Keiran Olivares Whitaker

Real talk, let me break down Keiran Olivares Whitaker, this guy’s the real deal in the startup world, especially when it comes to sustainability and tech. So, Keiran’s the founder and CEO of Entocycle, a London-based biotech company that’s crushing it in insect farming tech. Basically, he’s trying to fix the global food system by turning food waste into protein and organic fertilizer using bugs, yeah, bugs! Specifically, the Black Soldier Fly. Crazy, right?

He launched Entocycle back in 2017, and the whole vibe was about making food production way more sustainable, low-carbon, and local. Keiran’s process into this space is super interesting. Before jumping into startups, he studied Environmental Design at Oxford Brookes and then grabbed an MSc from Manchester, so dude’s got the academic creds, but what really drives him is his passion for saving the planet. That totally shows in his work.

His inspiration? It’s kinda wild, he was working as a scuba diving instructor in places like Indonesia, Malaysia, and Honduras, and saw firsthand how much environmental damage is happening. That shit hit him hard. Made him think, “How can I actually do something about this?” That’s when he jumped into the insect farming game. It’s pretty genius, insects are a super fast way to deal with food waste and produce protein without messing up the planet more.

Since then, Keiran and Entocycle have built a proof-of-concept and R&D labs in the UK and Brazil, plus multiple pilot facilities in London. They’ve raised serious cash too, $5 million in Series A in 2023, then another $2.6 million in 2024 to scale up. No cap, this guy is not just talking; he’s actually making moves and proving that insect-based tech can be a big part of the future.

He’s also recognized as an Unreasonable Fellow, that’s a huge deal, shows he’s among the top innovators trying to solve the world’s biggest problems. Plus, he’s super passionate about sustainability, conservation, cycling, football, and scuba diving, basically, he’s all about pushing limits and living the mission.

Bottom line? Keiran’s story is about more than startups. It’s about someone who saw the bullshit in our food and environmental systems, and instead of complaining, he jumped into the trenches and built something that could actually change the game. He’s proof that with the right mindset and a little bug magic, you can tackle global issues head-on. This guy’s the real deal, a legit innovator fighting for a better planet, one bug at a time.