Phileo by Lesaffre visit at Nasekomo: driving sustainable innovation through microorganisms and insects
On October 29, 2025, Nasekomo welcomed representatives from Phileo by Lesaffre – a world leader in yeast and microbial fermentation – to its Nasekomo Insect Center of Excellence (NICE) in Sofia.
The visit was the result of an enduring exchange and cooperation, initiated and developed by Marco Tejeda, Head of R&D at Nasekomo, and Juan Paredes, Phileo’s Global Species Manager – Insects. The collaboration began with a joint study of how selected products of Phileo can improve the growth and health performance of the black soldier fly (BSF). The promising results of these studies laid the foundation for more in-depth discussions and future prospects for collaboration between the two biotech companies.
The Phileo delegation, including Gildas Joaland (Director of Strategy and Partnerships), Juan Paredes (Global Species Manager – Insects) and Nadège Richard (R&D Aqua and Insects), was welcomed by CEO Marc Bolard, Marco Tejeda and key members of Nasekomo’s technical team. Later, Xavier Marcenac, Executive Chairman of Nasekomo’s Board of Directors, joined the discussions.
During the visit, the guests toured the industrial demonstration center, bioconversion facility and microbiology laboratory, gaining insight into Nasekomo’s integrated process for converting organic side streams into high-value insect-based ingredients. The agenda also included cross-presentations highlighting the complementarity between the two companies’ expertise in microbial and insect biotechnology.
The Phileo team presented their mission to “expand the boundaries of animal care” through beneficial microorganisms that promote animal health and sustainability in the insects, aquaculture, livestock and petcaresectors. Nasekomo, for its part, demonstrated how their insect bioconversion technology can bring circularity and efficiency to protein production, supported by advanced R&D capabilities.
The discussions throughout the day provided a solid foundation for future long-term collaboration, focusing on collaborative research, innovation in insect nutrition, and exploration of sustainable feed and ingredient solutions that leverage the scientific strengths of both partners.
“This meeting marks an important milestone in connecting two worlds of biological excellence – fermentation and insects – towards a shared vision for sustainable protein production,” said Marco Tejeda, Head of R&D at Nasekomo.
“Working together with Phileo by Lesaffre can unlock new opportunities for innovation and contribute to the feed industry’s transition to circular and natural solutions.”
By combining Phileo’s expertise in microbial fermentation with Nasekomo’s advances in insect bioconversion, the two companies are paving the way for new biological synergies that can boost feed efficiency, animal health and sustainability.
The visit concluded with a joint agreement on the mutual benefit of future collaboration between the two companies.