Bühler and Entocycle partner to deliver end-to-end technology solutions to insect farms
Conceptualisation of an industrial insect breeding facility. Credit: Entocycle/Bühler
30 Aug 2023
Bühler, one of the world’s leading processing technology groups, and Entocycle, the UK’s leading insect technology company, have joined forces to drive the adoption of large-scale black soldier fly (BSF) farms. The companies will provide solutions and expertise to serve customers in this segment, covering the multiple steps of the journey, from concept and basic engineering to execution of BSF facilities worldwide.
The non-exclusive partnership creates a highly complementary offering, with Entocycle delivering proprietary breeding technology and Bühler bringing proven industrial-scale technologies in feedstock processing, larvae rearing, and product processing.
One of the challenges of the highly promising, emerging insect industry has been ensuring a steady supply of young larvae at an industrial scale. “While the pioneers in this industry had to develop their own technology out of necessity to ensure a robust BSF breeding, companies now venturing into this industry will be able to rely on a proven and scalable solution,” says Andreas Baumann, Head of Market Segment Insect Technology at Bühler. Although there are specialized breeding service companies in certain regions, in large parts of the world, there is no alternative to having an in-house breeding operation. With this partnership, Bühler and Entocycle address this challenge by offering scalable end-to-end solutions that significantly reduce the time to market for companies building an insect facility.
During the last ten years, Bühler has been developing its capabilities in the insect protein industry and has already completed a number of relevant projects in the field. In 2019, Bühler supported Protix in the realisation of the world’s first commercial BSF plant in the Netherlands and this year Bühler delivered Agronutris’ first industrial BSF plant in France.
“We are incredibly proud to partner with Bühler, a company with 163 years of illustrious history. Our team is really excited to work with Andreas Baumann and his team to deliver large-scale BSF facilities around the world and make the impact that we know BSF farming can make in creating a more sustainable and efficient global food system,” says Keiran Whitaker, Founder and CEO of Entocycle.
“The industrial use of BSF is rapidly gaining traction among businesses seeking alternative feed protein sources and more sustainable practices. To accelerate scaling this industry, we must contribute to lowering the hurdles for companies to enter this business,” says Andreas Baumann. “That is why we are very pleased to cooperate with the Entocycle team in future projects, as they share the same philosophy as Bühler in ensuring the quality and reliability of their solutions.”
“It’s going to be a great partnership, not only in the way that our businesses and teams complement one another in terms of respective skill sets and experience but also in the strong alignment of values around building a better and more sustainable world,” says Matthew Simmonds, Managing Director of Entocycle.
About Entocycle
Entocycle is the UK’s leading provider of insect farms and insect farming technology. Launched in 2017 by Keiran Whitaker, the company exists to accelerate a global transition to sustainable protein through insects, innovation and technology. The London-based company offers complete insect farm design and build services enabling new market entrants to convert organic waste into high-value insect proteins, fats and fertilisers. The company’s flagship product, the Entosight Neo, is a hardware/software package that improves counting and dosing efficiencies in existing black soldier fly farms. Entocycle has received notable press coverage from The New York Times, Forbes, The Guardian, BBC and Netflix as a leading voice in a rapidly-growing industry.
About Bühler
Bühler is driven by its purpose of creating innovations for a better world, balancing the needs of economy, humanity, and nature. As a relevant solution partner for the food and mobility industries, Bühler has developed a pathway to achieve a 60% reduction of greenhouse gas emissions in its operations by 2030, meaning Greenhouse Gas Protocol Scopes 1 & 2, against a 2019 baseline. It has committed to having solutions ready to multiply by 2025 that reduce energy, waste, and water by 50% in the value chains of its customers. Billions of people come into contact with Bühler technologies as they cover their basic needs for food and mobility every day. Two billion people each day enjoy foods produced on Bühler equipment; and one billion people travel in vehicles manufactured using parts produced with Bühler technology. Countless people wear eyeglasses, use smart phones, and read newspapers and magazines – all of which depend on Bühler process technologies and solutions. Having this global relevance, Bühler is in a unique position to turn today’s global challenges into sustainable business. Bühler contributes to safely feeding the world and is doing its part to protect the climate, producing solutions that make cars, buildings, and machinery more energy efficient.
Bühler spends up to 5% of turnover on research and development annually. In 2022, some 12,700 employees generated a turnover of CHF 3.0 billion. As a Swiss family-owned company, Bühler is active in 140 countries around the world and operates a global network of 105 service stations, 30 manufacturing sites, and Application & Training Centers in 23 countries.