Tecmafoods
Portuguese insect production company creating sustainable alternative protein solutions.
Founded
2020Portuguese insect production company creating sustainable alternative protein solutions.
Tecmafoods was founded in 2020 in Leça do Balio, Porto, Portugal, under the legal name Insect Based Feed & Food, Lda. The company has raised approximately $2.1 million USD across multiple funding rounds including Pre-Seed, Angel, and Seed stages from investors such as Lince Capital, Iberis Capital, Olisipo Way, and Bernardo Macedo.
The company is co-financed by Compete 2030, Portugal 2030, and the European Union, reflecting strong institutional support for its sustainable food technology mission. Tecmafoods continues to expand its iRanch network and participated in FI Europe 2025 to showcase its food, nutraceutical, and pet food ingredients.
Tecmafoods operates as an insect-based protein production company focused on both human food and animal feed markets. The company leverages advanced breeding and processing technologies to transform mealworms into high-quality proteins, oils, and powders for food manufacturing and animal nutrition applications.
Its product portfolio includes TecmaFood for human food ingredients sold under the Greenmeal brand, TecmaFeed for animal and pet food inputs sold under the Mr Zoo brand, TecmaPlant organic fertilizer derived from insect frass, and TecmaBOX modular farming systems for decentralized insect production.
The global alternative protein market is experiencing rapid growth driven by sustainability concerns and increasing demand for eco-efficient food systems. Tecmafoods addresses this demand by producing insect-based proteins for human food, animal feed, and agricultural applications, contributing to a more resilient and circular economy.
The company's expansion into decentralized farming systems through TecmaBOX iRanches positions it to scale production capacity across Portugal and potentially broader European markets, aligning with EU sustainability objectives and reducing the environmental footprint associated with traditional animal agriculture.
Tecmafoods holds a significant regulatory advantage as one of the few companies in Portugal licensed to produce and transform insects for human consumption, having received its industrial license in May 2022. The company maintains close academic ties with Universidade Católica Portuguesa – Escola Superior de Biotecnologia, strengthening its research and development capabilities in biotechnology and alternative proteins.
The company operates a decentralized production model through its iRanch modular farming units, with expansion plans including iRanch 4 in Lousã mentioned in late 2025. This scalable approach, combined with its zero-waste operational philosophy where all insect by-products are utilized, positions Tecmafoods as a leader in sustainable alternative protein production in Southern Europe.