Austrian circular economy company, Reploid Group, is expanding into Oceania, with the launch of a new sales company in New Zealand. Reploid builds modular plants that use insect larvae to repurpose food waste, having the potential to fill the gap left by Goterra’s collapse into voluntary administration earlier this year.
Goterra was founded in 2016, using robotic insect farms to turn food waste into organic fertiliser and nutrient-dense protein meal, reducing emissions by up to 97 per cent compared to landfill. The company fell into voluntary administration in June, lacking the capital to scale.
Reploid announced its launch into the Oceania market in July, with plans to bring its modular and scalable insect-rearing plants, or ReFarmUnits, to Australian customers.
In these plants, black soldier fly larvae receive a site-specific feed mix, developed by Reploid using residual materials from the regional food value chain. After rearing, customers either use the larvae and/or by-products themselves, or Reploid takes them back for centralised marketing or further processing. The reared larvae can be sold directly, or further processed into proteins and fats, to customers in the animal feed industry. From the by-products of insect rearing (insect frass), the company produces sustainable organic fertiliser.
The company was founded in 2020, with its headquarters in Wels, Austria, and states it has a global focus.
Reploid stated it was particularly interested in Australia due to the Circular Economy Framework launched in 2024, a comprehensive strategy to improve resource efficiency, reduce waste, and put secondary raw materials to use. Australia generates more than 7.6 million tons of food waste each year, and has a goal of halving its preventable food waste by 2030 – with insect technology cited as a method of valorising agricultural waste.
To support market entry into Australia and New Zealand, Reploid has partnered with the Asamer Familienstiftung (family foundation) and entrepreneur Ferdinand Heilig, who will each hold 24.5 per cent of the venture. Reploid will hold the remaining 51 per cent, and be responsible for operational implementation of the projects.
The Asamer family is known for its namesake family business, with core operations in gravel, stone, concrete, recycling, and earthworks. In 2004, Heilig founded the Carbon Group, which he still leads today as CEO. The group of companies develops, finances, and operates projects that are sustainable and economically viable.
Reploid founder and CEO, Philip Pauer, said with Heilig and the Asamer Family Foundation, the company has gained two strong partners who will play a key role in supporting the expansion into Oceania.
“Australia, in particular, is already consistently implementing measures to reduce and recycle food waste. The potential to convert this waste into high‑value raw materials using insect technology is clearly recognised and promoted at the policy level,” said Pauer.
Adelaide University is also conducting research on potential uses for black soldier fly larvae in a sustainable food system. With global protein demand expected to surge up to 70 per cent by 2050, a research team is working in partnership with the Australian Superintendence Company (ASC) and growers Mobius Farms and Fly Farm Australia on how black soldier fly larvae can be farmed to produce a nutritious and protein-rich biomass.
