This Start-up Sets Out To Feed The Planet

If you’ve seen Interstellar, the Oscar-winning movie, you were certainly fascinated by its story about a father travelling through time and space to save his daughter’s life and everyone else’s on the planet.

A second story runs in the background of Interstellar – a grim story: in the 2070s the world is dying of starvation.

To prevent this scenario from happening fifty years in the future, we need to act today.

This is what Hexafly is doing – finding innovative and sustainable ways to feed the planet.

Hexafly is a biotech start-up founded in 2016, in Ireland which offers a new raw material source to the Aqua feed, Chitin and Plant Nutrition industries.

This start-up was founded by Alvan Hunt (CEO), John Lynam (CTO) and Patrick McGarvey (COO).

They are all passionate about finding new and sustainable ways to feed the world by combining their knowledge of chemistry, entomology and biotechnology.

Up to date, Hexafly attracted a total funding amount of $2.7M.

Hexafly’s Vision

At Hexafly our aim is to bring an insect farming revolution to the world and find smart ways to feed the planet…

Alvan Hunt, CEO and Co-founder

The Problem

Hexafly says the industry is currently struggling with decreasing food supplies.

In the next few years, the exponential increase in demand for fish food will far exceed its supply.

The industry cannot meet these demands because of declining wild fish stocks, stricter fishing quotas, 300% increase in material costs.

The solution envisioned by Hexafly

To tackle the problem of diminishing food supplies, Hexafly proposes the sustainable farming of insects.

Through research and innovations, Hexafly developed the following products:

• Insect Oil

Insect Oil is a high-quality nutritional oil, of high-value to the Aquaculture and Animal feed market.

• Protein

Pure Protein intended as a fish feed additive for the Animal and Aquaculture Industry.

• Frass

A unique plant nutrition compound which provides an auto-immune boost to plants. It is a 100% natural fertiliser for the Plant Nutrition Industry.

• Chitin

A high-value bio-polymer with many uses in medicine, cosmetics and as a food additive for the Chitin Market.

Hexafly’s Mission

Hexafly’s mission has three directions:

1.Solve the aquaculture feed crisis

The shortfall in supply and demand is causing a substantial opening in the market for high-quality alternatives that are economically sustainable and of a higher nutritional value.

2. Develop novel chitin extraction methods

The start-up is developing novel chitin extraction technologies that are based on improving the efficiency of the standard chitin industry extraction methods.

3. Bring an insect farming revolution to the world

Hexafly is committed to bringing sustainable natural commodities to the aquaculture, chitin and plant nutrition industries. In doing so they are enabling green and clean growth for years.

Awards

The innovative biotech start-up won Gold at the 2018 National Start-up Awards and the Innovation Award at the 2017 National Enterprise Awards.

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