Norbite
Norbite is a Stockholm-based biotech startup that uses greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae to biodegrade polyethylene plastic waste and convert it into protein and lipid biomass for food, feed, and space-industry applications. It serves circular-economy and space-food markets via consulting, partnerships, and non-dilutive grant funding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2020
- HeadquartersStockholm, Sweden
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingHardware or Manufacturing
What Norbite does
Norbite is a privately held Swedish biotech startup founded in 2020 and headquartered in Stockholm, with an operating team of 1-10 employees. The company has developed a proprietary biological process that uses larvae of Galleria mellonella, the greater wax moth, to biodegrade polyethylene plastic waste and upcycle it into protein and lipid biomass intended for food and animal feed applications. Its stated mission is to address approximately 300 million tonnes of annual global plastic waste by converting it into high-value sustainable ingredients rather than downcycled materials. Norbite also positions the technology for space-industry use cases, proposing plastic-waste-fed larvae as a food supply for astronauts on long-duration missions.
The company operates a community-led go-to-market motion anchored in academic partnerships (Chalmers University, Stockholm School of Economics), European deep-tech accelerators (EIT Food Accelerator Network at the Helsinki Hub), and the European Space Agency's business incubator (ESA BIC Sweden at Innovatum Science Park). Revenue mechanics are not publicly disclosed; the company describes offering consulting and collaboration services for circular-economy and sustainability solutions alongside its core plastic-waste transformation technology. No named commercial customers, pricing, or sales contracts are disclosed in available sources.
Norbite is funded primarily through non-dilutive public and institutional grants, including the European Innovation Council (approximately $81,935 in April 2023), Vinnova, EIT Food, EQT Foundation, Carl Trygger Stiftelse, EU funding programs, and the European Space Agency. The company has no disclosed venture capital equity rounds, no patents, no subsidiaries, and no M&A activity. It has accumulated recognition through awards including the Hello Tomorrow Deep Tech Pioneers Award, ESA Sweden space prize, ActInSpace Sweden, Stockholm University Business Model Cup, and Nordic Women in Tech Role Model Award (for CEO Nathalie Berezina). The company remains in a pre-commercial R&D phase with no evidence of scaled production or recurring revenue.
Norbite firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Norbite
- Legal name
- Norbite
- Website
- https://norbite.eu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2020
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- Norbite is a Stockholm-based biotech startup that uses greater wax moth (Galleria mellonella) larvae to biodegrade polyethylene plastic waste and convert it into protein and lipid biomass for food, feed, and space-industry applications. It serves circular-economy and space-food markets via consulting, partnerships, and non-dilutive grant funding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Norbite industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Insect Biorefinery
- NAICS
- Animal Food Manufacturing (31111)
- SIC
- Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion) (EUAIAKAM)
Keywords
Where Norbite is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Stockholm
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Norbite business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Hardware or Manufacturing
- Cost components
- Operations, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain, Personnel
Revenue model
- Sustainable Products from Upcycled Plastic: The company transforms plastic waste into sustainable goods, producing proteins and lipids from insect larvae that have consumed plastic. These outputs serve as ingredients for food and feed applications.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Marketing channels4 records
Norbite product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Norbite is a Swedish biotech research firm that uses plastic-eating larvae to biodegrade plastic waste and convert it into sustainable goods, including protein and lipid biomass intended for food and feed applications. In parallel, the firm offers consulting and collaboration services around circular economy and plastic-waste transformation to partner organizations.
Product overview
Norbite is a biotech company offering a single unified biological technology platform centered on plastic waste transformation. The core offering uses larvae of Galleria mellonella (greater wax moth) to upcycle plastic waste into sustainable proteins and lipids for food and feed. This is complemented by consulting and collaboration services. The company was selected to EIT Food Accelerator Network and participates in ESA BIC Sweden, with applications for both Earth-based food systems and space missions.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Norbite
Customer profileSegments2 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
Norbite technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed Yes
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Norbite partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Chalmers UniversitycoreCollaboration launched in November 2021 in the field of customer behaviour research. Chalmers University, a leading Swedish technical university, partnered with Norbite to study and understand customer behavior patterns.
- Drivhuset GöteborgcoreCollaboration launched in November 2021 in the field of customer behaviour. Drivhuset Göteborg, a Swedish startup incubator/incubator, partnered with Norbite for customer behavior research.
