Microbial Might: Can MicroHarvest Replace Animals in Pet and Livestock Feed?

What if we could grow nutritious, sustainable protein—not in months or weeks—but in just one day? This episode's guest is doing just that. Rather than going big with animal agriculture, MicroHarvest is going small with microbial agriculture.  A huge number of animals are used to feed both our pets and the animals we raise for food. Kate Bekers, the CEO and co-founder of MicroHarvest, is seeking to change that. She's running a fast-rising European biotech startup using fermentation to produce high-quality protein from microbes—in just 24 hours. Based in Hamburg and Lisbon, MicroHarvest is on a mission to reshape how the world thinks about protein production. Rather than growing plants or animals, they grow single-cell microbes in bioreactors, yielding a high-protein, micronutrient-rich ingredient that can be used in everything from animal feed and pet food to, eventually, human food. With 10 million euros raised and hopefully a new 30 million euro round on the horizon, their process is fast, efficient, and radically resource-light—requiring far less land, water, and energy than traditional agriculture. Already able to produce one ton of their product per day, MicroHarvest is proving that microbial protein isn't just a lab experiment—it's a scalable, real-world solution. In this episode, Kate shares what it takes to bring biotech innovation to market, and why she believes protein production should be faster, cleaner, and closer to the consumer. We talk about the company's entry into pet food and aquaculture, and what the future holds for sustainable protein made from the tiniest organisms on Earth. If you're curious about the future of food, circular economies, or how to build a business that's good for animals and the planet, this conversation is for you.