The dream wins. With drive, courage, passion and conviction, Tebrito has stepped into a market that can break all boundaries. We can thus state that another successful company feels ready to leave Dalarnas Science Park's incubator program.
- It has been a team effort, says Nils Österström, I am grateful for all the invaluable support we have received along the way.
The idea was born exactly ten years ago, of how insects with their high protein values could be accepted as an invisible ingredient in the basic human diet. Then a wild idea, today a dream come true.
Today, Tebrito is a company based in Orsa that produces mealworms for food and feed. The residual product can also be sold as high-octane fertilizer. But it doesn't stop there. The company is also working on a protein flour for the future (mealworm ground into a white, tasteless powder), consisting of a protein content as high as 88%. This makes the product of great interest on a global basis, for more and greater uses, linked to human, food and nutrition. With a projected world population of around 9-10 billion by 2050, the demand for proteins is predicted to increase by 60%.
From a sustainability perspective, mealworms can also make a big difference, as an alternative to sea fishing and meat production. In addition, production can be highly automated in small areas and requires significantly less water and natural resources.
The big question along the way has always been whether the product would be approved by the Swedish Food Agency. In 2018, a negative decision came, which the Food Agency changed after a judgment in the European Court of Justice in 2020. Today, the door is open and Tebrito has become an approved food company on the market.
Nils Österström describes spring 2022 as a precursor to something much bigger.
- "So far, only test kitchens are using the product, to find out how it can best be integrated. At the same time, we are currently making marketing and sales plans to meet the huge demand that may be around the corner. We want to be there when it happens, and are aware that more factories may be needed. There is talk of an international food crisis, fueled by the war in Ukraine. We need to increase our self-sufficiency in food and feed in the world. We have a solution that can make a big difference.
One journey - a thousand opportunities
Nils looks back at the time when he worked at an IT company in the county, how he quit his job and dared to invest in an idea so unique that today, many years later, stakeholders and investors are almost queuing up to be involved in various ways, through venture capital and partnerships. And the new factory in Orsa, where ten people work, has been scaled up to 2,000 square meters with the capacity to produce 200 tons per year.
Looking back, we see an important breakthrough in 2016 when his company was selected in a Vinnova competition as one of fifteen companies to receive half a million kronor to develop their business idea, and was also one of five companies that were awarded another half a million in the continued operation of the business. Other early milestones were the contact with Almi Företagspartner and not least Dalarna Science Park and the incubator program that they became part of in 2016. Earlier this spring, on March 11, Tebrito made an exit from the incubator, after six years of collaboration.
- "Dalarna Science Park has meant a lot to me, I started something new, without experience, in a completely new industry. I have received legal support, support and networks. It can otherwise be easy to get lost at an early stage.
Jörgen Bond has had the privilege of coaching Tebrito in the incubator program. He is quick to pay tribute to Nils and the team that together are about to take off to unimagined heights.
- "I am very impressed by their determination, courage and passion, how they have stubbornly worked towards a long-term goal. The team has been important, as has the timing. And they have also built a sustainable business model that has generated capital, partnerships and new networks. This is a business and business idea that is bigger than most people realize.
Nils notes that there is a good breeding ground for development in Dalarna.
- "I feel that there can be a fine line between being a successful entrepreneur and not being one. Dalarna has an advantage in its proximity to expertise and networks, everything is available, and there is an openness to new ideas.
Nils can also comment on the fact that in a short time, Dalarna has produced two successful food players - Tebrito and Cashewmeetly with its famous veggie meat - both with endless opportunities in an international market.
- Innovation and entrepreneurship are different things to me, but I would say that there is a mentality and willingness to cooperate in Dalarna that plays an important role in this context.
Nils has several tips and advice that he wants to highlight for those who are in the process of realizing an idea and dream
- It's about throwing yourself into an idea if you feel it has potential and can work. You have to take a leap of faith, even though you may feel uncertainty and fear.
- Even if you do something innovative, it doesn't mean you have to rediscover everything.
- Don't think that you can do everything yourself, especially if you haven't run a business before, as it has been for me. You need a team to succeed. And love the journey, it's not just about the destination. And then living with an entrepreneurship has many benefits where you feel that you can constantly evolve.
