At first glance, it's hard to associate the image of a larva—small, anonymous, and fragile—with concepts like innovation or biotechnology. However, a few kilometers from Barcelona, in the Abrera industrial park, Dapibus demonstrates that this association is not only possible but is already a reality. Inside a 3,000-square-meter plant, governed by technology and process automation, millions of Black Soldier Fly larvae are being converted into proteins or fats with great properties for animal feed, and even organic and ecological fertilizers for the field. And, potentially, these tiny larvae could also be the origin of new medicines capable of combating even bacteria that are still unknown today.
The origin of this ambitious project dates back to 2021, when Álex Segura decided to undertake it together with Arturo Almazor and Carlos Conde. Segura, who came from an apparently distant sector—the textile sector—but who was already working on initiatives linked to sustainability, defends that the objective of the three founders was clear: "to lead the food industry towards a more sustainable and automated model." And they decided to do it with the Black Soldier Fly larva as the protagonist, "an insect very studied academically, for its multiple properties, but little exploited industrially," as Segura points out.
When they began to research this insect, they soon discovered its full potential: through these insects, waste and low-quality food could be transformed into valuable proteins and fats for both animal feed and agriculture, but with possible applications in many other industries, such as pharmaceuticals or cosmetics. The company's name summarized that ambition: Dapibus comes from Latin and means protein, in reference to the nutritional properties that this larva presents.
What began as a pioneering idea, this year 2025 has ceased to be a project and has become a reality, with the opening of the first fully automated biotransformation center in Spain. A factory of 3,000 square meters located in Abrera, just in front of SEAT Martorell, which aims to produce about 3,500 tons annually of protein meal, oil, and organic fertilizer.
Upon entering the factory, the first thing that catches the eye is that it is not a plant controlled by humans, but by technology. In it, the operators are not the protagonists, but the supervisors of this complex process in which larvae and waste are converted into animal feed and fertilizers for the field. Robotic arms, conveyor belts, and specialized machinery work at a frantic pace, in a process coordinated with millimeter precision, as if it were a difficult dance, where every step, no matter how small, counts.
So much so that in this factory, technology does not accompany, but is the protagonist of the process. In fact, its pioneering technology and highly automated process have made it a benchmark for industries in other sectors, receiving visits from personalities such as Alícia Romero, consellera of Economy and Finance of the Generalitat, or Jordi Hereu, Minister of Industry and Tourism.
Annually, more than 17,000 tons of organic waste from the nearby environment —such as pulps and discarded fruit peels from industrial processes— arrive at the factory to become the food source for these larvae. The insects go through different growth phases for approximately ten days, at which point they are ready for the drying and transformation phase, where they are converted into products for animal feed or fertilizer for the field.
The products are intended for feeding pets (dogs and cats) or birds, but also the pig industry or, for example, aquaculture, adapting to different formulations according to the diet of each animal: protein meal (which can be integrated into the different meals of these animals), fat, or even the entire dried larva, which is very attractive to animals such as chickens. Currently, the factory produces around ten tons of meal, two tons of fat, and 20 tons of organic and ecological fertilizer for the field monthly, although the goal is to reach about 50 tons of meal, 100 tons of fertilizer, and ten tons of fat per month.
These products are thus beneficial in terms of nutrition for the animals that consume them. In tests with laying hens, for example, notable improvements in digestion have been observed, acting as a stomach protector, in addition to being a great source of protein and providing them with the energy supplement that these animals need. The flour, for example, is rich in amino acids, minerals, and vitamins; and the fat contains around 40% lauric acid. "Furthermore, they also have a smaller environmental footprint than conventional animal proteins; while also betting on European food sovereignty, in a context where Europe depends on imported ingredients such as soy," adds Segura.
Beyond food: medicines and cosmetics
But reducing Dapibus to an animal feed factory would be staying on the surface. The company's true ambition lies in what is not yet seen. "We are demonstrating that these larvae not only serve as a protein supplement or as a digestive protector for animals, but that the insect presents characteristics with great potential for the medical or pharmaceutical industry," says Segura.The larva of Black Soldier Fly is the second living being that expresses the most known peptides, "some particles with great antibacterial, antiviral, and antifungal properties," Segura points out. It is no coincidence: these larvae have evolved among waste and decomposing matter, developing a great immune system and powerful natural defenses, which could be studied and used even to combat bacteria that are not yet known today. A particularly relevant fact in a context of alarm over swine flu or avian flu like the current one.
Dapibus already participates in R&D projects to characterize these peptides and evaluate their effectiveness against particularly problematic pathogens, testing it with known bacteria such as E. coli, presenting benefits for both animals and, potentially, for humans. In addition, components such as lauric acid, contained in the fat manufactured at Dapibus, are also widely used in the cosmetic industry. "We must take advantage of Barcelona's biotechnological potential," Segura emphasizes. An ecosystem formed by large pharmaceutical companies and leading institutions such as the Barcelona Supercomputing Center, with whom they have already begun to collaborate.
"If, in addition to better nourishing animals, we can help combat bacteria naturally, the value of the product multiplies," summarizes the CEO. Even so, he admits that scientific validation and pharmaceutical regulation are complex and demanding, so the trajectory of these R&D projects in which they are already investing will be medium and long term. Segura also admits that this larva still has great properties that "are yet to be discovered."
Industrial scaling
However, in the short term, the Catalan biotechnology company has other ambitious plans in hand: to build a factory with a surface area and production capacity up to eight times larger. "This first plant is only a demonstrator," insists Segura, "serving to learn, test, and improve the transformation process of these larvae." "But we must think about the next step: the great industrial leap," emphasizes its CEO.To finance these ambitious growth plans, the company is preparing a new round of between 30 and 40 million euros. The startup plans to replicate the financial model of the more than eight million invested in the launch of this first factory —approximately 40% of that capital came from private sources, another 40% from public grants or loans, such as the European Union's LIFE project, and the rest from bank loans—. The goal is to close the next round between the end of next year and mid-the-following-year, with the ambition of launching the next plant between 2028 and 2029.
Currently, Dapibus supplies its products to manufacturers of pet food, poultry, pig farming, and aquaculture, with Quimidroga as its main distributor in the Iberian Peninsula, in addition to Fertiberia for the distribution of its fertilizers. However, the company is working with large industrial clients to close commercial agreements that will concentrate a large part of its turnover. Its client portfolio is mostly European, although the company does not rule out future alliances in Latin America or North America, markets with great potential, according to the company.
The future facility aims to be "the Rolls-Royce of industrial plants," jokes Segura, "with improvements in automation, efficiency, sustainability, and emission reduction." "We will multiply the production capacity by eight," Segura insists. This growth will also be reflected in employment: from the current 12–15 workers, the workforce could be between 70 and 100 people, with a strong emphasis on scientific, technical, and engineering profiles, such as supervisors of a highly automated process within the plant.
Just like the square meters and the workforce, turnover would also increase: the forecast is to reach a turnover of four million euros by 2026, when Dapibus would still be producing in this first plant, and to multiply it by eight with the new factory already at full capacity.
For now, what is not in the company's plans is to transform these larvae for human consumption. "There are cultural barriers," Segura acknowledges, although he does not rule out that within ten or twenty years insects could become another ingredient in the diet —as is already the case in other countries—, especially due to their high protein value. However, their current focus is clear: animal feed, sustainable agriculture, and advanced biotechnology.