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Nasekomo Achieves Breakthrough in Insect Bioconversion with Record Feed Conversion Ratio
Nasekomo Achieves Breakthrough in Insect Bioconversion with Record Feed Conversion Ratio
- Nasekomo sets new industry benchmark with its proprietary Automated Insect Rearing Beds and Bots platform, achieving a record 25% feed conversion ratio (FCR) - 1/3 higher than traditional crate-based systems - under real industrial conditions in Bulgaria.
- Breakthrough in scalable, zero-crate insect farming: The fully automated platform uses robotics, AI, and deep-substrate vertical farming to optimize larvae growth with lower mortality rates, reduced energy use, and continuous environmental control.
- Future-ready and modular: Capable of processing 16,000 tons of feed annually per unit, the platform combines precision engineering with digital intelligence - developed in partnership with Siemens - to redefine profitability and scalability in insect bioconversion.
Sofia, March 2025 — Nasekomo, a biotechnology company at the forefront of insect farming, has reached a major milestone in its industrial platform development. This winter, its proprietary Automated Insect Rearing Beds and Bots platform achieved 25% feed conversion ratio (FCR) – a performance level that sets a new benchmark for the profitability of the insect bioconversion industry.
The record, which is one-third higher than that of traditional crate-based solutions, was obtained in real industrial conditions at Nasekomo’s facility near Sofia, Bulgaria. It confirms the viability of a zero-crate, fully automated approach to rearing Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae at scale. The milestone reflects five years of continuous development and optimization of the platform.
“This is a key moment for our industry. The result shows how insect farming can truly scale and compete. At the current improvement rates, we aim at operating at this efficiency level or more in the short term, from 2026 onwards. Furthermore, our process has much lower mortality rates than in crate-based systems.” said Marc Bolard, Co-founder and CEO of Nasekomo.
Reinventing insect farming
The Automated Insect Rearing Beds and Bots platform redefines industrial insect farming through deep-substrate vertical farming, robotics and AI-powered analyses, and full environmental control — all without the use of crates. “Our system allows us to monitor in real time the entire volume of the rearing substrate with up to 20 cm height. We collect and act on data throughout the process, something crates simply can’t offer,” explained Kamen Vasilev, Head of Bioconversion and Processing at Nasekomo, adding: "The platform allows us interventions at any moment during the process".
The heart of the platform is a plowing robot equipped with integrated sensors, capable of adjusting humidity and temperature at every stage of larvae growing. Designed for adaptability, the robot supports a wide range of current and future needs — including mixing, watering, refeeding, cooling, heating, and real-time monitoring. This enables dynamic optimization of the conditions in the platform, thus ensuring stable development and maximizing growth through the whole process.
In fact, the record FCR was achieved with three times less ventilation capacity than traditional systems, thanks to a highly efficient heat exchange system built into the automated rearing platform. As Marc Bolard puts it, “The larvae self-regulate their environment at almost no utility cost thanks to synergies between growing batches, ventilation, robot operations and materials and structural designs.”
Designed for the Future
Each platform unit spans up to 81 meters in length and 12 floors in height, with a processing capacity of around 16,000 tons of feed per year, potentially yielding up to 4,000 tons of larvae annually at the 25% FCR rate. It integrates advanced AI for monitoring, intervention, and optimization — ensuring a modular, energy-efficient, and profitable solution for the insect industry.
“We’ve taken millions of baby steps to get here — and we’re just getting started. The platform is future-proof, and we’ll keep developing it thanks to our partnership with Siemens, which brings industrial-grade precision and digital intelligence into insect farming,” added Marc Bolard.
About the platform
Developed over five years and protected by 5 patents (with 18 more pending), the Automated Insect Rearing Beds and Bots is the industry's first modular and robotic platform that automates every step of insect rearing — from feed loading and neonates seeding to environmental monitoring, harvesting, and cleaning. Intelligent surveillance is possible thanks to the robotic system, capable of 24/7 autonomous operation and ensuring real-time decision-making. Fully compliant with Industry 4.0, the system is going to be integrated with production digital twins designed by Siemens software, ensuring future scalability. “Our automated insect rearing platform is like the Swiss knife of insect bioconversion – designed for profitability, efficiency, and sustainability from day one and future proof for tomorrow,” said Marc Bolard, CEO of Nasekomo. With its deep-substrate vertical farming model, the platform enables up to 3x more volume efficiency, massive CAPEX and OPEX savings compared to crate-based systems and a drastic reduction in energy use through heat recuperation and process optimization.
