India’s food waste problem and rising demand for sustainable animal feed have brought Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri into focus. The IIT Roorkee alumni are the co-founders of Loopworm, a Bengaluru-based biotechnology startup that uses insects to convert organic waste into protein and oil for animal feed. What began as a college experiment has now grown into a funded agritech venture with ambitions that go well beyond feed manufacturing.

Loopworm operates at the intersection of food waste management, biotechnology, and sustainable agriculture. At a time when India imports large volumes of soymeal and fishmeal, and landfills continue to overflow with organic waste, the company’s model offers a local and scalable alternative.

A college idea shaped by India’s waste challenge

Bagaria and Gawri first worked together at IIT Roorkee on waste management projects involving flower waste, plastic, and paper. While these projects exposed them to the scale of India’s waste issue, they soon realised that food waste posed a much larger challenge.

India generates millions of tonnes of organic waste every year, much of which ends up in landfills. This waste releases methane, contaminates soil and water, and represents lost economic value. The founders began searching for a solution that could handle waste at scale without adding further environmental cost.

Their research led them to insects, especially black soldier fly larvae and silkworms. These insects can consume food waste and convert it into usable protein and oil within a short life cycle. Compared to traditional feed ingredients, insect protein needs less land, less water, and emits fewer greenhouse gases.

Setting up Loopworm after graduation

Soon after graduating in 2019, Bagaria and Gawri incorporated Loopworm and chose Bengaluru as their base. The city’s startup ecosystem, access to talent, and favourable climate made it easier to rear insects without heavy energy use.

The early years were bootstrapped. The founders relied on personal savings and later secured close to $150,000 in grants from multiple sources. These funds helped them experiment with feed inputs, insect breeds, and rearing conditions. For nearly three years, the focus remained on one goal: standardising insect farming so it could work at an industrial scale.

This phase involved repeated trials and failures. Variables such as moisture, temperature, feed composition, and insect density had to be controlled. By 2021, the founders had enough confidence in their process to move to the next stage.

A shift toward feed manufacturers

Loopworm’s first business idea was to sell live insects directly to poultry and fish farmers. This approach did not last long. The team realised that insects are rich in nutrients but cannot serve as a complete diet for animals.

Instead, insects work best as an ingredient within a formulated feed. This insight led to a pivot. Loopworm decided to process insects into protein meal and oil and sell these products to animal feed manufacturers rather than end farmers.

This shift proved critical. Feed manufacturers could blend insect-based ingredients into existing products without changing their supply chains. Adoption became easier, and Loopworm gained a clearer route to scale.

Products and manufacturing today

Loopworm’s manufacturing facility became operational in 2023. The company works with silkworms and black soldier fly larvae to produce three core products:

• Loop-Grub, a whole insect-based input
  
• Loop-Meal, a protein-rich insect meal
  
• Loop-Oil, an insect-derived oil used in feed formulations
  

These products are supplied to animal feed manufacturers serving aquaculture, poultry, and livestock markets. As of early 2025, Loopworm has a team of 49 people. Roughly 40 percent of the workforce is engaged in manufacturing, another 40 percent works in research and development, and the rest manage operations and partnerships.

Funding and investor confidence

In August 2022, Loopworm raised $3.4 million in seed funding led by Omnivore and WaterBridge Ventures. Both investors are known for backing companies focused on agriculture, food systems, and sustainability.

Investor interest has centred on Loopworm’s scientific approach and long-term view. The company does not rely on quick scale alone. Instead, it prioritises process control, data, and repeatability. This focus helped Loopworm earn a place on the Forbes India 30 Under 30 list, drawing wider attention to Bagaria and Gawri.

Recent developments and future plans

Over the past year, Loopworm has expanded its collaboration with silkworm reelers and farmers involved in black soldier fly larvae farming. The company provides technology and process support to ensure consistency and quality.

Looking ahead, Loopworm plans to move beyond animal feed. The founders have outlined interest in two adjacent areas:

• Plant nutrition, where insect-based inputs could support soil health
  
• Cosmetics, where insect-derived oils may find niche applications
  

The startup is also preparing for another funding round to support capacity expansion and research. Industry observers note that rising feed costs and growing acceptance of insect protein are creating favourable conditions for companies like Loopworm.

Why Loopworm’s model matters

India’s livestock and aquaculture sectors face pressure from high feed costs and import dependence. At the same time, food waste continues to strain urban infrastructure. Loopworm links these two problems.

By converting organic waste into feed ingredients, the company reduces landfill load and creates value from discarded resources. Its work aligns with broader policy goals around sustainability, circular economy practices, and climate action.

For Ankit Alok Bagaria and Abhi Gawri, the path forward remains grounded in execution. Their focus stays on building reliable systems, scaling responsibly, and letting data guide decisions rather than hype.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Q1. Who is Ankit Alok Bagaria?
Ankit Alok Bagaria is an Indian entrepreneur and the co-founder and CEO of Loopworm, a biotechnology startup focused on insect-based protein and oil for animal feed.

Q2. Who is Abhi Gawri?
Abhi Gawri is the co-founder and COO of Loopworm. He is an IIT Roorkee alumnus and works on operations, research, and scale-up at the company.

Q3. What is Loopworm and what does it do?
Loopworm is a Bengaluru-based agritech and biotech startup that converts food waste into insect protein and oil using silkworms and black soldier fly larvae.

Q4. How much funding has Loopworm raised so far?
Loopworm has raised $3.4 million in seed funding from Omnivore and WaterBridge Ventures, in addition to earlier grants worth about $150,000.