Munich Startup: What does your startup do? What problem are you solving?
Protegg: Everything we do revolves around two things: green innovation and circular economy! Protegg focuses on transforming unused industrial waste materials—chicken egg membrane and chicken eggshell—into novel, standardized raw materials: ESM (eggshell membrane) and calcium carbonate/lime.
Protegg is the first company in the world capable of producing bioplastics from ESM. These can not only substitute petroleum-based plastics, but also serve as a carrier material for technical applications in the field of sensors. Using these special carrier material properties, Protegg has developed, for example, the world’s first physical DNA token.
The unique capabilities of Protegg’s patent-pending bioplastic make it possible to functionally integrate synthetic DNA with defined information into this bioplastic. The result is a non-falsifiable DNA token that can protect the information stored in it for over 100 years, keep it readable, and integrate it into products of any kind in any form. Other sensors are currently in development as well, primarily in the areas of water analysis and soil analysis.
Additionally, Protegg offers a sustainable alternative to commercial lime. The biogenic calcium carbonate we derive from the shell can be used in various sectors such as fertilizer, plastic filler, construction industry, cosmetics industry, and food industry.
Why all this? We want to make invested energy usable again, transform waste materials into high-quality raw materials, and actively promote the topics of circular economy and impact.
Egg waste largely unused so far
Munich Startup: But this already exists, doesn’t it?
Protegg: In fact, the bulk waste material eggshell and eggshell membrane is currently not being used in the sense of the circular economy. However, some research has shown that these waste materials have enormous potential. Currently, there are no companies transforming this bulk waste globally into standardized raw materials and manufacturing innovative products from them. And this despite eggs being produced all over the world!
Munich Startup: What is your founding story?
Protegg: The project began back in 2018. One of Protegg’s founders, Fabian, identified the unused bulk waste material and began with initial experimental material trials in his kitchen. His focus was particularly on the eggshell membrane, a highly interesting protein mixture with unique material properties. With promising material developments in hand, Fabian met Markus in 2020, the second founder of Protegg. Fabian’s creative and inventive strength combined with Markus’s strategic and entrepreneurial acumen harmonized from the start and form the foundation of the company today.
Together, Fabian and Markus built a strong network in all relevant fields, won their first prize in 2021 at PlanB – Biobased in Straubing, began collaborating with the Fraunhofer Institute IGB, and finally founded Protegg GmbH in April 2022. Today, the first pilot plant is already operating at our partner in the egg processing industry, where the waste material is transformed into standardized raw materials and made available for the market.
Munich Startup: What have been your biggest challenges so far?
Protegg: By introducing new raw materials to the raw materials market, we have created a very large challenge for ourselves. ESM is a completely new raw material, bioplastic made from ESM is a world first, and we need to convince stakeholders from all sectors to try out and use novel raw materials and applications. Frequently, particularly with large companies, habits and quirks have developed that don’t provide an optimal foundation for innovation and openness to technology. We are continuously working to demonstrate that our material and our company can at least keep pace with the status quo both technically and strategically, and we look forward to the first “courageous” stakeholders who want to take advantage of the great benefits of new circular economy materials.
Munich Startup: Where do you want to be in one year, where in five years?
Protegg: In one year, we plan to have various separation facilities in Germany and Central Europe. We distribute the biogenic lime produced to interested companies in the filler material and building materials industries.
We are developing our innovative products, such as the DNA token for brand protection, with one or more pilot partners based on the different defined needs of companies, and we are marketing the first small series.
Our other sensors, which are currently being developed in 2023, are already finding their first applications and enabling the substitution of classic plastic in the sensor industry.
Within five years, we aim to implement our developed separation process in all German egg processing industries and continue to grow in Europe to capture as much of the unused waste material quantities in Germany as possible. After successfully establishing our separation technology in Germany, the next logical step for us is to expand into countries outside Europe where waste material quantities are many times higher.
With regard to developing products from the eggshell membrane raw material, we want to place additional sustainable biosensors on the market within five years. Additionally, the first pilot customers should be equipped with the newly developed food packaging made from eggshell membrane, so that we not only bring innovative products from this raw material to the market, but also replace petroleum-based mass-produced products.
12,000 tons of waste daily that can be transformed
Munich Startup: How have you experienced the startup location Munich so far?
Protegg: To date, we have actually experienced relatively little in Munich, but we want to get more involved in local projects and networking events in the future. For some time now, we have been well integrated into networks around the Biocampus in Straubing and the TGZ. Straubing has been developing magnificently for a few years now in the bioeconomy startups sector. Perhaps the two locations could be meaningfully connected—that would certainly be a win for everyone involved.
Munich Startup: Hidden champion or shooting star?
Protegg: Hidden champion! Our goal is to utilize the bulk waste material of eggshells and eggshell membranes produced worldwide using our technology. Globally, 3.8 billion eggs are produced daily, of which 1.2 billion are processed industrially. This means that 12,000 tons of waste material accumulate daily. Transforming this quantity of waste material into usable raw materials is the path to a resource-efficient future!
