The detrimental environmental impacts of meat production and livestock farming have spurred interest in insects, which are an effective sustainable food source. New companies in this sector are springing up all over the world. And to help you navigate this burgeoning market, we've compiled a list of the top 10 foodtech startups making food from edible insects.
Mighty Cricket (America)
Thanks to its ingenuity, Mighty Cricket can offer finely ground crickets in home-made flavoured protein powders, oatmeal, waffle or pancake mixes or chocolate bars. The company's products contain a significant amount of protein and nutrition without sacrificing balance and good taste.
Illegal Oats (America)
A young company called Illegal Oats has set out to get people to eat insects as a regular snack or breakfast. Their main concept is to add insect protein to granola. This company entered the market with the original idea and the hope of expanding the awareness of edible insects beyond just crickets.
Hey Planet (Denmark)
The Danish startup makes food products from mealworms and crickets. Their portfolio also includes protein bars and other snacks made from dried and ground edible insects.
BeoBia (UK)
This likeable startup originally from the UK has discovered a way for consumers to grow mealworm farms in their homes using food scraps. By emptying the leftovers into so-called pods, consumers can feed mealworms, creating a convenient supply of affordable, nutritious and sustainable pet food. Indeed, this method has great potential to revolutionise not only the processing of food waste but also the pet food industry.
Farminsect (Germany)
Farminsect's emphasis is on reinventing agricultural practices in insect production. Their technology allows farmers with no previous experience to quickly learn how to harvest insects efficiently. It also creates a closed cycle in which insect farming produces feed for livestock, which produce waste that can be used again for insect farming. It therefore enables farmers to have a self-sufficient and sustainable process.
Innovafeed (France)
This is a biotechnology startup dedicated to the production of a new source of protein from insects, especially therefore for aquaculture and animal feed. Innovafeed is able to provide sustainable and natural protein for the fish farming industry at a competitive price.
Protix Biosystems (Netherlands)
This company breeds black fly larvae and then processes the necessary proteins and lipids from them. These nutrients are then used by customers as additives in fish and animal feed. The company also claims that this method is more sustainable than fishmeal or soya.
Nasekomo (Bulgaria)
Nasekomo increases the production of farmed animals and their welfare by putting insects back on their diet. It is therefore a natural diet with nutritious nutritional values and immunity support. The company thus minimises greenhouse gas emissions and food waste.
Hexafly (Ireland)
Hexafly's insect farming is used to fertilise plants, feed fish and enrich food and medicines with protein. The products are purchased and used by a wide range of companies in the medical, feed, cosmetics, food and plant nutrition sectors.
Entocycle (UK)
Startup launched to raise insects as a sustainable alternative to fishmeal and soy, but also to stop the industrial plunder of nature. The company built a facility to breed black soldier flies. The flies are fed on food waste to create a sustainable insect protein.