VandalSoft Co., Ltd. (CEO Lee Bong-hak) announced its participation in the ‘2023 Agri & Food Tech Start-up Rising Expo’ to be held at COEX Hall A in Seoul from July 26th (Wednesday) to 28th (Friday).
VandalSoft specializes in insect smart farming solutions, aiming to alleviate the entry barriers and difficulties faced by agricultural professionals in the insect industry, thus driving innovation in future agriculture and the insect industry. Entering the insect industry typically involves significant initial costs for conventional farmers, and success in this field often requires years of insect rearing expertise. In response, VandalSoft has developed and sells facilities for automatic rearing of various high-value-added insect species in diverse environments by integrating accumulated know-how from direct insect rearing into smart farms. Furthermore, they operate a comprehensive value chain from post-rearing processing to distribution of reared insects.
At this exhibition, VandalSoft will showcase various products in the field of insect rearing smart farms, allowing visitors to directly observe the products and also demonstrate operational models of products currently under development.
The “Smart Insect Rearing Unit” is a vertical rearing device specialized not only for crickets but also for various other insects. Equipped with smart farming devices installed internally and a dedicated application, it allows for the monitoring and remote control of the internal environment.
The “VandalHub” showcased alongside is an application for remotely controlling devices such as heating and cooling systems and ventilators installed in the rearing facility. Based on user-defined settings for temperature, humidity, and carbon dioxide levels, the internal devices of the rearing facility operate accordingly, allowing users to monitor environmental changes within the facility over time.
Also showcased is the “Dong-aedeung Automatic Rearing System,” an unmanned system for rearing environmentally friendly insects, including fly larvae, which can utilize food waste as feed.
A representative from VandalSoft stated, “We are developing various products and systems to address the inconvenience we have experienced in directly rearing insects. Additionally, we are continuously improving our products through ongoing communication with insect farming communities.” They added, “The VandalHub, which controls the internal environment of the farm, has been designed to be compatible with commonly used control devices such as air conditioners and heaters, aiming to increase compatibility and reduce costs. Furthermore, the Dong-aedeung rearing system is designed to utilize inexpensive and lightweight materials such as plastic pallets and boxes, making it easy for farms to adopt at low costs.”
They continued, “We have installed 85 of our own devices in various farms domestically and internationally, and we produce and distribute insects independently. This year, we plan to increase production by establishing a local cricket farm through a joint venture in Vietnam.” They further stated, “In the future, we plan to supply farms with systems capable of automatically rearing worm-shaped insects such as Dong-aedeung, mealworms, and superworms. We strive to reduce device prices compared to existing insect systems, reduce labor costs associated with insect rearing, increase production, and secure the price competitiveness of insect production.”
Meanwhile, AFRO 2023, the largest Agri-Tech & Food-Tech event in Korea, will feature exhibitions of products and services from domestic startups with global growth potential in the fields of Agri-Tech, Food-Tech, and Green Bio. These startups aim to address various issues in the agriculture and food industries, showcasing their solutions and engaging in discussions about the present and future of Agri-Tech and Food-Tech through conferences and investment explanation meetings (IR sessions). The event is organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and co-hosted by the Rural Development Administration, NH Nonghyup, COEX, and the Korea Food-Tech Association.