Volare Solutions, a Finnish biotech startup tackling food system sustainability, has raised €27.6 million (~$29.5 million USD) in funding to expand its circular bioeconomy platform. The round was led by Maki VC, firstminute capital, and Springvest, with support from The Finnish Climate Fund, Finnvera, Norion Bank, and others.

Founded by Jarno Hyvönen, Volare transforms food industry side streams  -  like production scraps, fats, and starches  -  into high-value, climate-smart outputs: insect-based protein, oils, and organic fertilizer. These ingredients are already in high demand across aquaculture, pet food, and agriculture, and Volare’s tech brings industrial scale to a previously fragmented space.

---

What Volare Actually Does

At its core, Volare is building a modular, scalable platform for food system upcycling. Their process:

• Diverts side streams from food production facilities (think: brewers, dairies, bakeries)
  
• Uses proprietary bioconversion tech to feed and grow black soldier fly larvae
  
• Extracts premium protein and oils from the larvae, and uses the residual waste as fertilizer
  
• Ensures full traceability, emissions reduction, and safety for B2B buyers
  

It’s not just a novel science experiment. Volare has already operationalized its commercial production and is now focused on international expansion and category diversification.

---

Why the Timing Is Critical

The global food system is under immense pressure:

• 1.3 billion tons of food is wasted annually, while 828 million people face food insecurity (FAO)
  
• The animal feed and protein industries are struggling to meet demand without deforestation or overfishing
  
• According to BCG, food waste is the single largest driver of climate change within agriculture
  
• The global alternative protein market is projected to reach $61.2 billion by 2030, growing at CAGR 16.8% (Fortune Business Insights)
  
• Insect-based protein specifically is expected to reach $9.6 billion by 2030, with EU regulatory approval driving adoption across pet food and aquafeed (Meticulous Research)
  

Volare is uniquely positioned to serve these trends  -  offering a clean, local, and circular protein source that reduces waste, cuts emissions, and requires a fraction of the land and water traditional protein production needs.

---

Why This Round Matters

Volare’s raise is one of the largest in Europe’s insect-tech and circular food ecosystem to date  -  and a strong sign that waste-to-value platforms are entering a phase of serious scale.

While many agtech startups build novel proteins in lab conditions, Volare has focused on industrial pragmatism. Their solution doesn’t ask suppliers to change  -  it works with the waste streams they already produce. That kind of integration-first thinking makes adoption frictionless.

But what sets Volare apart isn’t just its technology or traction. It’s how they framed their product inside someone else’s operations.

Rather than pushing novelty, they engineered themselves into inevitability. They didn’t approach food producers with a “new category” - they approached with a solution to an old liability. Waste disposal, regulatory headaches, rising ESG pressures - Volare solved all three in one stroke, and turned a cost center into a revenue line.

Here’s the real founder insight: If you want to scale in a legacy industry, don’t ask your customers to see the future. Make your product solve the problem they hate dealing with today.

Volare didn’t win by making biotech exciting. They won by making waste profitable.

When your value proposition removes pain and adds margin without changing workflows, you don’t sell innovation - you become infrastructure.

---

Market Outlook: Waste-to-Value Is the Future of AgTech

Circular food systems are no longer niche. Governments, consumers, and major food companies are actively funding and sourcing sustainable ingredients.

• The EU’s “Farm to Fork” strategy mandates 50% reduction in food waste by 2030
  
• Nestlé, Mars, and Cargill have committed to increasing sustainable protein and regenerative inputs in their supply chains
  
• Insect-based feed is now authorized in all EU livestock categories, accelerating market access (EFSA)
  
• The agricultural waste upcycling market is expected to exceed $40 billion by 2029, growing alongside regulatory incentives (Allied Market Research)
  
• ESG-focused VC deployed over $6 billion in agtech and food waste ventures in 2023 alone (AgFunder)
  

Volare stands out as one of the few startups ready to move from pilot to platform, bringing circularity to scale without losing sight of operational execution.

---

What’s Next for Volare?

With this funding, Volare plans to:

• Expand its production footprint across Europe, including new modular facilities near major food hubs
  
• Launch its platform in new sectors: livestock, horticulture, and companion animals
  
• Enhance its logistics network for byproduct sourcing and ingredient distribution
  
• Invest in R&D for broader feedstock compatibility and ingredient optimization
  
• Partner with global FMCG and agri brands to embed Volare protein in everyday products
  

The company also plans to increase transparency tools for lifecycle impact, giving customers a clear view of how Volare solutions reduce CO₂, methane, and land use intensity at every step.