Bardee

Bardee is an Australian agtech company operating in the circular economy to address the dual challenges of food waste and unsustainable food production. Founded in 2019 by Phoebe Gardner, an architect, and Alex Arnold, an entomologist and soil scientist, the company originated from their early experiments of feeding insects with discarded tuna heads in a university car park. Gardner's background in architecture and Arnold's in entomology provided a complementary skill set to develop a large-scale, controlled system for upcycling waste.

The core of Bardee's business is transforming pre and post-consumer food waste into high-value products using Black Soldier Fly Larvae (BSFL). The company collects food waste from clients such as supermarkets, shopping centers, and food manufacturers. This waste is processed and fed to billions of larvae in a proprietary vertical farming system. In just seven days, the larvae consume the waste, growing 3,000 times their original size. This biological process recovers approximately 90% of the nutrients from the discarded food, operating ten times faster than traditional commercial composting.

The outputs of this process are twofold: a high-quality insect protein and a certified organic fertiliser. The protein is sold as an ingredient for animal feed, aquafeed, and pet food, offering a sustainable substitute for traditional protein sources like fishmeal and soy, thereby helping to reduce overfishing and deforestation. The larvae's manure, or frass, is processed into a range of 'Superfly' fertilisers and soil enhancers. These organic fertilisers are designed to improve soil biodiversity and crop yields, making organic farming more economically viable for farmers. Bardee's products, including fertilisers and even fishing burley, are available for both bulk purchase and retail, with some fertiliser products being sold in major retail outlets like Bunnings.

After operating in stealth mode for two years, Bardee launched a 2,500-square-meter commercial facility in Melbourne's northwest in 2021. This launch was supported by a $5 million seed funding round led by Blackbird Ventures, with contributions from notable angel investors. However, the company has faced significant challenges, including laying off approximately 30 staff members in May 2023 amid difficulties in raising further capital. After being ordered into liquidation in May 2024, the company has since resumed operations, with co-founder Phoebe Gardner confirming its continuation in September 2024.

Keywords: food waste recycling, insect protein, Black Soldier Fly Larvae, organic fertiliser, circular economy, agtech, sustainable agriculture, animal feed ingredients, soil enhancer, vertical farming, waste management, upcycling, aquaculture feed, pet food ingredients, carbon emission reduction, sustainable food system, frass, food waste transformation, environmental technology, climate tech