From olive waste to insect protein: Spain’s InsectBiotech raises €7.2 million for BSF plant
Spanish start-up InsectBiotech has raised €7.2 million to build a black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) plant in Andalusia that will run on a by-product the region has in huge supply: olive pomace, the pulp left over after pressing olives for oil.
Key facts
- Funding: €7.2 million, including Arcano Partners through the Impact Andalusia Innovation fund and international investors (announced August 2026)
- Capacity: Up to 7,500 tonnes of agricultural by-products a year, with production scheduled to start in the third quarter of 2027
- Feedstock: Olive pomace, bought on long-term contracts and pre-treated to improve digestibility
- Products: Protein for aquaculture, poultry, pig and pet food; insect oil for biodiesel; and frass fertiliser for vineyards and berry growers
Competing on price, not just sustainability
InsectBiotech, led by co-founders Ignacio Gavilan and Tobias Webb, says its feedstock costs can fall to about a quarter of standard wheat-based formulations, and the site will use solar power to cut energy bills. The company reports nearly a dozen letters of intent from potential customers.
One waste stream, three products
The plan illustrates a key BSF advantage: nothing is wasted. The larvae become protein and oil, and what they leave behind, frass, is sold back to farmers as fertiliser.
What it means for PNG
PNG has its own large, steady agricultural by-products, including coffee pulp, cocoa pod husks, palm oil residues and market waste. InsectBiotech’s model shows how building a BSF business around one reliable local waste stream can make the economics work.