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§ Private Profile · Rome, Italy
Aquaculture feed developer creating sustainable protein alternatives from insects and microalgae for fish farmers.
Ittinsect, based in Rome, Italy, develops sustainable aquaculture feed by biotechnologically processing insects, microalgae, and agricultural by-products into high-performance protein alternatives to fishmeal and soy. The company has raised over €750K in pre-seed funding, including a €625K investment round, and aimed to deliver 1,500 tonnes of feed by the end of 2023. Investors include CDP Venture Capital, Katapult Ocean, and Indico Capital Partners, with acceleration from ZERO, a program involving CDP Venture Capital, Eni, and LVenture Group. Led by Alessandro Romano, the organization, comprising nine experts, focuses on transforming circular materials into nutrient-dense feeds for species like trout, sturgeon, sea bass, and salmon. Ittinsect was founded in 2021. Its business model centers on raises funding through pre-seed investment rounds, public grants, and awards to develop and scale production of sustainable feeds.
Ittinsect - Feed for the Ocean has raised $670K across 1 funding round.
Ittinsect - Feed for the Ocean has raised $670K in total across 1 funding round.
Ittinsect - Feed for the Ocean has raised $670K across 1 funding round. Most recently, it raised $670K Ittinsect - Seed in February 2023.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Feb 1, 2023 | $670K Seed | — | CDP Venture Capital, André Almeida Santos, Ross Brooks, LVenture Group | Announced |
Ittinsect - Feed for the Ocean has raised $670K in total across 1 funding round.
Ittinsect - Feed for the Ocean's investors include CDP Venture Capital, André Almeida Santos, Ross Brooks, LVenture Group.
Ittinsect – Feed for the Ocean is a biotech startup founded in 2021 that produces sustainable, high-performance aquaculture feeds using patent-pending biotech processes on novel ingredients like insects, microalgae, and agricultural by-products.[1][2][3] It serves European fish farmers raising species such as trout, sea bream, sea bass, sturgeon, salmon, and shrimp, solving the problem of overfishing by replacing traditional fishmeal with highly digestible alternatives that improve fish growth by 15%, reduce fat content by 7%, cut emissions up to 20%, and achieve a FIFO ratio below 1.[1][3][4] The company has raised over €750K in pre-seed funding from investors including CDP Venture Capital, Katapult Ocean, and LVenture Group, delivered 1,500 tonnes of feed by end-2023 to 22 farmers, and plans a pilot plant for 2,300-2,500 tons annually.[2][3]
Ittinsect emerged in 2021 in Rome, Italy, from a team of experts in fish nutrition, marine biology, biotechnology, engineering, and sales, united by a passion to protect the ocean.[1][2][4] The idea stemmed from addressing the aquaculture industry's reliance on fishmeal, which drives overfishing of 30 billion small pelagics annually; founders developed proprietary biotech treatments to boost insect meal bioavailability up to 8 times, mimicking fishmeal proteins via upcycling agricultural side streams and insects like black soldier fly larvae.[1][2][3][4] Early traction included lab-scale validation, small commercial batches, acceleration through ZERO (CDP Venture Capital, Eni, LVenture Group), public funding from Lazio Region, and a patent filing, culminating in €750K pre-seed raise and delivery of 1,500 tonnes of feed by 2023.[2][3]
Ittinsect rides the circular economy and alternative protein wave in aquaculture, a $200B+ market strained by fishmeal shortages from overfishing and climate pressures, where insect-based feeds could replace 30 billion small pelagics annually.[1][2][6] Timing aligns with EU sustainability mandates and consumer demand for low-impact seafood, amplified by post-2021 cleantech acceleration and impact investing (e.g., Katapult Ocean's focus on scalable digestibility).[2] Market forces like rising fishmeal costs and biotech scalability favor it, positioning Ittinsect to influence the ecosystem by enabling "profit from sustainability," expanding to livestock feeds, and validating via pilot plants—potentially game-changing as noted by investors.[2][3][4]
Ittinsect is poised to scale with its 2,300+ ton pilot plant, product expansions to salmon/tilapia, and continuous bioreaction validation, targeting broader EU adoption amid tightening emission regs and protein innovation trends.[2][3] Rising demand for FIFO<1 feeds and AMP-enhanced health benefits will shape growth, evolving its influence from niche trout/sturgeon supplier to mainstream aquaculture disruptor, fully replacing fishmeal at scale.[1][4] This biotech edge cements sustainability as the new profit driver in ocean tech.