Future protein needs will likely be met by insects, both as a food source and a material for animal feed. Maltento, a GreenTech firm based in South Africa, is here to help.
The company is investigating the potential of protein production using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae. They use organic waste like agricultural by-products to produce protein-rich biomass that is used as feed for fish, livestock, and pets. An actual circular economy is born from this.
The BSF larvae are bred in the company’s state-of-the-art production facility near Cape Town. The larvae are dried, hydrolyzed, or used while still ‘wet’ as a protein source or feed additive to improve animal palatability.
DEG’s Up-Scaling program provided funding of USD 788,000 to help finance Maltento’s expansion of its business operations. The Up-Scaling expenditure has allowed the firm to increase output by a factor of two. Larvae growth chambers are being expanded right now. As a result, Maltento is working toward its long-term objective of producing more than 100 metric tons of larvae per month.
In 2022, Up-Scaling provided co-financing for eleven companies, including Maltento. The Up-Scaling Programme at DEG is designed to help grow small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the GreenTech and FinTech industries. All countries in the development and emerging markets are of interest. Funding for projects in Africa is the main topic.
