- 1.4 billion tons of food is wasted every year--
40% before it's touched human hands.
Human population is rising rapidly.
And local food, especially protein, is a massive problem.
So I thought if somehow we can convert pre-consumer food waste
into protein, we can offer a sustainable
solution for both problems.
As a biologist, I found a way and created Naturansa.
Naturansa produces the next generation protein
from a specific edible insect, by converting
food waste into fertilizer.
We begin by placing the insect in a specially
designed hatchery that provides the optimal egg production.
Then we place to ground food waste and insect eggs together
in another specially designed incubator
that accelerates the insect growth and food decomposition.
Then the output is filtered.
Insects and the compost food are now fertilizer,
and the fertilizer is ready for market.
And we dry and grind the insect into protein powder,
which is ready for consumption.
This technology makes our revenue model revolutionary.
Companies pay us to get rid of their food waste.
So we get revenue by taking our raw material
and by selling our insect based protein
powder and the fertilizer.
In our production system is exponentially more efficient
than any protein sources.
It needs minimal water and land.
It requires zero grain, and almost
produces zero carbon emission.
Our product has two times more protein,
100 times more calcium, and four times more phosphorus
than regular meat.
Since the same protein sources are used for pets and humans,
it's a $70 billion market, and easy to access due to low
regulations.
We launched our first product in May
for reptile, fish, and bird.
We have over 100 customers, and our revenue
is doubling every month.
To grow our B to C customers, we work with influencers.
And we also have pet shops as are B to B partners.
But our big vision is producing much
healthier, and more sustainable protein sources for humans.
Though Western countries are slow to adopt,
there are over 2 billion people in the world
already eat insect.
By last year in Europe, edible insect became legal.
Because everybody is more aware of the fact
that we need alternative protein source.
There are other alternatives, but they
are cost prohibitively expensive to compare with regular meat.
Like, plant based protein is resource intensive.
It fails to provide enough nutrients.
Artificial meat is in pre-market stage, and not scalable yet.
There are crickets.
But because of their length of life
cycle and also a limited diet, they are especially costly.
Our revenue model is revolutionary,
and our product advantage is, but also our roadmap is.
There is $90 billion market, which is rich in protein.
In just the protein supplement market in the US
alone, is $20 billion.
And the fact that there is no need for FDA,
it's an easy market to start with.
So we first target three initial customer segments.
One is athletes, who already use whey protein
additional to their diet.
And there are renal and cancer patients-- they
cannot digest regular meat.
And so they need other alternatives.
And there are many people who are
allergic to regular meat, cannot consume diet products, as well.
So they need alternatives.
This started two years ago with 100 [INAUDIBLE] grant.
And we were accepted by UC Berkeley Growth
Circuit accelerated program.
And I personally graduated from Draper University program.
We have an office in San Francisco,
as well, thanks to our present investment.
And the most exciting part, is Draper
is now building a biotech lab for us
to build our first prototype.
We are expanding our production line in Turkey, to export
it to United States and Europe.
Our team consists of scientists and engineers
from different fields, but with the same vision
of making Naturansa the leader of alternative protein food
market.
We have advisors, both from Turkey and the United States,
including dietitians and doctors.
Our results are tested by certified labs.
The protein powder, tested.
And then our results--
also approved by biotech engineers, food engineers,
and the species that we produce is approved as edible by FAO.
So join [INAUDIBLE] to suspend the growing world population.
Thank you.
You can start with the cookies that is made of protein powder.
- OK.
So judges-- before we get to the questions,
does anyone want to try it out?
You're not required.
- I don't mind.
- Thank you.
These are also made of just fruit.
So if you have any--
- Fruits and dates.
- --intolerance of gluten or something--
- How very practical to make.
- Thank you.
- If you like gluten free, the fruits and dates.
- These are judges who take their jobs very seriously.
This is good.
- It's bugs.
- Only fruits, these ones.
- Let me try it.
- All right.
Ziad, what do you think?
How does it taste?
- Very, very good. - They left the best for you.
- Sure. I'll take it.
- Honestly, one of the best cookies I've had.
- Wow, OK.
- One of the best?
- Thank you.
- Taste test is done.
Let's launch into questions.
- It tastes good, though.
- Unless you had an additional thought.
- Yeah.
No, it tastes quite well.
Just have a question.
