In this chapter of Career Stories, we bring you the story of Praveen Sappa, who is passionate about insect technology and runs two biotechnology ventures that leverage the advantages of this technology in the sustainability sector. In this candid chat, he shares his entrepreneurial journey, the lessons he picked up while building his two companies and his views about sustainability.
What inspired you to pursue a career in science, and how did that journey lead you towards becoming an entrepreneur?
Briefly, I have always been curious about everything related to science since childhood, which led me towards pursuing a career in that subject. It became clear to me early on that my interest in science was mainly because I was great at admiring everything related to nature. I was almost close to pursuing medicine, but opted for pure science instead and completed my Bachelor’s degree in Biochemistry, Biotechnology, and Chemistry, followed by a Master’s degree in Biochemistry at the University of Hyderabad. Later, I decided to pursue a PhD abroad and spent five years in Germany conducting various postdoctoral research projects. Over a period of time, I realized that Academia often lacked application-oriented science and is focused mainly on basic research. Hence, I thought of pursuing an MBA, but eventually realized that it would be more sensible to gain industry experience and I set aside the idea of joining an immediate MBA. During my time in Germany, I gained a deep understanding & interest for sustainability, the environment, and related subjects. This made me curious and I tried to look for technologies that could contribute to sustainability while offering significant opportunities for a positive change. In 2011, I discovered Insect Technology through a tech video, and it ticked all my boxes and also aligned perfectly with my criteria for impactful as well as science-oriented business opportunity. Over the years, I observed and tried to keep a track on the progress in the field while waiting for someone to make a significant impact in India. Unfortunately, no one started it on a scale that could be truly impactful. In 2018, I made the decision to leave academia as I realized that I needed a more dynamic environment to excel. Through my journey I understood the importance of figuring out what suits me the best, while catering to my curiosity. By pursuing these goals, I aimed to create value for society, the company, and myself and Insect technology aligned perfectly with all my aspirations. In 2018, I returned to India, despite having zero knowledge of entrepreneurship at that time. I took a plunge, and after five years of dedicated effort, I have managed to grow my company- Holocene Ecosolutions, into a two million USD enterprise. Currently, we have also embarked on a new venture – Arthro Biotech, focusing on uses of Insect Biotechnology other than waste management.
What sparked your passion for nature’s way of solving problems? Was there a particular event or experience that inspired you?
As a child, I would spend a lot of time observing fishes, animals, and insects- everything that has to do with nature and questioning the way things happened in nature. Whether it was sitting by a lake or near a rainwater drain, I was captivated by nature’s intricacies. This curiosity has remained within me as an integral part of who I am today. It’s very important to recognize and reconnect with your core essence and align your life goals accordingly. When your profession is driven by something that genuinely motivates you every day, not just for financial profit or career advancement, it becomes truly fulfilling. No one told me to go to a lake and observe fish or catch them; it was an innate part of me. In Germany, where I had more time, I found a quieter environment for myself. Unlike India, where everyone is caught up in the business of life, Germany gave me some space and time to reflect on my thoughts. I had a reef tank aquarium at my place, and I invested some time and resources into perfecting it naturally and sustainably, avoiding artificial additives. Eventually, I developed a self-cleaning aquarium that also required very little feeding. This hobby of mine exemplified the slow, thoughtful approach inspired by nature. This is how nature’s way of observing & doing things came to me.
This way, I gradually understood the relationship between sustainability and my own curiosity. If you understand how sustainability works, you can then apply nature’s way of dealing things into a business context. This realization and evolution of thought shaped my path forward.
Can you briefly explain the primary difference between your two companies Holocene & Arthro Biotech in terms of their goals as well as the focus areas?
