LISTEN: Biotech founder breaks down how she turns microorganisms into high-quality protein in just 24 hours
September 5, 2025 | Austin Barnes
On this episode of Startland News’ Plug and Play Topeka founder podcast series, we explore a ground-breaking food innovation with Katelijne “Kate” Bekers, co-founder and CEO of MicroHarvest.
This biotech startup is pioneering the world’s fastest protein production — turning microorganisms into high-quality protein in just 24 hours, using sustainable fermentation and agricultural side-streams, while slashing water, land use, and CO₂ emissions by more than 95 percent.
Bekers walks us through MicroHarvest’s rapid ascent — from lab experiments to commercial scale production — now delivering 10 tons per day and targeting a full-scale facility of 15,000 tons annually by 2026. We also delve into how its MPX single-cell protein and HILIX nucleotide extract offer more than just nutrition — they bring functionality for sectors ranging from aquafeed to pet and human nutrition.
Recorded live at the Plug and Play Animal Health & AgTech Expo in Topeka, this episode continues Startland News’ 12-part series on the founders transforming the future of animal health and agtech — and putting Topeka on the map as a national innovation hub.
Listen to a teaser below or click here for the full podcast episode.
Featured Business
2025 Startups to Watch
stats here
Related Posts on Startland News
Leanlab launches edtech certification with focus on accountability to classrooms
A new product certification from Leanlab Education means increased transparency for edtech companies — as well as added credibility for their work within schools. “We want to give teachers and school administrators a quick way to understand if an edtech product reflects the insights of educators, students, and parents — the true end users in education — and…
Actor David Dastmalchian fought his own demons; now the KC native is sending ’80s-inspired monsters to you
Growing up in Kansas City, David Dastmalchian was enamored with his hometown’s most shadowy corners: its fabled haunted houses, the shelves of Clint’s Comics, “Crematia Mortem’s Friday” on local TV, and even his Overland Park neighborhood’s mystical-seeming creeks and forests. Each of these childhood haunts planted a seed for the Hollywood actor’s latest project —…
MoodSpark buys defunct startup’s IP, minds focused on disrupting elderly veterans’ depression
A slew of new patents and tools are now in the hands of a KCK-rooted startup that aims to protect aging military veterans that suffer from loneliness, anxiety and depression. MoodSpark has acquired assets previously held by California-based Dthera Sciences — an early leader of the digital therapeutics space, known for its innovative quality of life…
Built to last, bought with intention: How JE Dunn set supplier diversity as a cornerstone
Editor’s note: The following story was sponsored by KC Rising, a regional initiative to help Kansas City grow faster and more intentionally, as part of a campaign to promote its CEO-to-CEO Challenge on supplier diversity. Approaching supplier diversity for the long haul means defining the work — without limiting it, said Jason Banks, describing how Kansas City-based construction icon JE…