Unconventional start-up idea

Ecofly, a start-up from Upper Austria, uses insects to produce innovative feed for livestock. This is based on insect protein, which is widely consumed in the wild. The production process involves multiple stages and requires a very careful approach in each and every step. Ecofly’s founders have become specialists in this area and have now managed to convince investors from the Vivatis Group of their business idea’s merits. The start-up, which was founded in 2017 and is based in the town of Antiesenhofen, works on the specific aspects involved in researching, developing, and marketing innovative, automated insect breeding and processing systems for the production of sustainable feedstuffs.

The Ecofly team, led by CEO Simon Weinberger, uses the larva of the black soldier fly to upcycle proteins into high-quality feed in a targeted manner. Appropriate plastic trays are required to breed these larvae for fish feed in a multi-stage process. This is not a task Greiner Assistec’s plastics specialists are used to performing on a day-to-day basis, especially given that this is a completely new type of plastic product. The larva of the black soldier fly (BSF) is used for the upcycling of proteins into a high-quality feed product. Ecofly’s fly larvae are exclusively fed with feed-grade by-products from the food industry. This guarantees a stable process and prevents adulterants from entering the mix. No additional heat source is required for the production of the fly larvae, making the black soldier fly breeding process highly space efficient. Up to a metric ton of insect protein can be produced on a single square meter every year.

The Ecofly BSF protein is a high-quality protein source for fish and pets. In general, it stands out for its high biological value and excellent digestibility. More broadly, food production faces a variety of future challenges. The contrast between a well-functioning circular economy and increasing industrialization in the agricultural sector calls for innovative solutions. With this in mind, Ecofly’s technology can make a decisive contribution toward moving agriculture in a local and sustainable direction.

Ecofly knew exactly what it wanted for the breeding environment. The breeding facilities needed to span a total box-enclosed area of 10,000 m² , and there were also ultra-precise specifications for the individual trays. The aim was for only the edges of the trays to come into contact with one another in Ecofly’s shelving system. In addition, Ecofly wanted to have trays that were as large as possible yet still saved space during transport and could be stacked inside each other.

Greiner Assistec is now playing a significant role in Ecofly’s sustainable feed production technology – from component design to delivery of the mass produced trays in the agreed batch sizes. The CAD construction of the trays, moldmaking, and sampling have now been completed, and mass production has been underway at Greiner Assistec since the beginning of October 2020.