Is it all right I have a question?
- Please.
- So obviously your main challenge
is you're going not only as a startup,
but you want to change the perception of insects
apart from specific countries or regions.
It's not wildly common in Europe or the US.
So what do you expect to be the main challenge in terms
of marketing to an audience that is inherently at first going
to be reticence to try it out?
- Yeah, that's a very good question.
So that's why we started with the pet food market.
But at the same time, we first targeted the initial market,
which are athletes.
And they only use whey protein, which damage their health.
And they can actually find alternative,
but they complain about their stomach ache,
and stuff like that.
And also, there are many people who are allergic,
so they need something different.
And also, there are over 2 billion
people who already eat insect.
And also, you know, the number of vegans are increasing.
And this new thing it's called entomo-vegan, so people think
that while we are planting we already kill insects,
so why not eating them?
So they started to eat insect, as well.
- You mentioned other protein alternatives
being cost prohibitive.
What's the difference in terms of your unit
economics versus some of those alternatives?
You mentioned Memphis Meats, and these will be chick pea based
for soy based or whatever.
What does your business model look like versus those?
- Very good question.
So first of all, we don't really compete
with the existing one, because they
are trying to replace the meat.
So they are doing this fake burger.
We don't make a fake burger.
Just want to target the people that produce more better
alternative protein source.
But the fact that it's not just reaching protein, also reaching
consume.
100 times more consume than regular meat.
Any of the protein sources has these advantages.
- So you mentioned also that there's already an existing
population that eats insects.
But you're looking at a market actually that is
not so familiar with that.
So why not enter a market where there's
already a lot of familiarity with insects as an edible item?
And what is the competition like there?
- Yeah, good point.
So we also think the marketing for people who already eat.
But also, we want to customize the protein
according to people's needs.
So who has allergic-- they don't much of a choice.
So that's why we--
there is a gap in that field.
So we want to just fill it.
- What about the existing companies--
the existing protein companies?
Why don't they suddenly start using the insect based?
What is their barrier to entry towards you guys?
- Can you--
- Existing providers that actually create protein powder
right now-- what's their barrier to entry to start creating
protein from insects, once that picks up and people
start accepting it as an idea?
- So our business model, when it comes
to protein bars or our product, we don't plan B to B.
- OK.
- If it was your question-- if I didn't misunderstand it.
- I think the biggest part is it took two years to replicate
what nature does, to get that type of insect
and have it produced at scale.
A lot of the large companies are using
alternatives from farms, and from meat,
even from meat leftovers.
So there will be a transition, we think,
towards insect based proteins.
And we're probably the first in market that makes it
as a technology defensibility.
We don't have patents, but we have intellectual property
that we keep as trade secrets.
So nobody knows how the process works except for a very
limited amount of people.
And because as I was a biologist and worked in science,
it has a huge advantage in building
up the portfolio of protecting and making it defensible.
- All right.
- You mentioned earlier that there's
already an existing market of consumers that eat insects.
But what about-- have you guys done the same type of product
or market research in the sense of,
or in terms of the decomposed food?
Because that part of it-- like, how do other people
feel about eating food that's already been decomposed,
mixed in with insects, as well?
Have you thought about-- have you
thought about that, as well?
Or what is the market telling you about that segment
of your product?
- Decomposed food?
- Yeah.
- So we charge the companies so much less than government
or the other companies.
Because we earn money.
I mean, it's all our own material.
We only need to earn money by selling our products
very high in the margins.
And also, there are many companies who
follow the zero based strategy.
It's a big chance for them, because we recycle for them
and they took advantage of it.
- And there are other companies who started with two protein
alternatives through insects.
But their focus is kind of replicating
what is in the market that looks like it.
We are approaching it from a protein powder perspective.
So we think it's going to be a differentiation point.
- Excuse me.
You mentioned you're expanding to USA.
Have you tried the expansion in the nearby countries before?
And how was acceptance before stepping the ocean?
- Yeah.
So--
- Answer quickly.
Answer quickly.
- OK.
So because almost half of the pet food market is in the US,
that's why the entered the US market.
But then what we realized was there
is no need for FDA for athletes--
a special whey protein market.
And they are very open to new alternatives.
We had many interviews.
So that's why it's time to go for it.
- All right.
Give it up for Naturansa!
[APPLAUSE]