Every living organism on this Earth contributes to the betterment and the continuous cycle of the food chain in the environment. As a part of it, insects play an important role in maintaining the food cycle. They are used as decomposers either primarily or in secondary modes, they are very useful in breaking down waste, animal bodies, and plants followed by decomposition. Without this balanced process in the environment, there would be an accumulation of waste and unwanted material which would harm and pollute the surrounding and nature.
Insects play a vital role in the food web as well, as they account for a large part of the food to animals, fishes, birds, etc. This helps to maintain the balanced food chain of the environment, they are also the source of protein for species like fish, and poultry animals. Apart from all these, they are the best catalysts for pollination in plants, maintaining nutrient-rich soil, crop growth, and pest control. With all these activities they contribute greatly to maintaining the balanced ecosystem. In this article, we are discussing the journey of an innovative entrepreneur Leo Wein who has started the business with a different approach and makes use of insects as a main resource for multiple sectors.
Leo Wein: Founder & CEO
Leo Wein is a tech entrepreneur and the founder and CEO of a company called Protenga founded in the year 2016, which is an insect-based product manufacturing sector. Leo is a Singapore-based entrepreneur, he completed his Bachelor’s in International Business Administration at VU Amsterdam and Bachelor’s in Liberal Arts and Sciences from Amsterdam University College. During his college days, he worked as an Associate intern at Child and Youth Finance International, where designed and developed a website and maintained an online community platform along with many other works. After that, he was a Product Management Inter at TNG Technology Consulting and also worked as an intern for many other roles and companies. Then he was a Product Director for around 2 years at The Stakeholder Company and later worked part-time as a senior UX Consultant at the same time he was also CEO of Protenga.
Brief about Protenga
Protenga is an insect-based product manufacturing company that deals with making different products using insects. They developed a technology that is data-driven and which is based on insects that can be used in food for pets, feed for animal livestock, and as a nutrient-dense material for the better growth of plants.
The smart farm process of Protenga provides a smart solution to convert food waste into nutrition that is sustainable and high in quality. The key feature of this technology is to maximize the opportunity for food waste by using their fully developed material handling for electricity usage to manpower for the Sustainable Development Goals. The process involves the seedling from Protenga, a Smart Insect Farm with biomass, and finally the larvae along with fertilizer from Protenga. The Black Solider Fly Larve is used as the main source in the initial step.
The products from Protenga make the insect work for multiple uses like poultry, sustainable food products, and in helping the farmers. The Hermet protein is a meal for pets with high protein and quality, which is produced by processing The Black Solider Fly larvae. Hermet Oil is an insect oil that is for animal nutrition and helps in providing easy digestion of lipids for piglets, shrimp, and chicks. Hermit Frass is an organic fertilizer made from insects that helps resort and regenerate the soil to produce nutritional and healthy crops. YumGrubs is a pet food made from Hermet Protein and oil by blending with Asian-soured ingredients. It is the first product for dogs and is available in retail stores and on their website.
The goal of Protenga is to make the planet and people healthier by providing an SDG framework using insects and working toward sustainability for the food system, consumption, and production. Mr. Leo has made an innovative approach that makes products with a blend of technology and insects by realizing the value of insects in the food system and making potential use of them.