© Volare
Located in Pori, Finland, the new Volare 01 facility will produce 5,000 tonnes of insect protein annually using the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), offering aquafeed producers a regionally sourced ingredient with significantly lower emissions and environmental impact than conventional feed materials.
The funding round includes equity, mezzanine and senior loans, and public support from institutions including Maki.vc, Firstminute Capital, Springvest, the Finnish Climate Fund, Finnvera, and Norion Bank.
According to the European Commission, the EU is only 34 percent self-sufficient in protein concentrates, leaving the region heavily dependent on imports. This reliance makes the food system increasingly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical instability, and price volatility. Meanwhile, global demand for aquafeed is growing by more than 5% annually, while fishmeal supply remains stagnant.
Volare addresses this challenge with a circular production model that upcycles food industry side streams into high-quality insect protein, oil, and fertiliser. The company’s technology is designed for maximum resource efficiency: it operates without fossil fuels and produces zero wastewater, resulting in a substantially lower carbon footprint than conventional protein sources.
According to Volare, the product has already been optimised and proven in commercial use. The company has an offtake agreement with Skretting and is currently piloting insect-fed rainbow trout through a 150,000kg collaboration with Alltech Fennoaqua, a Finnish fish farmer and a distributor.
As large-scale production begins, Volare is positioning itself to support Norwegian producers with a high-quality and locally sourced alternative to imported fishmeal. They argue this would offer shorter lead times, lower emissions, and improve supply reliability.
Leadership changes to support growth
Following Volare’s evolution, the company is realigning leadership roles to support its expanding vision. Co-founder Jarna Hyvönen (formerly CCO) has been appointed CEO as of June 2025. Co-founder Tuure Parviainen, who has led Volare as CEO since its founding, will transition to the role of Chief Science Officer.
“Volare was founded on the vision that protein can - and must - be produced in a radically more efficient and sustainable way,” commented Parviainen in a press release.
Hyvönen, added: “This is the most efficient way to produce protein, combining low-value raw materials, nature’s own bioreactor, and proprietary ultra-efficient technology – a combination that’s hard to beat. The result is a process with emissions significantly lower than conventional alternatives, up to 4–8 times lower than soy. This investment marks a major step toward full-scale operations and reinforces Volare’s position at the forefront of the global protein transition.”
