Better Origin is a technology company.
Better Origin has raised $19.0M across 2 funding rounds.
Better Origin has raised $19.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Better Origin is a biotechnology company that develops AI-powered, modular insect farming systems using black soldier fly larvae to convert food waste into sustainable, nutrient-rich animal feed and pet food products[1][2][5][6]. It serves markets including pet food, poultry, aquaculture, and waste management, solving the problems of food waste (which contributes 8% of global greenhouse gas emissions), unsustainable protein sources like soy, and the broken global food supply chain by enabling localized, low-carbon production[1][2][4][5][6]. The company has shown strong growth momentum, raising over £19.2 million in funding (including a $16 million Series A led by Balderton Capital in 2022 and a $3 million seed from Fly Ventures), launching commercial products like carbon-neutral eggs with Morrisons, and deploying upgraded X2 mini-farms while creating over 60 jobs[2][3][4].
Better Origin was founded in 2015 in Cambridge, United Kingdom, emerging from the Cambridge Judge Business School's Accelerate program (Cohort 8)[1][3]. The idea stemmed from observing nature's upcycling process—insects like black soldier flies naturally convert waste into nutrients—and addressing the unsustainable global food chain, which the founders saw as structurally broken due to globalization and inefficiency[2][4][5]. Early traction included developing container-based mini-farms, a successful pilot for carbon-neutral eggs with UK retailer Morrisons, and iterative product launches: the X1 modular farm in 2020 and the AI-enhanced X2 in 2022, alongside expansions into pet food lines for cats, dogs, and wild birds across the UK and Europe[3][4].
Better Origin rides the wave of sustainable agriculture tech (agritech) and biotech innovation, capitalizing on rising demand for alternative proteins amid climate pressures, food insecurity, and regulations targeting waste/emissions (e.g., EU landfill reductions)[1][2][5][6]. Timing is ideal post-2020s supply chain disruptions and net-zero pledges, with food waste's 8% GHG contribution and soy-driven deforestation creating tailwinds; their localized model counters globalization's vulnerabilities highlighted during the pandemic[4][5]. In the ecosystem, they influence by pioneering insect bioconversion—normalizing it for incumbents like supermarkets (Morrisons) and farms—while fostering jobs, circular economies, and low-carbon feeds that boost animal welfare and reduce antibiotics, positioning insects as a scalable bridge to food system resilience[3][5][6].
Better Origin is poised to scale internationally with its $16M+ war chest, focusing on X-Series expansions in pet food and aquaculture while targeting net-zero milestones through more AI-driven deployments[3][4]. Trends like AI-agritech convergence, protein diversification (beyond soy/fishmeal), and waste-to-value mandates will propel growth, potentially capturing shares in the $50B+ animal feed market as regulations tighten. Their influence may evolve from UK/Europe pioneer to global enabler of decentralized food production, fundamentally repairing the broken chain they set out to fix—delivering sustainable protein at scale.[2][4][5][6]
Better Origin has raised $19.0M in total across 2 funding rounds.
Better Origin's investors include AIX Ventures, Balderton Capital, Eclipse Ventures, Scalebridge Capital, Bruno Bowden, Richard Branson, Rosemary Leith, Yann LeCun.
Better Origin has raised $19.0M across 2 funding rounds. Most recently, it raised $16.0M Series A in April 2022.
| Date | Round | Lead Investors | Other Investors |
|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 1, 2022 | $16.0M Series A | AIX Ventures, Balderton Capital, Eclipse Ventures, Scalebridge Capital, Bruno Bowden, Richard Branson, Rosemary Leith, Yann LeCun | |
| Feb 1, 2021 | $3.0M Seed | Balderton Capital |