LONDON, ONTARIO – Aspire Food Group, a global industry leader in the production of edible insects, announced today its plans to build the world’s largest food-grade automated cricket processing facility in London, Canada.
This new facility will be one of the most technologically advanced and energy efficient protein production systems in the world and will initially employ 60 employees to meet the growing demand for premium alternative protein products serving both human and pet food markets.
Aspire Food Group has purchased a 12-acre parcel of land in London’s exciting Innovation Park strategically located at the intersection of Veterans Memorial Parkway and Highway 401. Construction will begin in August 2020 and is projected to be completed by the end of 2021.
Aspire Food Group recently received $10 million in funding and support from Sustainable Development Technology Canada (SDTC), which helps Canadian entrepreneurs accelerate the development and deployment of globally competitive clean technology solutions.
“Cleantech companies like Aspire are investing in today and helping to position Canada as a leader in an expanding market as investors and businesses seek sustainable growth. Investments in clean technology support the work of Canadian innovators to reduce Canada’s environmental footprint and grow economic opportunities,” announced The Honourable Navdeep Bains, Minister of Innovation, Science and Industry.
“We are extremely excited to welcome Aspire Food Group to London,” said London Mayor Ed Holder. “This highly innovative and internationally renowned firm represents a significant addition not only to London’s growing food and beverage sector, but also to Innovation Park where Aspire’s facility will soon occupy 12 acres. With our economy in the early stages of recovery, Aspire Food Group’s imminent arrival is proof that London’s industrial land strategy is succeeding at expanding and growing our workforce in new and diverse ways.”
“Aspire is a great addition to our agri-food cluster of more than 90 companies employing over 7,000 people at leading businesses including Labatt, McCormick, Dr. Oetker, Cargill, Original Cakerie and Nestlé, as well as several fast-growing food and beverage start-ups,” said Kapil Lakhotia, President & CEO, London Economic Development Corporation. “We are delighted to attract the jobs, innovation and technology that this state-of-the-art project brings to our community, a boost to our post-covid economic recovery efforts.”
“This first-of-its-kind commercial facility will enable not just Aspire Food Group, but our entire growing sector to take an important stride forward in our mission to deliver an excellent-value protein at a fraction of the environmental impact of most conventional protein sources,” said Mohammed Ashour, Co-Founder and CEO of Aspire Food Group. “We are thrilled to be building this facility in Canada, where our journey started seven years ago as graduate students at McGill University”.
For more information, contact:
Mohammed Ashour, Co-Founder & CEO
ma@aspirefg.com
About Aspire Food Group
Aspire Food Group is a world leader in building the lowest cost, highest-density, and most ethical automated food-grade protein production system. Aspire farms and processes crickets into all-natural, sustainable, superfood ingredients that are nutritionally superior to livestock, cell-cultured, and plant-based alternatives. Aspire targets markets that utilize crickets and their byproducts in human and pet nutrition, biomedicine and agrochemicals, combining for a $1.6trillion global addressable opportunity. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, and founded in 2014 after winning the prestigious US$1mm Hult Prize, Aspire Food Group has been recognized by Fast Company as a “World Changing Idea” and has been referred to by the United Nations FAO as “an idea whose time has come.” Aspire Food Group is a privately held Canadian company backed by several venture-capital and private-equity firms, including: JC2 Ventures, TELUS Ventures, and Northern Private Capital. Aspire Food Group is proud to receive support and funding from a number of federal programs, including the Sustainable Development Technology Canada which has committed CAD$10mm to this innovative project.
