SME Universe | Black flies for green economy

The idea is so in tune with the times – black soldier flies to help reduce food waste, reduce pollution and foster the circular economy – that it has sent a flood of financial partners flying to Entosystem. With $66 million in the form of loans, the company will be able to launch and market its project in Drummondville. Factory activity (a 100% automated place), where 70 employees will work, should start by the end of the year.

Isabelle Masse
The Press

“We are very lucky to have a project in line with the interests of the government”, launches the president and co-founder of Entosystem Cédric Provost, referring in particular to financial assistance without interest from the federal government of 6 million, through the program Agri-Innovate.

Before making flies fly to the rescue of the planet, there was first a series of observations. First, Canada is one of the countries that wastes the most. “About 58% of food production is wasted,” says Cédric Provost. At the same time, the world’s population is growing and more protein is needed. Also, 43% of nitrogen fertilizer comes from Russia. The pandemic and the war in Ukraine show the weakness of our entire food chain. We depend a lot on the international. »

How to solve these three problems? Thanks to the black soldier fly, the best scavenger on the planet. “She can eat a phenomenal amount of waste and grow 10,000 times in 10 days,” explains Cédric Provost. We recover the food waste, that is the organic matter, which we give to the larvae by an industrial process. In six days, they eat everything! »

Food and fertilizer

The larvae are then dried to become food for domestic and livestock animals (fish, chicken, pork). At the same time, the manure of the larvae is used as organic fertilizer sold locally for cultivation. One percent of the larvae will turn into flies that will lay 1000 eggs. “According to Enviro-access, our plant will remove 40,000 tonnes of CO₂ per year, just considering Canada’s carbon footprint,” says Cédric Provost.

Your pet that feeds on insects… You should know that brands are already marketing cricket-based food. “And a fifth of the population eats insects, recalls Cédric Provost. A dog in the wild will eat 10% insects. Chickens too. These are natural foods for them. »

In the medium term, the plant will make it possible to produce 15,000 tonnes of organic fertilizer and 5,000 tonnes of protein larvae, then purchased in the form of larvae or even meal-oil for manufacturers who can incorporate it into their recipes.

The anticipated revenues are in the order of several tens of millions of dollars in the medium term, according to Mr. Provost, who worked with his partner Jean-François Dépelteau for six years on this project. “There is a very strong demand, but we had to be methodical and conduct our research at length,” he admits. It started in our condos with very understanding wives! »

Award-winning BrainBox AI

The company that has developed autonomous artificial intelligence technology for office and commercial buildings to optimize heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC) systems will receive the Governor General’s Award for Innovation on May 18. Of the six prizes awarded on the occasion, only one will be awarded to a Quebec company. “We are very happy, because it is not an easy price to obtain, rejoices Jean-Simon Venne, co-founder and chief technology officer of BrainBox AI. It is very important for the team. When one is the first to open the way, there is always a doubt. Will the road built become a path for the future or die in a cul-de-sac? But people who don’t know us said, “Wow, they’re going to change the market!” This path allows you to become one more tool to save the planet. Over the past two years, BrainBox AI has grown from 48 to 160 employees. Its technology is now deployed across 100 million square feet at customers in 18 countries. “This reduces energy by around 18%, says Mr. Venne, and greenhouse gases by 40%. »

Brand mixing

Les Brasseurs du Nord (Boréale) has entered into an alliance with the Ontario brewery Steam Whistle. The latter will see its products benefit from the Brasseurs du Nord distribution network in Quebec. ” [Les brasseurs de] Steam Whistle are pioneers of the craft beer movement in Canada, and we look forward to teaming up with them in la belle province, said Sébastien Paradis, shareholder and CEO of Brasseurs du Nord, in a press release. It will be a real privilege to be able to offer their pilsner and to introduce this emblematic brewery across the province. »

“Steam Whistle continues to increase the distribution of its products across Canada, but until now, we had few entry points in Quebec,” adds Greg Taylor, co-founder and CEO of Steam Whistle. This union could be profitable in a two-way way, because Les Brasseurs du Nord could potentially see its Boréale beers distributed outside Quebec.

Strong investors

CarbiCrete, a Montreal company that created cementless concrete with a negative carbon footprint, is now financially supported by the Circular Economy Fund and Fondaction. “We are a Canadian company based in Quebec,” said Chris Stern, CEO of CarbiCrete, in a press release. We want to continue to generate intellectual property and develop carbon removal technology in Canada, before sharing our solution with the rest of the world. Our current investor base, which includes a significant contribution from Quebec entities, will enable us to do so. »

To design this type of very resistant concrete, carbon dioxide is injected into a mixture of sand and slag. “This innovative process, which significantly reduces the industry’s environmental footprint, opens the way to a practice of green construction that is immediately in line with one of Fondaction’s four impact themes, namely the fight against climate change. says Claire Bisson, assistant chief investment officer at Fondaction.

$208,000

This is the amount raised by Mondou and recently donated to the Canadian Red Cross for Ukrainians. Mondou management contributed $100,000 and its customers, invited to participate in a campaign called Mondou Mondon for Ukraine in March, $108,000.