, EIT FOOD published a post announcing NASEKOMO as one of the 16 new members of risingfoodstars association, they farm Black soldier fly to produce insect protein, oil and fertilizer for the feed and agriculture industries.

NASEKOMO is actually offering three products:

- aqua-feed ingredient powder for aquaculture,

- pet food ingredient powder for cats, dogs, birds, reptiles and ornamental fish,

- fertilizer from insect excrement for soil nutrition.

On the 7 October 2021, 100ACCELERATOR retweeted AB InBev EU announcing CHANZI as a 2021 cohort member with $100k investment, it's an insect protein startup, like NASEKOMO they also farm BSF and are actually offering three products:

- chanzi-whole,

- chanzi grinded,

- organic fertilizer.

We do not know about the cost of a tonne of chanzi but they are selling a tonne for about 870 US$, which make it a case of value creation from nothing or precisely from something that nobody wants: organic WASTE.

Insect oil refinery

On the 13 sSptember 2021, agfunder published a video on YouTube announcing BITEBACK BIOTECHNOLOGY  as a gogrow competition winner and one of 2021 grow impact accelerator cohort members with $200k prize, they developed a refining process to offer a better alternative to vegetable oils, their oil find industrial applications in pet care, animal nutrition, personnel care, food and energy. BITEBACK BIOTECHNOLOGY targets the largest palm oil consumers.

The best (amazing) for last: insect reactivation

On 20 October 2021, NASA published a press release announcing DEEP SPACE ENTOMOCULTURE as one of the winners of methuselah foundation's deep space food challenge competition with a $25k prize. Their production method involves a self-contained device designed to generate foods from insect cells. Dry-preserved insect cells will be transported into space, re-activated in a suspension bioreactor with simple ingredients, and used to produce muscle and fat biomass that emulates traditional meat products.