Finnish technology firm Volare has closed a €7.1 million funding round led by Springvest, with participation from returning and new investors including Maki.vc. The capital will fuel expansion of its insect protein production network across Europe and beyond. Volare transforms waste streams from the food industry into insect protein and oil through an automated system powered by black soldier fly larvae.

The company's flagship production facility, which opened in Pori in 2026, represents a watershed moment for the sector. Built within a €15 million budget inside a repurposed newspaper printing building, the plant can generate 5,000 tonnes of insect protein and 2,000 tonnes of insect oil each year. Much of this output is already committed through supply agreements, notably with Skretting, a major aquafeed manufacturer.

From lab to factory floor

Volare, established in 2021, has spent years perfecting its technology. The Pori facility marks a 1,000-fold jump in capacity from the demonstration plant where the company validated its process over four years of live operations. The factory operates with just four employees per shift and runs entirely on electricity.

According to the company, its production approach demands four to ten times less capital investment, roughly half the workforce, and 30% less energy consumption in final processing compared with competing insect protein systems. The protein meal itself achieves digestibility rates exceeding 90%, the firm states.

Scaling the model

Volare's next planned facility will have roughly five times the protein output of Volare 01. The company intends to roll out this production blueprint across Europe and other regions, positioning manufacturing operations near both raw material sources and end customers.

Volare 01 proves that our technology and production model work at industrial scale. We delivered the factory on schedule and on budget, demonstrating our ability to build production capacity cost-effectively and laying a strong foundation for further growth.

Jarna Hyvönen, CEO and Co-founder of Volare

Commercial traction

Volare has been selling insect-based ingredients commercially since 2022. The company's products have found their way into dog treats made with Alvar Pet, cat food from Dagsmark (part of the VAFO Group), rainbow trout feed through a partnership with Alltech Fennoaqua, and organic poultry feed formulations.

The broader challenge

Insect protein producers are working to displace conventional feed ingredients like fishmeal and soy protein. Yet the sector has struggled to achieve scale; high capital requirements and competition from entrenched protein sources have slowed progress for many firms in the space.

Volare's strategy draws on technology developed through research at VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland, paired with a strong emphasis on automation, energy efficiency and the reuse of existing industrial buildings. The company's approach appears to have cracked the cost equation that has challenged rivals.

Europe needs significantly more locally produced protein, and we have built a model that can deliver it efficiently and competitively. Our next step is to replicate our model from Finland and bring more local, efficient protein production capacity to Europe and beyond.

Jarna Hyvönen

Source: ArcticStartup