The European Startup Show

My guest today is Keiran Olivares Whitaker, founder of Entocycle, UK's leading insect farming company. Whilst travelling the world as a scuba diving instructor, Keiran witnessed first-hand the destruction our global food production system is having on our natural world. One day he quit his job and decided his life's mission would be to develop a more efficient and sustainable way to feed the world.

In this podcast, I will find out more about the wonderful world of alternative proteins and insect farming, Keiran’s views on deeptech vs SaaS when it comes to mindset and fundraising, and how he plans to scale Entocycle.

Show Notes

  • [1:42] How did you go from scuba instructor to insect farming?
  • [4:24] I don’t see insect protein based food in the market, why so much funding in this space?
  • [7:17] How do you actually do insect farming? What is the process of farming black soldier flies and creating proteins out of them?
  • [10:31] With the recent Covid pandemic, do you think the perception against meat has shifted? What does this mean for the future of insect-based proteins? 
  • [13:30] What does it take to be successful in this market?
  • [18:09] Funding journey: How does funding for deep tech ventures differ from SaaS funding?
  • [21:24] Advice for other entrepreneurs

Links:
Entocycle


What is The European Startup Show?

To inspire technology entrepreneurs in Europe with stories and practical strategies from other successful entrepreneurs.

If you are a CEO, founder, or work in sales or marketing, and your company is based in Europe or is looking to expand into Europe, then this podcast is for you.