The company received the funding as an investment, which it will use to launch YumGrubs pet food and smart insect farms.

HOPE Pet Foods is gearing up to launch its first complete-and-balanced dog food with insect protein, kelp, yeast and other plant-based ingredients.

Chapul LLC has raised the investments and partnered with Nexus PMG to launch its insect farm.

Protix will use the investments to fund international expansion and future R&D.

The partnership precedes the opening of a large-scale insect protein facility in Decatur, Ill.

The UK-based company is adding to its portfolio of dried black soldier fly larvae dog nutrition products.

At full capacity, the facility will process up to 70,000 tons of organic residues for insect protein production for pet food and aquaculture markets.

The company claims the diet has the highest insect protein content of any other cat food on the market.

The association’s membership tentatively approved the ingredient for adult dog food formulations in August.