FreezeM is developing a novel technology for large-scale insect freezing to improve the use of insects as protein source for animal feed.
Our products will enable overcoming some of the major limitations of using insects as protein source, including availability, cost and regulatory limitations.
Meet the black soldier fly (BSF)
Black soldier fly larvae (BSFL) are an excellent source of sustainable protein for aqua culture, animal feed, and pet and human nutrition. First, they are rich with nutrients: The nutritional content of the Black Soldier Fly Larvae flour is extremely high – 40% protein and 46% fat.
Second, No additional water is required for their large-scale rearing. Third, they grow rapidly on organic waste. And forth, they do not oppose any environmental threat: the BSF is not considered a pest or a vector for the spread of disease.
INSECT PROTEIN PRODUCTION LIMITATIONS
There are several limitation with the current process of insect protein production
Large scale rearing of adults flies
Continuous and large-scale growing of flies on each site is required.
Adult fly growth constitute 50% of the total factory cost.
Logistics
transporting tons of organic waste to the factories. Generation of 1 ton larvae flour needs 10 tons of organic waste for feeding.
Our Patent Pending Solutions
We, at FreezeM, freeze insects. We are developing novel methods for revivable freezing and defrosting of beneficial organisms. By freezing the fly eggs we are able to pause its life cycle. This enables us to create for the first time stocks of frozen insects which can be supplied worldwide upon demand
Our products include
Freezing the BSF
We are developing novel methods for freezing the fly eggs and condensing them in large quantities for easy defrost on organic waste. The defrosted eggs will develop into larvae which will eat the waste and rapidly increase their mass. The grown larvae will be harvested and processed into protein meal. We are utilizing two different approaches for enabling the freezing and defrosting of the fly– one approach is based on a chemical protocol and the other on manipulation of the fly metabolism
Insect Bomb
The frozen flies are tightly packed in a “bomb” which can be shipped worldwide to organic waste concentrations. There, upon demand, the eggs will defrost and develop into larvae.
Road Map
We plan to apply our technology on other insect species which are used either as biological control agents or as a protein source for the food industry
Our Team
VP R&D and Co-Founder
Yoav Politi
B.Sc in biology with an emphasis on biotechnology, Tel Aviv University. M.Sc. and Ph.D. at the Weizmann institute, studying the paternal mitochondrial degradation after fertilization in the fruit fly Drosophila melanogaster. Expert in fly genetics and specialized in the earliest stages of fly development–embryogenesis.
CTO and Co-Founder
Idan Alyagor
BSc in life sciences in the special research program at Tel Aviv University. MSc and PhD at the Weizmann Institute of Science, studying neuronal remodeling during development in Drosophila melanogaster.
CEO and Co-Founder
Yuval Gilad, PhD
B.Sc in biology with an emphasis on biotechnology, Tel Aviv University. M.Sc. and Ph.D. at the Weizmann institute, studying protein-protein interactions within the programmed cell death network. Co-founder of Biobuy.co.il, Work experience at Matrix Ltd.
Get In Touch
Contact us for collaborations, questions or just to say Hi
Our Offices in Israel :
Nachshonim, Israel
Email: Yoav@freeze-em.com
Phone: +972-52-3589060
This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement No 866903.