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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Why it’s worth working with freelancers

After the economic crisis the whole system changed and it will never get back to what we used to know. That is a given fact, proven times and times again. Adapting to this new reality, that came with its pros and cons, business owners had to change the way they were thinking prior and enjoy the new possibilities it offers. For instance, really experienced people that decided to go on their own and try being freelancers or digital nomads or small entrepreneurs.

What does a business owner or a manager win by collaborating with freelancers instead of full-time job employees? We gathered some major points one should definitely take in consideration

Experience and affordability, working hand in-hand

While hiring a full-time employee comes with a lot of responsibilities and financial and legal hustle, outsourcing part of your services to freelancers offers the company the possibility to pay a smaller fee compared to one offered to a company or a full-time employee, for a more experienced, professional personal. A freelancer working remotely doesn’t have to meet lots of overhead costs. Additionally, freelancers generally cover their own health care and other such benefits.

Moreover, they worked on a variety of different businesses from diverse locations, which makes them really valuable in insights and know-how. Each client or job adds more experience to their craft, bringing more skills to their ever growing arsenal.

Flexibility

Flexibility in projects and in hours. As most of the freelancers choose this type of professional life due to the flexibility it offers them in arranging their time as they consider fit, choosing the projects they take on, it also offers them the flexibility in their approach to you, the business owner or company representative. The freelancer will be able to work, without complaining, at hours that the employees wouldn’t consider fit. At the same time, don’t forget that you can always choose to work with a freelancer that lives miles and continents away, therefore the flexibility running higher. Frankly, the main reason why many freelancers have opted to freelance is because they love setting their own working hours.

Freedom

Derived from the previous point, choosing a freelancers also comes with more freedom, both for you and the freelancer. Instead of engaging a full-time member of staff, you can conveniently work with an external resource person on a need basis. Engaging a specialized freelancer only project based or on a limit period of time will prove to be cost-effective and very lucrative.

Fast and great quality

For a freelancer the reputation is one of the main assets he / she possesses, therefore they will always be motivated and show a lot of initiative and interest in the project, doing a fast and great work, every time. They fully understand that it’s in their best interest when they remain reliable and exceed your expectations.

Adapting better to new trends and technology

As a freelancer one must always be up to date with the latest technology and not be surprised by almost anything in their field. Moreover, being an expert also brings the need to always learn, get more expertize and better oneself. Qualities that the employer will receive every time they contract a freelancer, without having to invest in employees’ specialization, workshops or other types of training.

Good experts in specific tasks

When looking for a particular skill or having a special need, a professional freelancer specialized on a certain field is the perfect answer to one’s problem. Your project only has to gain from this collaboration.

Their understanding of small and medium businesses

Freelancers understand better the way the small and medium businesses function and are able to offer them the right solutions to their problems and help them grow. Because they often work on start-up projects they pick up a lot about how to build start-ups properly and how things ought to be done. Agencies tend to work with bigger clients or established SMEs whereas the freelancer is more of a natural fit. After all becoming a freelancer is like starting your own business in many ways.

Inspiration at its best

Working remotely, from the middle of the forest, in top of a mountain or on the beach, wearing want makes him comfortable and not an “work outfit” makes the freelancer be a more inspired and creative person. And that will only benefit the work you are doing together.

Happy client, happy freelancer

Each time a project is finalized successfully and the client is happy, so is the freelancer that knows a good review will help him along in his career more than if he would have been just an employee.