Singapore insect startup, Ento Industries, has secured growth funding from a pair of SG-focused private investors, Tak Wai CHUNG and Te-Ling NAI, that will expedite its move to a larger facility and ramp up its production capabilities.

Supported by local food waste management company, Tiong Lam Supplies, Ento Industries was founded with a mission to resolve our society’s spiraling food-waste problem by expanding the number of food waste streams that can be upcycled and leveraging technologies to process the waste. According to the National Environmental Agency, food waste accounts for 12% of all waste generated in Singapore and the 817,000 tonnes of food waste that were generated in 2021 was a 23% increase from 2020.

With its compelling mission, Ento has received strong endorsement as an awardee of financial grants such as the DBS Foundation Social Enterprise Grant and the Enterprise Singapore Enterprise Development Grant (EDG). Ento has also established strong partnerships with various institutions and organizations including the National University of Singapore, Republic Polytechnic, ITE College Central and Singapore Agrotechnologies, for the development of new products and streamlining of its operations processes.

Nathaniel Phua, founder and CEO of Ento Industries said, “our vision is to become the one-stop solution for all kinds of food waste and create a circular economy for our food manufacturing partners. With the new facility and proprietary automation system, we can address the growing demand for food waste processing and serve larger clients. The valorization of food waste into insect protein closes the loop on such waste types and addresses the need for more sustainable food sources, particularly for Singapore’s growing aquaculture industry.”

Investor Tak Wai CHUNG said, “we are very excited about the opportunity to contribute to the growth of Ento. With the strong network of suppliers, partners and customers Ento has developed, we believe it is well-positioned to unlock value from discarded food waste. We recognize Ento’s contribution to our environment, food ecosystem and security, and sustainability and look forward to working with Nathaniel and his team on this meaningful venture.”