US$ 105 million raised by insect protein firm
AgriProtein, producer of insect derived products has raised a further US$105 million in funding, marking a new high in investor appetite for the insect protein sector.
The record raise by AgriProtein Holdings UK, together with additional local project finance for a series of factory builds in Africa, the Middle East and Asia, puts AgriProtein on track to deliver its ambitious factory roll-out plans. Jason Drew, AgriProtein co-founder and CEO, said: “This is a significant vote of confidence in a growth industry producing a sustainable protein for use in animal diets. It reaffirms our position as the leading up-cycler of waste-to-protein and brings us the financial resources for further global expansion.”
See waste differently
AgriProtein uses black soldier flies and their larvae to convert organic food waste into a high-protein alternative to fishmeal suitable for fish, poultry, pigs and pet food. The company, which won acclaim as the BBC Food Chain Global Champion 2017, is building a global business through its circular economy strategy: up-cycling organic waste to tackle the food security and waste disposal challenges posed by the world’s burgeoning population, while helping conserve wild-fish stocks in our threatened oceans. Jason Drew said: “We need to see waste differently – as a resource – particularly food waste. A growing population, scarce water and land resources, and declining natural fish stocks make this more critical than ever.”
Focus on aquafeed solutions
AgriProtein has fly farm projects under development across the world to produce its flagship product MagMeal™. The company has expanded its R&D capability, hiring new staff and building chemistry and genetics labs. It has also hired senior staff from engineering and waste management backgrounds to increase its project roll-out capacity. The company is focusing initially on the aquafeed market, where demand is increasing year on year to satisfy growing consumer appetites for farmed fish. Worth over USD 114 billion in 2017, aquafeed is predicted to grow by a factor of 2.5 in just eight years to nearly USD 290 billion in 2026. (Source: Reuters/MRC Stratistics, March 2018). Said Jason Drew: “There is simply not enough marine material left in the oceans to meet fishmeal demand in aquafeed, let alone in feed for poultry, pigs and pets. Along with algae and bacteria, new, disruptive sources of protein like our own are needed to close the feed gap and, in the process, help repair the future of the planet.”
What All About Feed has written about AgriProtein:
AgriProtein to build 20 fly farms in US and Canada
AgriProtein named as top UK business disruptor
First insect farm in Saudi Arabia
200 insect plants to speed up use of insect meal
Harvesting flies for animal feed wins innovation prize
Join 26,000+ subscribers
Subscribe to our newsletter to stay updated about all the need-to-know content in the feed sector, three times a week.
