Can insects turn food waste into high-value products — and a profitable climate tech business?
In this episode of Impact Talk, host Nadine Zidani sits down with Dr. Haitham Al Riahi, Co-Founder of Circa Biotech, to explore how nature-based biotech can transform organic waste into valuable resources — creating both environmental and economic impact.
From engineering facilities that raise black soldier flies to processing thousands of tons of pre-consumer food waste, Dr. Haitham shares how Circa Biotech converts waste into three key products: protein for animal feed, organic fertilizer, and a fat byproduct that can be used as feedstock for sustainable aviation fuel (SAF).
In This Episode, You’ll Learn About:
• How Circa Biotech generate value out of food waste
• How a business can mimic nature’s recycling system
• Why industrial climate tech scaling is different from software
• The journey behind creating an entirely new industry category
• How to approach fundraising when you’re not SaaS
• A practical growth path for sustainability ventures
• The role of the UAE in supporting impact startups
About Our Guest:
Dr. Haitham Al Riahi is the Co-Founder of Circa Biotech and a biotechnology and circular economy leader. With a PhD in biotechnology and years of experience across pharma and biotech, he is focused on turning organic waste into valuable resources through nature-based innovation — helping build a thriving circular bio-industry in the UAE.