Synergrown
Team information
Category:
Jinsoo Kim
Master
Wageningen university
Melania Zanforlin
Master
Wageningen University and Research
Joaquin Fogel
Master
Wageningen
Andres Montaña
Master
Wageningen University
George Truijens
Master
Wageningen University & Research
Sahana Yaragatti
Master
Sahana Veeranna Yaragatti
This project is being coached by
About the team
Our multidisciplinary team combines Biosystems Engineering and Food Technology expertise to drive success. With skills in system integration, sustainable resource management, cell cultivation, and nutrient recycling, we ensure a feasible, circular approach. Despite our diverse cultural backgrounds, our shared passion for empowering pets' voices in the alternative protein transition brings us together and fuels our vision for a more sustainable future.
Our vision
We envision a future where pet nutrition aligns with global sustainability goals, replacing traditional animal-based protein sources with innovative, circular, and resource-efficient alternatives. Recognizing the significant environmental impact of the pet food industry, we aim to lead the transition toward sustainable pet food. Inspired by space farming research — where zero-waste systems are essential for food production in resource-limited environments — we are committed to developing closed-loop solutions that minimize resource usage, repurpose waste, and promote a circular economy. Our goal is to serve environmentally conscious pet owners. People seeking ethical and sustainable alternatives for their pets without compromising on nutrition or taste . By leveraging cutting-edge cultivated meat technology , we aim to deliver a reliable, scalable, and impactful solution that meets the needs of this growing market.
Our solution
Inspired by space farming research—where implementing zero-waste, circular systems is critical for growing food in extreme environments—our system combines plant and cellular agriculture into a closed-loop, sustainable ecosystem. Our solution fully integrates cultivated meat production with circularity principles by optimizing resource use, minimizing waste, and enhancing sustainability. The system combines a multi-stage bioreactor—growing fish cells—with a vertical farm that grows the production inputs. By integrating vertical farming with cultivated meat production, our solution reduces dependency on synthetic inputs, minimizes waste, and ensures efficient resource utilization. This keeps our products away from problems of existing animal-based feeds, such as containing undesired residues (e.g., vaccine chemicals, microplastics) that can be harmful for pets. This is not only beneficial for the planet and animal friendly, but it also significantly lowers production costs, 90% of which are tied to media usage. This way, we support the growing community of environmentally conscious pet parents seeking to transition their pets’ food to alternative proteins without compromising on nutrition or palatability.
Our Artist impression