- ESA BIC SwedencoreIn May 2021, Norbite entered the Business Incubator of European Space Agency within Innovatum Science park. ESA BIC Sweden supports space-related startups with mentorship, funding, and business development services.
- Stockholm School of EconomicscoreCollaboration established in Autumn 2021 with Stockholm School of Economics and ESA BIC Sweden to understand market opportunities and trends for products based on plastic-eating insects.
- MedieinstitutminorCollaboration launched in Autumn 2021 in the field of marketing and branding, along with xPlot.
- xPlotminorOngoing collaboration in marketing and branding since Autumn 2021. xPlot helps explain complex technologies developed by Norbite and has published multiple articles about the company.
- EIT Food Accelerator Network (Helsinki Hub)coreSelected in June 2021 to join the Food Accelerator Network of the European Institute of Innovation and Technology within the Helsinki Hub. This accelerator provides mentorship, resources, and network access for agrifood startups.
- Innovatum Science ParkcoreInnovatum Science Park hosts ESA BIC Sweden where Norbite was incubated. Provides startup incubation services and space-related ecosystem support.
Scale indicators1 record
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Norbite competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Ÿnsect: French insect protein producer farming mealworms for animal feed and pet food. Comparable to Norbite because both use insect biotechnology to produce protein/lipid biomass for feed applications, validating the insect-protein value chain.
- InnovaFeed: French insect protein company producing black soldier fly larvae for aquaculture and animal feed. Directly comparable to Norbite on insect-based protein output and target feed markets, though feedstock differs from Norbite's plastic-fed larvae.
- NextProtein: French-Tunisian insect protein company producing BSF larvae for animal feed. Comparable on insect bioconversion of organic residues into protein, offering a similar technology stack to Norbite but with conventional feedstocks.
- AgriProtein: South African insect protein producer using black soldier fly to upcycle organic waste into feed protein. Comparable on the waste-to-feed insect bioconversion thesis that underpins Norbite's plastic-to-feed model.
- Protix: Dutch company farming black soldier fly larvae for animal nutrition including pet food and aquafeed. Comparable on insect protein production for feed, providing a benchmark for insect-based ingredient unit economics and regulatory pathways in the EU.
Emerging players
- Entocycle: UK insect farming startup focused on black soldier fly protein for feed. Comparable on insect biotechnology fundamentals, though earlier-stage and operating in a narrower feed market.
Broad incumbents
- Agilyx: US-based company operating chemical recycling of mixed waste plastics into crude oil and feedstocks. Comparable as a competing plastic-to-value pathway with stronger IP and scale advantages versus Norbite's biological route.
- Plastic Energy: UK/Spanish company operating commercial plastic-to-fuel pyrolysis plants that convert end-of-life plastic into hydrocarbon feedstocks. Comparable on plastic waste transformation technology, with substantially more mature industrial deployment.
- Carbios: French biotech using engineered enzymes to depolymerize PET plastic back to monomers for repolymerization. Comparable on biological plastic recycling, though targeting different outputs (monomers vs. biomass) and serving a much more advanced commercialization stage.
- Loop Industries: Canadian PET/polyester depolymerization company producing virgin-quality monomers from waste plastic. Comparable on the plastic-to-value recycling thesis and pursuing food-grade outputs that overlap with Norbite's downstream ambitions.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks7 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Norbite social profiles
Digital presenceNorbite financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Norbite leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Norbite funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds1 record
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Norbite M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Norbite
What does Norbite do?
Norbite is a Swedish biotech research firm that uses plastic-eating larvae to biodegrade plastic waste and convert it into sustainable goods, including protein and lipid biomass intended for food and feed applications. In parallel, the firm offers consulting and collaboration services around circular economy and plastic-waste transformation to partner organizations.
Is Norbite a public or private company?
Norbite is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Norbite founded?
Norbite was founded in 2020. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is Norbite based?
Norbite is headquartered in Stockholm, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does Norbite make money?
One revenue line is on record: sustainable Products from Upcycled Plastic.
Who are Norbite's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Ÿnsect, InnovaFeed, NextProtein, AgriProtein and Protix. Entocycle is listed as an emerging player. Broad incumbents are Agilyx, Plastic Energy, Carbios and Loop Industries.
Does Norbite have an API?
No public API is recorded for Norbite.
What industry is Norbite in?
Norbite's product category is Insect Biorefinery. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EUAIAKAM, Plastic Recycling Equipment & Technology Providers (Sorting, Washing, Extrusion). Its NAICS code is 31111 and its SIC code is 8731.