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
Founder: Juan Carlos Castro Vergara
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