The EU achieves only 34% self-sufficiency in protein concentrates (over 30% protein), leading to heavy import dependence. This vulnerability exposes the food system to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions, and price fluctuations. Volare addresses this challenge through its scalable, local production model that converts food industry byproducts into circular, insect-based protein, reducing waste, supporting regional agriculture, and strengthening Europe’s food system resilience.
The Finnish biotech firm has secured €26 million in a new funding round through equity, mezzanine, senior loans, and public funding. Contributors include Maki.vc, Firstminute Capital, Springvest, The Finnish Climate Fund (soon to merge with Finnish Industry Investment), Finnvera, Norion Bank, and other financial entities. This brings total funding to approximately €27 million, with a valuation undisclosed according to Dealroom data.
The funding will enable the construction of Volare 01, which is set to become the world’s most efficient protein production facility. Located in Pori, Finland, this plant will scale up Volare’s proprietary insect protein technology, potentially boosting Europe’s protein self-sufficiency and accelerating the continent’s transition toward sustainable, circular food production.
The Volare 01 facility: A leap in protein production
The Volare 01 plant will produce protein equivalent to 200 million Baltic herrings annually — approximately 18% of Finland’s total commercial fish catch in protein terms. Built for scalability, the facility will serve as a springboard for expansion across Finland and Northern Europe.
Initially employing over 40 people, the plant features a modular design for potential capacity doubling. As a brownfield redevelopment, it minimises environmental impact and capital costs compared to greenfield projects. It will be the world’s most energy-efficient protein production platform using renewable electricity and advanced heat recovery systems.
Designed as a scalable model, Volare 01 paves the way for rapid expansion in Finland and beyond. With secured offtake agreements and market-ready products, the company is positioned for full-scale operations with proven demand and clear global growth potential. The plant’s modular design allows for potential capacity doubling, ensuring that Volare can meet increasing demand without compromising its sustainability goals.
Volare’s protein and oil products are already used in aquafeed, pet food, and poultry feed, with commercial partners across Finland and Sweden. The company has secured long-term offtake agreements with major feed producers, including Skretting, and is piloting insect-fed rainbow trout with Alltech Fennoaqua and partners.
Jarna Hyvönen, CEO of Volare, said: “This is the most efficient way to produce protein, combining low-value raw materials, nature’s bioreactor, and proprietary ultra-efficient technology – a combination that’s hard to beat. The result is a process with emissions significantly lower than conventional alternatives, up to 4–8 times lower than soy. This investment marks a major step toward full-scale operations and reinforces Volare’s position at the forefront of the global protein transition.”
Converting food industry byproducts into sustainable protein
Tuure Parviainen and Matti Tähtinen founded Volare after serving as research scientists at VTT Technical Research Centre in Finland. The concept emerged from VTT research between 2014 and 2017, when Parviainen and Tähtinen explored black soldier fly larvae for nutrient recycling. Recognising its potential to address food waste and sustainability challenges, they spun off Volare from VTT in 2021–2022.
Tuure Parviainen, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Volare, said: “Volare was founded on the vision that protein can – and must – be produced radically more efficiently and sustainably. Now, we’re entering a new phase: scaling up to full industrial production. Our new facility will bring our proprietary, zero-waste, fossil-free process to life at scale, transforming food industry byproducts into high-quality protein and strengthening Europe’s food resilience.”
Based in Hyvinkää, Finland, Volare tackles extensive food industry side streams, byproducts, and waste often discarded or underutilised. These materials retain significant nutritional value but are frequently wasted through poor processing and disposal. Volare’s mission is to keep these nutrients within the food system, minimise waste, and reduce CO₂ emissions, creating a truly circular and sustainable food system.
The company now employs over 30 experts in entomology, process engineering, and food technology. Volare is a European Insect Protein Association (IPIFF) member and participates in EU-funded research projects on sustainable protein.
The Volare process: How it works
Volare upcycles side streams using black soldier fly larvae. The larvae transform food industry byproducts into high-quality protein meal and oil in a controlled environment. The protein serves animal and pet feeds, while the oil suits feed and industrial applications.
The process also generates frass (larval manure) for use as biofertiliser. This approach preserves nutrients in the food chain while significantly reducing waste and emissions compared to conventional methods.
Volare’s fully automated process uses AI-driven monitoring and optimisation for maximum yield and resource efficiency. The larvae’s 17 digestive enzymes enable rapid conversion of diverse side streams, using 97% less water and 99% less land than soy or beef production.
The plant runs on renewable energy and recycles process water, creating a closed-loop system with minimal environmental impact.
What’s so special about Volare?
Unlike earlier insect protein companies, Volare has achieved strong commercial validation with minimal capital, representing a more focused second wave of insect protein production.
The black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), central to Volare’s breakthrough, is nature’s most efficient bioreactor. These insects excel at converting food industry byproducts into valuable resources. While such byproducts often face incineration, wasting their potential, Volare upcycles them into premium insect protein, oil, and fertiliser through its proprietary zero-waste, fossil-free process. Using a brownfield location, Volare achieves superior capital efficiency compared to greenfield projects.
The integrated technologies reduce processing energy use by 30% and aim to halve hygienization energy consumption, achieving unprecedented operational efficiency in the insect technology sector. This makes Volare’s system the most energy-efficient protein production platform and a circular economy benchmark.
Volare’s sustainable ingredients have gained traction in aquafeed, pet food, and poultry feed as scalable alternatives to environmentally intensive ingredients like fishmeal, meat, and soy. The company’s emissions measure just 1/22nd of biogas treatment and 1/80th of composting, setting new sustainability standards.
Proven track record and market adoption
In 2024, Volare launched Finland’s first commercial-scale insect protein factory in Hyvinkää. The factory processes up to 5,000 tons of side streams annually and works closely with food manufacturers to source byproducts and supply sustainable protein and oil.
Volare’s products have earned validation through commercial partnerships, including a long-term offtake agreement with Skretting (a global aquafeed leader) and a 150,000 kg pilot of insect-fed rainbow trout with Alltech Fennoaqua, Kalankasvatus Vääräniemi, and Kalavapriikki.
The company explores speciality pet diet applications and, pending regulatory approval, human food uses. Its business model combines direct sales, technology licensing, and potential joint ventures for EU plant construction.
Volare plans to replicate its model across Northern Europe, targeting 10 plants by 2030 and projecting 3 million tons of annual CO₂ mitigation by 2035. The company actively participates in EU-funded research and advocates for science-based regulation and market development.
