Duisburg startups: Ofrieda

Ofrieda is dedicated to our best friend by rethinking dog food: their products are based on insects instead of meat. Production uses far fewer resources and is much more sustainable than conventional food. Founder Felix tells us more about Ofrieda.

Where did the idea come from? What drove you?

The project started while I was at university. I shared an apartment with an exchange student from China. In the evenings, we often cooked together and talked about our different food cultures. That’s how we got onto the topic of insects. I learned that crickets, mealworms, and the like are not only sustainable and nutritious but can also taste delicious. My fascination with insects has stuck with me ever since.

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When I found out that a medium-sized dog eats on average three times as much meat as a person, I came up with the idea for dog food. I took a closer look at conventional dog food and quickly realized that it’s neither particularly healthy nor sustainable. Dog food often contains flavor enhancers, added sugar, and other low-quality ingredients. We want everyone to be able to feed their dog with a clear conscience. That’s why we decided to break new ground.
I’ve always wanted to do meaningful work. Today, with my dog food, I have the opportunity to create added value for animals, people, and the environment. That’s really great.

What did you do before?

I studied economics at Ruhr-Universität Bochum, focusing on marketing and sales. Even during my studies, I was very interested in designing things and solving problems. In the student organization "Enactus", I founded the impact startup "Faces-Bochum", which received the Engagement Award from the state government of NRW. Together with refugees, we made trendy wallets. With the sales revenue, we were then able to fund things like German courses.  

Where are you right now?

We’re very happy with how things have developed so far. Over the past few years, we’ve built up a large customer base that we’re in close contact with. We especially enjoy developing new products. We now offer three different varieties, available as both wet and dry food. In the coming weeks, we’ll also be offering insect-based treats alongside our dog food.

What do you want to achieve? What’s your purpose?

A medium-sized dog eats an average of 164 kg of meat a year. But the growing appetite for meat leaves a bitter aftertaste. Huge forests in South America are cleared to grow feed for German cows, among others. That puts a strain on our climate and accelerates species extinction. Livestock farming causes a fifth of global greenhouse gas emissions. At the same time, millions of chickens, pigs, and cattle suffer under the catastrophic conditions of the meat industry. We’re convinced that love for animals shouldn’t stop at your own pet. That’s why insects are a great ingredient for the food bowl.
Insect farming is much more sustainable than, for example, fattening cattle, because it needs only a fraction of the resources. One figure that particularly impresses us is the amount of water you can save with our food. Every feeding (250 g of dry food) saves six bathtubs of water. Together, we’ve already saved several million liters of water.
In farming, the insects used can also be kept in large numbers in a way that’s more species-appropriate than for pigs, cattle, and poultry. That’s a significant improvement in terms of animal husbandry. We’ve personally visited the insect farms and seen the good conditions for ourselves.

What are your current challenges?

The pet food market is dominated by a few large companies. The practices of big corporations are often more than questionable. Many manufacturers aren’t primarily focused on the dog’s well-being but only on maximizing their own profits.
Our biggest challenge is holding our own in this highly competitive market. We’re noticing that more and more people are questioning how products are actually made. We try to win these people over to our vision and our insect-based dog food. Because the more of us there are, the more we can change.

You can find more about Ofrieda on their website!

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