Circa Biotech
ActiveIndustrial black soldier fly (BSF) bioconversion: pre-consumer food waste is fed to BSF larvae and separated into insect protein meal for poultry and aquaculture feed, organic fertiliser, and insect oil being developed as a feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
Circa Biotech operates the UAE's first industrial-scale organic waste-to-value plant powered by black soldier fly larvae. It runs a B2B model: food retailers and processors pay a gate fee to divert organic waste from landfill, and the larvae convert it into three saleable outputs — insect protein meal, organic fertiliser and insect oil. Four revenue streams result: waste-processing fees, SAF feedstock supply, protein sales and fertiliser sales. A pilot facility opened in Masdar City in 2020 (a new category of operating licence had to be created for it), and the production plant at Al Hiyar on Sweihan Road, Al Ain now processes roughly 6,000 tonnes of food waste a year, with a stated ambition of 168,000 t/yr within four years. The company has been revenue-generating since 2023.
Founders
Funding Rounds
Investors: Oraseya Capital
Co-founder/COO Liudmila Prozorova told Entrepreneur ME (Oct 2024) the company had 'completed their seed funding round' and was preparing a Series A; Oraseya Capital (DIEZ fund) lists Circa Biotech in its own portfolio without amount or date. Closed by 2024. PitchBook/YourStory show $150K raised and CB Insights $70K across three rounds — aggregator figures, not confirmed. Also: https://www.oraseyacapital.com/portfolio https://pitchbook.com/profiles/company/503717-23 https://yourstory.com/companies/circa-biotech Confidence: confirmed (round 13, Entrepreneur Middle East).
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