Thai Union Corporate Venture Fund invests in insect-based pet treats

  • Thai Union adds to its pet food portfolio by investing in an insect-based pet treats player
  • Orgafeed is one of Thailand’s leading insect-based pet treat start-ups

BANGKOK – November 1, 2021 – Thai Union Group PCL (Thai Union) today announced that its Corporate Venture Capital (CVC) Fund has invested in Orgafeed, one of the leading insect-based pet treat start-ups in Thailand.

Orgafeed produces sustainable pet food and pet treats based on insect protein under their brand “Laika”. They use black soldier fly larvae, which are raised on a diet from pre-consumed food waste, supporting circular economy principles. Orgafeed has been a part of the first batch of SPACE-F, Thailand’s first global food-tech startup incubator and accelerator, co-founded by Thai Union in 2019.

The investment in Orgafeed, and further collaboration will support the future growth of Thai Union PetCare (now “i-Tail”), and is in line with i-Tail’s new roadmap that utilizes innovation to enhance the nutritional aspect of the Company’s products.

Thai Union’s pet product portfolio includes market-ready brands such as Marvo, Bellota, Paramount, and Calico Bay and a vast number of private-labels under customer brand names. Thai Union recently expanded its pet food operations in Japan by forming a subsidiary to distribute, sell and import pet food and pet-related products.

Picture: Healthy, sustainable dog treats from Orgafeed, under the “Laika” brand (Credit: Orgafeed)

“At Thai Union, innovation and sustainability are two important pillars of our business. The pet industry is experiencing strong humanization and premiumization trends, which has led to customers looking for healthier and more sustainable products, thus driving our portfolio towards sustainable pet products, such as insect protein, where the environmental impact (emissions, land and water usage) is significantly lower than other kinds of farmed protein,” said Roy Chan, CEO of i-Tail, Thai Union. “Orgafeed will help us better serve our customers, especially in the sustainable pet food segment. We’re very pleased to be participating in this round of funding and are looking forward to exploring collaboration opportunities with them.”

Ittikorn Thepmani, Orgafeed’s co-founder and Circular Economy Officer (CEO) said, “We believe that insect protein is a sustainable choice that helps to raise the standard of the pet food industry, both in terms of nutritional benefits and sustainability. With this partnership and investment from Thai Union Group, we will be able to scale both our business as well as the positive impacts on the environment. We look forward to this journey together with Thai Union Group and their pet care experts and professionals.”

Thai Union’s CVC fund has identified alternative proteins, functional nutrition and biotechnology, in addition to new technologies along the food value chain, as strategic areas for investment. The fund invests in, and partners with, early-stage, entrepreneurial companies working in these areas, seeking to support and accelerate their development to grow the industry in line with Thai Union’s commitment to Healthy Living, Healthy Oceans.

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About Thai Union Group

Thai Union Group PCL is the world’s seafood leader, bringing high quality, healthy, tasty and innovative seafood products to customers across the world for more than 40 years.

Today, Thai Union is regarded as one of the world’s leading seafood producers and is one of the largest producers of shelf-stable tuna products with annual sales exceeding THB 132.4 billion (US$ 4.2 billion) and a global workforce of more than 44,000 people who are dedicated to pioneering sustainable, innovative seafood products.

The company’s global brand portfolio includes market-leading international brands such as Chicken of the Sea, John West, Petit Navire, Parmentier, Mareblu, King Oscar, and Rügen Fisch, Thai-leading brands SEALECT, Fisho, Qfresh, Monori, Bellotta and Marvo, and ingredient and supplement brands UniQ™BONE, UniQ™DHA and ZEAvita.

As a company committed to innovation and globally responsible behavior, Thai Union is proud to be a member of the United Nations Global Compact, and a founding member of the International Seafood Sustainability Foundation (ISSF). In 2015, Thai Union introduced its SeaChange® sustainability strategy. Find out more at seachangesustainability.org. Thai Union’s on-going work on sustainability issues was recognized when the company was listed on the Dow Jones Sustainability Indices (DJSI) for the seventh consecutive year in 2020, and ranked number two in the world on the Food Products Industry Index. Thai Union was also named to the FTSE4Good Emerging Index for the fifth straight year in 2020.

About Orgafeed

Orgafeed is a sustainable protein provider specialized in insect protein for pet food. The company was founded in 2018 and is based in Bangkok, Thailand. The company has its insect farming operation on a circular economy model which helps to upcycle food surpluses into high-quality insect protein suitable for pet food.

The company has introduced “Laika” - a sustainable pet brand offering dog foods that are healthy, tasty, and planet-friendly at the same time. The company believes that insect protein will be a sustainable and healthy choice for pet parents who care about their pet’s health as well as the planet’s. Laika plans to introduce a variety of pet products ranging from dog’s treats, complete diets, and other sustainable lifestyle products as well as for cats.

Media contacts
Wiriyaporn Posayanonda E: Wiriyaporn.Posayanonda@thaiunion.com
Jirawat Montreevong E: Jirawat.Montreevong@thaiunion.com