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We know it is a big, and growing, problem. Upwards of 38% of all food in America goes unsold or uneaten, with billions of meals ending up in landfills.
Atlanta-based Biotechnica thinks it has found a scalable solution.
The startup has developed TerraFormix, an all-natural fertilizer system designed to transform food waste at scale. By leveraging a proprietary reactor process, Biotechnica claims its system is 400x more efficient than standard composting. And that process turns scraps into a high-grade chemical fertilizer analogue that can actually compete in a commercial farm setting.
Suppliers of the food waste include school districts, grocery chains, restaurant groups, and food manufacturers looking to remove their organic waste. Buyers of TerraFormix include landscapers, farmers, nurseries, botanical gardens, and florists looking for a more cost-efficient, higher-quality soil and alternative options to synthetic fertilizers.
Founder Benjamin Youngstrom told Hypepotamus that Biotechnica is getting a warehouse up and running in Kennesaw, Georgia, which will serve as a central hub for waste aggregation. The goal? A single reactor capable of processing 11,000 tons of waste per year, with a second and third unit planned to be online by the end of 2026.
Yes, TerraFormix is a sustainability play, helping to reduce carbon footprint. But it is also a smart business move, Youngstrom told Hypepotamus.
“We occupy a unique position where we can hit the triple bottom line for farmers in a tangible and demonstrable manner. We combine fertilizers and soil conditioners into a single product, making their soil healthier with every use and reducing the requirement for things like cover crops and compost. This significantly decreases their expenses,” he said, adding that it helps increase the productivity of land.
Early adopters are already taking notice. Biotechnica has secured active partnerships with Georgia Tech and the Sip of Paradise Garden in Atlanta. Other Georgia-based school departments and organizations are currently in the pipeline.
Youngstrom, a graduate of Georgia Southern University, previously spoke to Hypepotamus in 2023 for his aviation safety startup Fyve By. But he said he was drawn to the AgTech and sustainability technology specs because they are “deeply misunderstood” today.
“Most farmers can’t afford to act on the environment, many care, but they’re busy trying to feed their own families. They find green solutions and robotics frustrating because it’s another expense to solve someone else’s environmental problem but shifts the burden of cost onto them.”
While most of the team Yongstrom has assembled are working on Biotechnia part-time at the moment. But he says that they bring “years of experience” from everything from maintaining nuclear submarines in austere environments to managing the cold-chain logistics for Southeast school districts.
Looking ahead, Yongstrom said that he is looking to connect with more suppliers.
“Right now it’s all about face-to-face meetings and having the important conversations with growers in Georgia,” he added. “Our primary outreach is being done by looking for farmers with publicly available information or reaching out to extension programs around the US.”
