What Insectta does

Insectta Pte. Ltd. is a Singapore-based biotechnology company, founded in 2018, that operates a proprietary process to extract two high-value biomaterials — chitosan and melanin — from black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) in a single fermentation-and-extraction workflow. The process is patent-pending, with the melanin purification route held as a trade secret; it yields chitosan with undetectable heavy-metal levels (an attribute impossible to achieve from crustacean sources) and the first reported 100% water-soluble melanin at pH7, at output volumes described as roughly 200x incumbent offerings. The company commercializes three chitosan grades (Cosmetics, Food, Agriculture) and a water-soluble melanin ingredient, packaged partly through sub-brands Chitobeau (ultra-low molecular weight chitosan for skincare) and Melabeau (eumelanin extract for skincare), and is preparing a feed-additive line recaptured from process wastewater. Revenue is generated via direct B2B sales to manufacturers and through emerging distributor channels, with the company actively seeking customers and collaborators in personal wellness, organic electronics, biomedical, agriculture, and food applications.

The company is led by three co-founders — Chua Kai-Ning (CMO), Phua Jun Wei (CTO) and Ronen Arielly (CFO) — plus a recently added Plant Engineer. Insectta has cumulatively raised approximately S$2.5 million across a 2020 Trendlines-led seed round, a 2022 S$500,000 StartUp SG Proof-of-Value grant, and an April 2023 S$1.4 million Trendlines-led seed extension (with Glocalink SG, Paragon Ventures I and SEEDS Capital). It has co-developed its extraction process with A*STAR Singapore (2020 and 2021 collaborations) and partnered with EU-certified regional black soldier fly farms for feedstock. In November 2023, Insectta inaugurated a pilot plant at JTC Cleantech Three (CleanTech Park, Singapore) — a 30x production-capacity step-up versus its prior lab-scale operations — that hosts both headquarters (77 Ayer Rajah Crescent) and the manufacturing facility. Headcount is reported as 1–10, and the company markets chitosan at roughly US$100/kg and melanin at approximately 100x below traditional sourcing costs.

Name

Insectta

Legal name

Insectta Pte. Ltd.

Website

https://insectta.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Insectta is a Singapore-based biotech company that uses a proprietary fermentation and extraction process to produce heavy-metal-free chitosan and 100% water-soluble melanin from black soldier flies, supplying skincare, cosmetics, organic-electronics, biomedical, agriculture, and food manufacturers through direct B2B sales and distribution partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Insect-derived biomaterials

NAICS

Medicinal and Botanical Manufacturing (325411), Pesticide and Other Agricultural Chemical Manufacturing (32532)

SIC

Biological Products, (No Disgnostic Substances) (2836), Agricultural Chemicals (2870)

akta.pro primary industry

Biological Formulation, Fermentation & Scale-Up Manufacturing (AFABAEAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Insect Farming (Crickets, Mealworms, Black Soldier Fly) (AFAEAIAI)

Keywords

• Insect biomaterials
• Chitosan extraction
• Melanin production
• Black soldier fly
• Circular biotechnology

Headquarters

HQ city

Bukit Merah

HQ country

Singapore

HQ region

Asia

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Technology or R&D, Operations, Supply Chain, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Biomaterial sales: Direct B2B sales of chitosan and melanin to manufacturers, cosmetic companies, pharmaceutical companies, and companies in organic electronics and biomedical industries. The company sells direct to manufacturers and through distributors. Chitosan pricing at mid-range ($100/kg) targeting personal wellness market.
2. Melanin sales: Sales of water-soluble melanin for research, prototyping, and commercial applications in organic electronics and biomedical industries. At pilot scale, producing 210 grams per month.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Insectta develops and operates proprietary fermentation and extraction technology to produce high-value biomaterials (chitosan and melanin) from black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens). It sells these biomaterials as industrial inputs to manufacturers in cosmetics, personal wellness, organic electronics, biomedical, agriculture, and food industries, with sub-branded ingredient lines (Chitobeau, Melabeau, Chito-BIOFORTE) for vertical applications. Manufacturing is conducted at its Singapore pilot plant at JTC Cleantech Three, with a circular wastewater process yielding additional mineral, protein, and probiotic byproducts.

Product overview

Insectta is a Singapore-based biotech company that develops proprietary technology to extract high-value biomaterials from the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens). The core product portfolio consists of two main biomaterials: Chitosan (available in Agriculture, Cosmetics, and Food grades) and Melanin (100% water-soluble). These are offered both as raw biomaterials and through sub-brands including Chito-BIOFORTE (agriculture), Chitobeau (cosmetics ingredient), and Melabeau (skincare). The company also plans to offer Feed Additives as a byproduct from its extraction process. All products are positioned for industries including cosmetics, pharmaceuticals, personal wellness, agriculture, and organic electronics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Chito-BIOFORTE: Agriculture grade chitosan product for agricultural applications including anti-fungals and crop protection.
• Melabeau
• Chitobeau

