Insects are making their way to your plate! And not just as a quirky addition to your salad — they’re the protein source of the future, and Maltento, a South African GreenTech company, is leading the charge. Using Black Soldier Flies (BSF) larvae, Maltento is converting organic waste into protein-rich biomass, which can be used for aquaculture, livestock, and pet food production. The best part? It creates a circular economy, minimizing waste and maximizing resources.
Located in a modern production facility near Cape Town, Maltento breeds and processes the BSF larvae, which are sold in various forms — wet, dried, or hydrolyzed — as a protein source or palatability enhancer in animal feed. But the startup isn’t stopping there. With the help of DEG’s Up-Scaling programme, the company has received a co-financing of 788,000 USD, allowing them to double their production capacities and install additional growth chambers for the larvae. They’re aiming to breed over 100 tonnes of larvae per month in the near future.
read also Ghanaian Vice President Bawumia Commissions Multi-Purpose Technology Hub in Akim Oda
Maltento is one of eleven companies that received co-financing through DEG’s Up-Scaling Programme in 2022. The programme is geared towards early-stage SMEs operating in GreenTech or FinTech sectors, with a focus on investments in developing and emerging-market countries. So not only is Maltento leading the way in sustainable protein production, but they’re also a shining example of innovative entrepreneurship and investment in Africa.
Charles Rapulu Udoh
Charles Rapulu Udoh is a Lagos-based lawyer, who has several years of experience working in Africa’s burgeoning tech startup industry. He has closed multi-million dollar deals bordering on venture capital, private equity, intellectual property (trademark, patent or design, etc.), mergers and acquisitions, in countries such as in the Delaware, New York, UK, Singapore, British Virgin Islands, South Africa, Nigeria etc. He’s also a corporate governance and cross-border data privacy and tax expert.
As an award-winning writer and researcher, he is passionate about telling the African startup story, and is one of the continent’s pioneers in this regard