NEW TECH FOODS

Volare has expanded its leadership team with the appointments of Benjamin Armenjon as chief commercial officer (CCO) and Antti Åke as chief operating officer (COO), as the company advances construction of its first large-scale insect protein facility in Pori, Finland.

Armenjon joins Volare with more than a decade of experience in insect-based ingredients, including senior leadership roles at Ÿnsect, where he most recently served as CCO. He will oversee Volare’s commercial strategy, partnerships and customer growth.

Åke brings extensive industrial scale-up expertise from previous roles at Bayer, Covestro and WasteWise Group, where he led the development of a pyrolysis plant as CEO. At Volare, he will be responsible for plant operations and managing the company’s growing team.

The appointments come after Volare’s €26 million funding round earlier this year, which is being used to finance construction of 'Volare 01,' described by the company as the world’s most efficient protein production facility. The site will use black soldier fly (Hermetia illucens) larvae to upcycle food industry side streams into protein, oil and fertiliser for aquafeed, pet food and chemical industry applications.

Commenting on his new role, Armenjon said: “The food industry urgently needs scalable solutions. Volare is uniquely positioned to deliver insect-based ingredients that reduce pressure on natural resources while creating real value for customers. Sustainability and growth can go hand in hand and that’s exactly what we’re proving.”

Åke added: “Volare is entering a decisive phase, moving from technology development to full-scale industrial operations. This is a rare opportunity to both scale innovative technology and create meaningful impact in the global food system. I look forward to applying my experience to make Volare’s vision a reality.”

Volare CEO Jarna Hyvönen said the appointments marked “a major step in Volare’s journey”, adding: “We are building the next generation of insect protein production: lean, effective and designed to scale sustainably. With our first industrial plant under construction, this is exactly the leadership we need to deliver on our mission.”