Wastelink, an India-based company that upcycles surplus food into animal feed, has raised 27 crore rupee (US$3 million) in series A funding from Avaana Capital.

The new funding will be used to expand Wastelink’s operations across India and further develop its technology and research capabilities.

Founded in 2018, Wastelink operates under Forplanet Ingredients and uses proprietary technology to convert food surplus into standardized feed ingredients for the animal feed industry.

The company said it has processed over 35,000 tons of surplus food since its inception.

Wastelink’s platform aims to provide a stable supply and consistent nutrition for feed manufacturers, who typically rely on commodities such as maize and soya that are exposed to price and supply fluctuations.

🔗 Source: Wastelink

🧠 Food for thought

1️⃣ Animal feed industry faces persistent cost volatility creating opportunity for alternatives

The traditional animal feed industry operates on razor-thin margins while grappling with significant price swings from commodity inputs like corn and soy.

U.S. feed manufacturers average just 2.7% profit margins, making them highly vulnerable to input cost fluctuations2. The global animal feed market, projected to grow from $514.4 billion in 2025 to $707.7 billion by 2032, identifies volatile raw material prices as a major challenge3.

This volatility stems from feed costs representing up to 70% of total livestock production expenses, meaning even small price changes in corn and soy dramatically impact profitability4.

Wastelink’s approach of converting food surplus into standardized feed ingredients directly addresses this pain point by offering price stability independent of traditional commodity markets.

The company’s ECOMIX™ product demonstrates measurable results, improving milk yields by up to 15% while supporting over 38,500 animals annually1.

2️⃣ Upcycling food waste into feed creates meaningful cost advantages for producers

Converting food waste into animal feed can reduce costs by 30-50% compared to conventional feed sources, making it an economically compelling alternative4.

Wastelink has already processed over 35,000 tons of FMCG surplus since inception, demonstrating the scale potential of this approach1.