Finnish biotech company Volare announced the closing of a €26 million funding round to build Volare 01 – a facility set to become “the most efficient protein production plant in the world” and to advance its technology.
Located in Pori, Finland, the facility will serve as a cornerstone in scaling Volare’s proprietary insect protein technology.
“This milestone strengthens protein self-sufficiency and accelerates the shift toward sustainable, circular food production in Europe,” said Volare.
The investmenrt round includes a mix of equity, mezzanine and senior loans, and public funding, with support from Maki.vc, Firstminute Capital, Springvest, The Finnish Climate Fund (to be merged with Finnish Industry Investment), Finnvera, Norion Bank, South Ostrobothnia ELY Centre and Business Finland.
Volare s realigning leadership roles to support its expanding vision. Co-founder Jarna Hyvönen, formerly Chief Commercial Officer, has been appointed Chief Executive Officer as of June 2025.
Co-founder Tuure Parviainen, who has led Volare as CEO since its founding, will transition to the role of Chief Science Officer.
The European Union is currently just 34% self-sufficient in protein concentrates — containing more than 30% protein — according to the European Commission, leaving the region heavily dependent on imports. This reliance makes the food system increasingly vulnerable to supply chain disruptions, geopolitical tensions and price fluctuations.
“At the core of Volare’s breakthrough is the black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens), nature’s most efficient bioreactor,” said Volare.
“These insects naturally convert food industry byproducts into high-value resources with exceptional efficiency. While such byproducts are often incinerated – wasting their potential – Volare upcycles them into premium insect protein, oil, and fertilizer through its proprietary zero-waste, fossil-free process.
“Leveraging a brownfield location, Volare offers a significantly more capital-efficient setup than greenfield builds.
“Several key technologies integrated into the process achieve a 30% reduction in processing energy use and aims to cut hygienization energy use by 50%, enabling operational expenditure (OPEX) performance unseen in the insect technology sector.
“This makes Volare’s system not only the most energy-efficient protein production platform available today but also a circular economy benchmark. Volare’s sustainable ingredients have already gained traction in aquafeed, pet food, and poultry feed, offering a scalable, proven alternative to environmentally intensive ingredients such as fishmeal, meat, and soy.”
Tuure Parviainen, Chief Science Officer and co-founder of Volare, said: “Volare was founded on the vision that protein can – and must – be produced in a radically more efficient and sustainable way.
“Now, we’re entering a new phase: scaling up to full industrial production. Our new facility will bring our proprietary, zero-waste, fossil-free process to life at scale, transforming food industry byproducts into high-quality protein and strengthening Europe’s food resilience.”
Volare CEO Jarna Hyvönen said: “This is the most efficient way to produce protein, combining low-value raw materials, nature’s own bioreactor, and proprietary ultra-efficient technology – a combination that’s hard to beat.
“The result is a process with emissions significantly lower than conventional alternatives, up to 4–8 times lower than soy. This investment marks a major step toward full-scale operations and reinforces Volare’s position at the forefront of the global protein transition.”