Edinburgh foodtech start-up secures £160,000 investment to bring locally produced insect protein powder to market
The investment will enable the business to complete its transition to in-house production and launch Nahla’s Insect Nutrition commercially in early 2027.
Edinburgh-based foodtech start-up The Insect Café has secured £160,000 from the Catalyst Fund to scale production of Nahla’s Insect Nutrition, a single-ingredient cricket protein powder designed to make sustainable, high-quality protein more accessible for everyday nutrition.
Founded by ecologist and lifelong baker Nahla Mahmoud, The Insect Cafe grew from a love of swimming and a search for wholesome, tasty recovery proteins. As an avid open-water swimmer, Nahla found that most post-swim nutrition options on the market were heavily processed. Drawing on more than a decade of experience in zoology, insect husbandry and applied research, Nahla began exploring insects as a sustainable high-protein source of nutrition and incorporated them into her diet.
Insects contain more than twice the protein of beef and are remarkably versatile, suitable for baked goods, everyday cooking and smoothies. In 2023, she launched The Insect Café and began selling baked goods made with cricket flour at markets and events across Edinburgh to test consumer appetite for insect-based foods. The response revealed a growing interest in protein-rich products beyond traditional sports nutrition and highlighted an opportunity to develop a simple, nutritious product for everyday use.
That insight led to the development of Nahla’s Insect Nutrition, a clean-label protein powder made from a single ingredient: crickets. Designed for consumers seeking a minimally processed protein source to use across a range of food and drink applications, the product aims to make sustainable nutrition more accessible while supporting a more resilient food system.
By growing, harvesting and processing crickets in Scotland, The Insect Café aims to build local protein production capacity while reducing reliance on imported ingredients and complex supply chains. The business works with local suppliers and service providers where possible, and uses compostable packaging as part of its broader commitment to creating a more sustainable and transparent approach to food production.
The investment follows support from The Ventures Lab, a specialist venture growth programme founded by the Challenges Group. The Ventures Lab worked with The Insect Café to develop its business plan, growth strategy and investment proposition, helping prepare the business for external investment and long-term growth.
Through the Ventures Catalyst partnership between The Ventures Lab and the Catalyst Fund, The Insect Café was able to move from specialist business support to securing patient social investment. The partnership is designed to help ambitious, impactful ventures access the expertise and flexible finance they need to grow their impact and trading activity.
The Catalyst Fund, managed by social investor Firstport, offers a revenue-based finance model that links repayments to business performance rather than fixed monthly payments, providing growing ventures with greater flexibility as they scale.
Nahla Mahmoud, founder of The Insect Café, said:
“This investment allows us to bring production in-house, build local protein production capacity in Scotland and make insect protein accessible to a much wider audience. We want to demonstrate that a different approach to food production is possible- one that is transparent, diversified and rooted in local ecosystems.”
Emily Macdonald, Head of Investment Programmes at Firstport, said:
“The Insect Café has developed an innovative product that combines strong commercial potential with a clear environmental mission. Through support from Ventures Lab, Nahla and her team developed a robust plan to bring farming, processing and distribution in-house, creating the foundations for sustainable growth.
“We are pleased to provide the flexible capital needed to help bring those plans to life, and we look forward to supporting the team as they scale their impact.”
Sarah Frame, Venture Support Manager at The Ventures Lab, said:
“The Insect Café is a great example of how innovative ideas can grow into investment-ready businesses with the right support. It has been a pleasure working with Nahla throughout this journey, and we look forward to continuing to support the business as it grows its reach and impact.”
The first batch of Nahla’s Insect Nutrition protein powder will launch in early 2027. To join the waiting list, visit their website.
Learn more about the Ventures Catalyst programme, or listen to our podcast episode with Angie Lee, Director of Ventures Services at the Ventures Lab.