Protix

Headquartered in the Netherlands, Protix holds a dominant market position in producing circular, natural, and sustainable ingredients derived from insects. The company specializes in breeding Black Soldier Fly larvae, which are nourished with organic waste from the food industry. Subsequently, these insects are transformed into sustainable ingredients, such as proteins and lipids used in feed for livestock, fish, and pets as well as fertilizer. Protix has established the world's first industrial insect facility, providing a foundation for a wide range of certified applications in both feed and food production. According to DIL Life Cycle’s Assessment in 2022, Protix’s products recorded a considerably lower environmental footprint than common alternatives such as soy protein concentrate, palm kernel oil, or fish meal. 

As of October 2023, Protix had a portfolio six products: ProteinX (insect-based protein meal suited for pet food and fish feed), LipidX (insect oil used in for feed for livestock, fish, and pets), PureeX (fresh insect meat used for wet and dry pet food and snacks), Flytilizer (processed insect frass), and Black soldier fly eggs and OERei (live larvae replacing soy as the protein source in chicken feed).

Protix received the Technology Pioneer award from the World Economic Forum, and, in 2020, the Erasmus Centre for Entrepreneurship nominated the company as the fastest-growing Dutch company with a social mission. Protix was also recognized as the most innovative Dutch company and won the Dutch Innovation Award in 2020.

Key customers and partnerships

Protix’s collaborations have resulted in joint ventures, consortiums, and premium quality products to bring the food system back into balance with nature. The company partnered with Yora , a manufacturer of premium pet food using black soldier fly larvae as the main protein source, to deliver a broad insect-based line-up. The company also joined forces with Oceanloop to develop a new sustainable feed especially for land-based shrimp. In J anuary 2023 , Protix teamed up with Dutch shrimp importer Klaas Puul B.V to supply sustainable shrimp to supermarkets in Europe. The company is also part of a consortium of Dutch poultry chain players, which joined forces in a public-private partnership in June 2022 to evaluate insects as a source of protein in poultry diets. In October 2023 , Tyson Foods , a leading protein food company, acquired a minority stake in Protix and formed a joint venture to establish a US-based insect ingredient facility serving the pet food, aquaculture, and livestock sectors.

Funding and financials

In its latest funding round in February 2022 , Protix raised EUR 50 million in private equity, with participation from impact investors such as the European Circular Bioeconomy Fund, BNP Paribas, the Prince Albert II Foundation, and The Good Investors as well as existing shareholders such as Aqua-Spark, Rabo Investments, and Invest-NL. The funds were to be used for further international expansion and ground-breaking R&D.

Further, in January 2024 , the company secured a loan agreement providing access to an additional EUR 37 million (~USD 40 million). The funding was provided by The European Investment Bank and backed by the InvestEU program. Protix intended to use these funds to construct a new production facility in Poland to support its global rollout plan.