Products and services

• Melanin 100% water-soluble melanin extracted from black soldier flies using patented technology, produced at 200x the scale of industry offerings. Sold to manufacturers and research facilities for organic electronics, biomedical, and skincare applications including biosensors, wearable bioelectronics, bone and nerve regeneration, and radiation protection.
• Chitosan (Cosmetics Grade, 90% DD) Cosmetics-grade chitosan (90% DD) extracted from black soldier flies with undetectable toxic heavy metal levels, certified 100% heavy-metal-free and fully traceable. Sold to cosmetics and personal wellness manufacturers for moisturising, anti-aging, anti-inflammatory, and antimicrobial skincare and haircare formulations.
• Chitosan (Agriculture Grade) Agriculture-grade chitosan derived from black soldier flies, designed for use in agricultural applications including anti-fungal sprays, crop protection, and soil health products.
• Chitosan (Food Grade) Food-grade chitosan with applications in food packaging, shelf-life extending films, emulsifiers, stabilisers, thickeners, and heart-healthy fibre additives; intended for food and beverage manufacturers, with food-grade certification pending in Singapore.
• Chito-BIOFORTE Agriculture-focused chitosan product brand packaged for agricultural applications including anti-fungals and crop protection; positioned for farmers and agri-input companies seeking non-toxic crop inputs.
• Chitobeau Proprietary extract of ultra-low molecular weight chitosan for cosmetics and skincare, with active ingredient delivery boosting, soothing, moisturising, and gentle antioxidant properties, and a light smooth finish; sold to personal wellness and cosmetics manufacturers as a multifunctional skincare ingredient.
• Melabeau Proprietary water-soluble eumelanin extract for skincare with ultra-stable antioxidant properties, anti-inflammatory effects, blue light filtering, and wound healing support; positioned for personal wellness, cosmetics, and skincare manufacturers building anti-aging and protective formulations.
• Feed Additives Mineral and protein byproducts recaptured from Insectta's biomaterial extraction wastewater, marketed as feed additives to improve yield, boost immunity, and support gut health in animal feed applications; status listed as Coming soon.

Quantifiable outcome

• 200x more melanin production than current industry offerings at pilot scale
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• A*STAR SingaporecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst collaboration in 2020 to explore feasibility of proprietary insect biomaterial extraction process, concluding with successful results. Second collaboration in 2021 to optimize extraction process. Process developed at A*STAR labs on lab scale.
• Regional Black Soldier Fly FarmssupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnerships established with regional BSF farms to source insect raw materials for supply chain. Farms are EU-certified for feed, ensuring highest quality raw materials.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Ÿnsect: French insect farming company producing protein and biomaterials (including chitosan) from mealworm for use in feed, cosmetics, and agriculture. Most directly comparable to Insectta as a vertically integrated insect-derived biomaterials producer targeting similar cosmetics and agricultural applications.
• InnovaFeed: French insect (black soldier fly) protein and oil producer supplying animal feed and fertilizer markets, with co-product development including chitosan. Comparable to Insectta as a BSF-based biologicals/biomaterials producer expanding beyond commodity feed.
• Protix: Dutch BSF farming company producing insect protein and lipid ingredients for feed and pet food, with active exploration of higher-value biomaterials. Comparable in feedstock and circular-economy positioning to Insectta.
• Nutrition Technologies: Singapore/Malaysia-based BSF company producing insect protein, oil, and frass for animal feed and agriculture. Directly comparable as a Southeast Asia-based BSF operator with by-product commercialization similar to Insectta's chitosan and feed-additive roadmap.
• AgriProtein: South African BSF company historically focused on protein meal for feed, with broader biomaterials ambitions. Comparable as an early-mover BSF-to-biologicals platform, though historically feed-centric.

Emerging players

• Entocycle: UK-based BSF farming and insect-tech company developing insect-derived products. Comparable as an early-stage BSF bioproducts player, though smaller scale and less biomaterials-focused than Insectta.

Broad incumbents

• Tidal Vision: US-based chitosan producer extracting from crab shell waste for water treatment, food, and agriculture. Direct incumbent competitor to Insectta in chitosan markets, with mature supply chains and scale Insectta must compete against.
• Primex: Icelandic chitosan and chitin producer with broad applications in cosmetics, food, healthcare, and agriculture. Established global chitosan incumbent that competes head-on with Insectta in industrial chitosan sales.
• Heppe Medical Chitosan: Germany-based manufacturer of high-purity chitosan for pharmaceutical, medical, and cosmetic applications. Comparable as a specialty chitosan producer with the quality specifications and regulatory positioning Insectta targets.

Others

• AB Biotics: Biotech company developing microbial/probiotic and bioactive ingredients for food, cosmetics, and pharma. Comparable as a fermentation-based biologicals producer with adjacent product portfolio to Insectta's fermentation-driven biomaterial extraction.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/insectta
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/33522324
• Instagraminstagram.com/insectta_sg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors4 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Insectta