The core vision of Holocene primarily revolves around the development of insect technology. Initially, the company focused on waste management, which also remains its ongoing endeavor. Although I am no longer in an executive position at Holocene, I still hold shares in that company, and its regular operations continue as before. However, the reason behind establishing a new company was to explore different applications of insect technology beyond waste management. With Arthro Biotech, we aim to specifically explore the sector of clean commodities. In the animal feed sector, fish meal obtained from the ocean is commonly used to feed the inland fishes. This is a “fish-in-fish-out” concept, which involves extracting fish from the ocean to feed fish and shrimp on land, resulting in an unsustainable ratio – such as: four fish taken from the ocean to produce one fish on land. This approach is not only environmentally unsustainable, but also economically inefficient. The fish meal industry itself is valued at around $7 billion. Here is where insect protein comes into picture and plays a crucial role. By utilizing insect ingredients, we aim to replace fish meal, allowing fish to remain in their natural habitat and making the animal supply chain more sustainable. Moreover, we have access to tons of insect biomass on a daily basis. Insect biomass is relatively unexplored in both academic and industrial settings. Insects contain numerous valuable molecules beyond just protein and fat, including substances that can be important for the cosmetics and nutraceutical industries, such as antimicrobial peptides, melanin, and chitin. Our objective is to extract and utilize these molecules; producing biopesticides and exploring the potential to develop recombinant proteins. We see the transformation of the chemical industry, gradually shifting towards enzymatic processes. Chemical processes often contribute significantly to environmental pollution and lack the purity found in enzymatic processes. Industries require cost-effective enzymes, similar to those used in detergents. Insects possess the ability to rapidly increase their biomass, multiplying by up to 2,000-fold in just ten days. We aim to harness this tremendous growth potential to produce enzymes and proteins for various industrial applications, both for human as well as industrial use. So that was the major driving point for us to have two separate companies- Holocene, for waste management and Arthro Biotech for clean commodities using insect technology.
Could you elaborate a bit more on how insect technology utilizes the distinct biological characteristics of insects to effectively tackle global challenges, such as waste management, in a manner that is both sustainable and efficient?
In the past, and even today in some villages, food waste was disposed of in dump yards near homes. Insects naturally thrive in these dumps, and chickens would feed on these insects, and the nutrients would eventually find their way back into the food cycle when chickens are consumed by humans.Thus, nutrients are recycled from food waste naturally. This process of insects decomposing organic materials and recycling nutrients back into the food chain occurred without any human intervention. However, in modern times, the waste degradation process takes place through anaerobic digestion, where methane is released and leachate goes to the groundwater. In such a scenario, insects (which may in fact be faster than bacteria in degrading waste) are not able to contribute towards the waste degradation process. Our mission is to reintroduce insects into the waste management system and thus, by and large- into the economy. By doing so, we aim to recycle nutrients and restore them back to the food system.
The insects which we use are black soldier flies (BSF). BSF is a naturally occurring species that primarily feeds on soft and decaying materials. While it can consume fruits, it is unable to digest plant residue such as leaves or branches due to their lignin or cellulose content. However, there are other insects specifically suited for processing such materials- such as locusts, although they are often considered pests. Nevertheless, if there is a specific need, controlled facilities can be established, even for those types of insects. However, utmost caution must be taken due to the risks involved. On the other hand, BSF are relatively simpler to manage, and we do not encounter significant concerns. In fact, there have been numerous publications (approximately 6,000), available in PubMed, and none of them suggest any negative aspects associated with BSF as compared to other insects.
In the year 2021 you received the BIRAC Big Grant to upcycle Abattoir waste Could you share your approach towards treating Abattoir waste and the overall experience throughout this entire process?
The journey with Abattoir waste was quite interesting for us! The modern-day abattoirs hide a complex world beyond what is visible to us. It was eye-opening to understand the business model behind these facilities. Each day, the abattoirs we worked with would slaughter around 2,000 buffaloes a day. They have around six to seven such plants across India and export buffalo meat. But have you ever wondered where these buffaloes come from? They are in fact sourced from the dairy industry. After around five years of milk production, the buffaloes are sent to the slaughterhouses. Unlike cows, buffaloes do not have shelters (goshalas) and are considered redundant. Consequently, they all end up in the abattoirs. Slaughtering 2,000 buffaloes daily requires a huge amount of water, resulting in the release of a significant amount of water waste. The abattoirs use approximately two lakh tons of water per day, and this water contains suspended solids comprising protein, fat, blood amongst other substances, that make up about 70 tons of the total volume. Consequently, this 70-ton sludge needs to be treated appropriately. The abattoirs had been employing some not so useful methods, but we proposed the implementation of the black soldier fly- technology. This sludge being highly nutritious can be a valuable resource. The factory had attempted to dry out the sludge and use it in briquettes. However, our proposal involved treating it with BSF and converting it into compost. The proteins and fats present in the sludge could be transformed into insect protein by the black soldier flies. The factory, having its own pet food division, could utilize the insect protein in their pet feed. We offered them three successful trials at different scales to demonstrate this feasibility- the technology and the results were impressive!
