Munich-based agtech FarmInsect bags €8 million to manufacture protein-rich animal feed from insects
Summary
The Munich-based company has developed an automated fattening system that allows farmers to manufacture protein-rich animal feed from insect larvae on their own farm. FarmInsect GmbH, which has its registered office in Bergkirchen near Munich, was established in 2019 by serial entrepreneurs Wolfgang Westermeier and Thomas Kuehn with the goal of making agricultural animal feed production more sustainable. Monika Steger, Managing Director of Bayern Kapital, commented: “One thing was clear to us even with our first stake around two years ago: Insect-based feed is a key part of the puzzle for sustainable and future-proof agriculture. We are highly satisfied with the collaboration to date and see a lot of potential for the future.” Inspired by the EU’s approval of insects as feed for livestock in 2017, food and agritech specialists Westermeier and Kuehn developed the concept for FarmInsect in order to replace the importing of soy and fishmeal with an environmentally sound alternative. The approach centres on the young larvae of the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), which the company breeds at its production site and which it delivers to agricultural operations on a weekly basis.