Even if insects don’t sound appealing to you, black soldier flies could play an important role in the food chain in the years to come. In particular, the larvae of these flies can be an important source of protein for livestock and fish.
That’s why Entocycle has raised an additional $5 million in Series A funding led by European climate-focused venture capital firm Climentum Capital. Lowercarbon Capital and ACE & Company also participated in the round.
Teamact Ventures is also investing in Entocycle. The new French venture capital firm is working with current and former athletes to invest in tech companies. In addition to donations, these sports professionals help startups with team-building advice and mentoring. In this case, Antoine Dupont, Nikola Karabatic, James Haskell and Antoine Brizard are investing in Entocycle.
While Entocycle has been around since 2016, the 21-person team will now attempt to commercialize its product. In particular, with this new cash infusion, Entocycle plans to iterate on its flagship product, the Entocycle Neo.
It is a hardware module that can be used in insect farms to monitor and collect data on the health and productivity of blackwater flies. The Entocycle Neo uses an optical sensor in conjunction with a software solution that analyzes the images and accurately measures yield.
By automating these processes, Entocycle hopes it can increase the productivity of insect farms. Using the company’s modules should lead to higher feed conversion and lower mortality.
Likewise, Entocycle has developed a fly cage with built-in climate control. The idea is that Entocycle could help companies in the food industry start using waterfly larvae to secure their protein supply.
This is the key to understanding the appeal behind Entocycle. Switching to insect-based proteins may indirectly reduce soybean production and imports, as well as deforestation. Larvae are a low-carb alternative because they can be produced anywhere. Insect farms can also fit into the waste management cycle, as black soldier flies devour food waste.
Image credits: Inner loop
