What do crickets have to do with tech…or food, for that matter? Disrupting the food market (or the food chain, for that matter) is one of the newer trends to emerge from Silicon Valley – see Hampton Creek Foods, which is developing a plant-based egg replacement, or Rob Rhinehart’s Soylent food replacement. Bitty, a new company headed by three former digital media entrepreneurs, wants to change the way we think about eating bugs – specifically, crickets.
While insects have long been consumed as part of various indigenous diets – they’re high in protein and a highly sustainable food source – they’re not exactly a popular option in the Western diet. Bitty’s first product – cricket flour created from sustainably-raised crickets – wants to make criket-based products more palatable (delicious, even). Designed as a paleo-friendly flour substitute, Bitty’s baking flour can be used to create breads and pastries, and they have a line of gluten-free cookies for those who aren’t quite ready to become bug bakers just yet. And founder Megan Miller’s passion for food sustainability extends well beyond her company’s website – she’s been sharing her philosophy on stage at TED, SXSW and beyond.