How do your companies (Holocene & Arthro Biotech) handle waste generated during the upcycling process, and how do you maintain a balance between waste generation and the amount of waste utilized for upcycling?
The main principle of insect technology is that there is no waste generation. For example, if we are processing 100 tons, we may generate only around 500 kilograms of Insect waste and at Arthro Biotech, we are isolating valuable compounds such as chitin and melanin from the very little amount of waste generated. We are trying to create a revenue-generating biotechnology model even with this little waste generated. In general, if waste is being produced, it indicates a lack of understanding of deriving value from it. In my opinion, there is no such thing as waste in nature. As humans, we sometimes label things as waste which may in fact become a valuable resource for a different industry, it is just dependent on the way we look at it.
Looking back, what do you consider the most critical factors that contributed to the success of Holocene? Are there any specific milestones or achievements that you are particularly proud of?
My journey in a way was a little different. I had financial support from a company that was also a family-run business. This had its own advantages as well as disadvantages. Leveraging their capital and infrastructure allowed us to progress to some extent, but it also took us three years to fully understand the potential of black soldier flies (BSF) and build a business model around BSF insect technology. If you go through a professional setting such as an accelerator or incubator, the process would likely have been faster, requiring less financial investment. In an incubator or accelerator one can get an opportunity to engage with different individuals, bounce ideas, receive feedback, and also explore many opportunities. As an entrepreneur, it is crucial to engage with as many people as possible; expanding your repertoire of thoughts beyond what is visible. I didn’t follow this approach initially, but I would highly recommend it to anyone who is starting new. Surround yourself with a supportive and knowledgeable environment, seek guidance, help from others, and never hesitate to ask for help, regardless of how small or insignificant it may appear. I myself practice this regularly. When it came to milestones in our journey it involved overcoming the major bottleneck of BSF breeding, which required significant effort. Thus, the first milestone was reached when we were able to produce a sizable amount of BSF. Once we achieved success in this area, other aspects such as developing downstream technologies and constructing a scalable business model was more on the manageable side. This progress took us forward in the field of waste management.
How can scientific institutions and researchers incorporate sustainability considerations into their work? What steps can be taken to ensure that scientific advancements align with sustainable principles and goals?
Generally, academics develop basic technologies, and I believe that it is the responsibility of companies to recognize their potential and commercialize them. This is why I have envisioned a healthy dialogue between the academia and the industry. In Germany, there is an excellent relationship between academia and industry. For instance, Airbus, a European company mainly located in France and Germany, collaborates closely with universities, and vocational courses are designed keeping the company in mind. Apart from this, the establishment of ‘Clusters of Excellence’ allows for a greater interaction between Academia and Industry. These clusters attract companies that wish to participate and contribute to the technological advancements being developed by universities within the cluster. Once the technologies are developed, the companies commercialize them, often with a small royalty paid to the academic institution which had developed that particular technology. These types of interactions highlight the importance of aligning academia and industry on a common path.
Unfortunately, in India, academia and industry often fail to work together due to a lack of understanding and communication between the both. Academics may struggle to understand industry language, while industry doesn’t understand academia’s bureaucracy. Bridging this gap is crucial, and I believe that individuals like me can play an important role in facilitating active collaboration between academia and industry as it is of a personal interest to me.
What are your thoughts on the future of sustainability as a career path? How do you see the field evolving, and what opportunities do you foresee for individuals passionate about sustainability?
Looking back over the past century, from 1900 to 2000, sustainability was neglected, not valued, and overlooked. But today, everything is being viewed through a sustainability lens, including investments and stock markets. Every sector, from automobiles to electronics, food, and construction, is moving toward sustainability. There is no other way; we must share resources in a sustainable manner rather than exploiting one side and neglecting the other. Sustainability is being deeply ingrained into our economic systems.
As a sustainability enthusiast, I feel that it is very important to find your niche, identify gaps and opportunities in a particular field, and build a sustainable business model; or join a company that shares the same vision. There are no shortcuts to sustainability; it requires dedicated effort due to the extensive damage that we have created over the years. New age companies are recognizing the value of sustainability to survive. Even the government is coming up with plans to reduce carbon emissions and meet international commitments, such as the Paris Climate Accord. This is the era for sustainability. Briefly the journey of human civilisations has been – Hunter gatherers to Agriculture to Industrialization and now, we are moving towards Sustainable Agriculture and Sustainable Industrialization.