Blitz with Marc Bolard, CEO of Nasekomo
In connection with the recent news: Nasekomo Achieves Breakthrough in Insect Bioconversion with Record Feed Conversion Ratio
First of all, why insects?
Insects are a missed opportunity—often misunderstood and underutilized. But when you really look at their role in ecosystems, it’s clear they’re essential. They clean, they recycle, they regenerate. They’re nature’s original problem-solvers. At Nasekomo, insects give us a unique chance to build something from scratch. No legacy systems. No outdated processes. Just a clean slate where we can bring together the four things we believe matter most: biology and genetics, standardized industrial operations, AI-driven systems, and network effects. And while we’re starting with insects, this model can apply far beyond—greenhouses, mushrooms, poultry... you name it. But insects? They’re the perfect place to start.
Why is 25% FCR a breakthrough for insect farming?
Simply put, it’s the efficiency we need to make insect farming competitive. And we’ve hit it. To give you context—broiler chickens are considered the gold standard in terms of feed conversion in terrestrial farming. They’ve been optimized over decades. And here we are, in an industry that’s barely eight years old, already three times more efficient. That’s massive. It means we can start entering real markets—pet food, aquaculture, even poultry feed—with a product that’s not just sustainable, but economically viable. It’s not just about hitting a number. It’s about opening doors.
What makes Nasekomo’s Automated Insect Rearing Beds & Bots platform different from crate systems?
Our zero-crate rearing platform was never a retrofit. We didn’t take a tech from another industry and try to force-fit it. We built it from the ground up for insect bioconversion. That changes everything. Because we could think holistically—what do insects need? What do the operators need? How can we make this scalable, efficient, and future-proof? And it’s not static. We’ve already adapted it beyond what we first imagined. Need more robotics? Easy to plug in. Want to refeed or cool during the cycle? It’s possible. It’s built like a platform that evolves, not a product that ages. That’s what makes it different. It’s designed for now and for whatever the future of this industry throws at us.
What role does Siemens play in your tech?
Siemens brings a lot to the table. First, there's the tech—engines, safety systems, automation layers. All top quality, and all embedded into our automated insect platform. But beyond that, it’s about co-creating standards. If we want this industry to scale, we need structure. Consistency. Siemens helps us build that, from automation protocols to AI-ready frameworks. Their expertise is a real accelerator—not just for us, but for the whole sector. And they’re also helping us share our story more effectively, which is just as important when you're building something new.
What’s next for the insect industry?
The next milestone is proving consistent profitability at scale. We're nearly there. Our automated rearing platform is already delivering strong performance, and we’re refining the other components of our value proposition—genetics, AI, operations, and network scalability. Our goal in the next two years is to deliver an integrated, replicable bioconversion project that’s efficient, profitable, and sustainable. This will serve as a showcase—not just for what insect farming can be, but for what it should be.
About Nasekomo
Founded in 2017 by the serial entrepreneurs Xavier and Olya Marcenac together with the biologist Marc Bolard, Nasekomo is a biotechnology company pioneering sustainable insect bioconversion through Black Soldier Fly farming. With a mission to scale the circular bioeconomy, Nasekomo is developing a franchise model that empowers local partners to operate insect farms using its advanced technology. The Automated Insect Rearing Beds and Bots platform is an integral part of the franchise partnership offering to industry players performance and sustainability.
The high-quality insect-based products using Black Soldier Fly (BSF) larvae serve as sustainable ingredients - nutrient-rich protein meal, insect oil, and frass (organic fertilizer), contributing to a circular, low-impact solution for feed and farming systems. They are used in animal feed (for aquaculture, poultry, pets) and natural soil improvement in agriculture.
Contact for further information/media inquiries: Nina Mircheva, Nasekomo Communications manager
