BioTeva · Food & Agriculture

BioTeva

Country: 🇨🇴 Colombia · Bogotá Category: Food & Agriculture CT Taxonomy: CT-AF-012 — Bio-based Agricultural Inputs Impact Areas: Circular Economy Stage: Prototype Team Size: 2.0 Website: https://bioteva.streamlit.app/ Funded: False

Elevator Pitch

BioTeva raises edible crickets in Colombia to produce sustainable protein flour. Lower carbon, water and land footprint than conventional animal protein. We transform insects into innovative, accessible food products.

Climate Problem

Conventional animal protein (beef, pork, chicken) generates 14.5% of global GHG emissions. Colombia's growing protein demand intensifies this impact. We need scalable, low-emission alternatives to feed people without accelerating climate change.

Solution

BioTeva farms edible crickets and processes them into protein flour for food products. Crickets emit 80% less GHG than beef, use minimal water and land, and convert feed efficiently. We operate a pilot farm in Colombia to scale local production.

Revenue Model

We sell cricket protein flour B2B to food manufacturers and directly to health-conscious consumers via B2C channels. Revenue streams include bulk flour sales, branded protein snacks, and future licensing of our farming model to rural producers.

Target Market

Food manufacturers, health food brands, and fitness-conscious consumers in Colombia and Latin America. Secondary markets include pet food producers and animal feed companies seeking sustainable protein inputs.

Social Impact

Women

Demand Evidence

We conducted a market validation using cookies made with third-party cricket flour, gathering consumer surveys. Results showed strong openness to insect-based protein among health and sustainability-oriented consumers in Bogotá.

Competitors

In Colombia: Insecto (Medellín). Regionally: Grillon (Mexico), Entomo Farms (Canada). We differentiate through local production, lower costs, and a vertically integrated model from farm to finished product.

Founder Expertise

Co-founder 1: environmental engineer with expertise in sustainable production systems and environmental management. Co-founder 2: business operations and logistics. Together we combine technical, scientific and entrepreneurial skills.

External Support

BioTeva is self-funded by its two founders. We have built our pilot facility with own resources, conducted market validation with consumer surveys, and received informal mentorship from the local entrepreneurial ecosystem. No institutional funding yet.

Team

Co-founder 1 leads technical operations, environmental compliance, and product development. Co-founder 2 manages business strategy, supply chain, and commercial relationships. Both are actively involved in daily farm operations.

Founder

Juan Carlos Castro Vergara