Finnish insect company, Volare, has appointed Benjamin Armenjon as Chief Commercial Officer (CCO) and Antti Åke as Chief Operating Officer (COO). These hires further strengthen Volare’s leadership as the company scales to full industrial production.

Benjamin Armenjon brings over ten years of experience in insect-based ingredients. Holding a PhD in Food Science, he spent a decade at Ÿnsect, most recently serving as CCO. At Volare, he will lead commercial strategy, global partnerships, and customer-focused growth.

Antti Åke has extensive expertise in scaling industrial operations, having led international teams across Europe and Asia with Bayer and Covestro. Most recently, he served as CEO of WasteWise Group, where he built and scaled a pyrolysis plant. At Volare, Åke will oversee plant operations and lead the company’s expanding team.

The new leadership appointments will help the company move faster toward its mission of building a more resilient, circular food system. The new appointments follow Volare’s recent EUR 26 million funding round, which is being used both to construct Volare 01 in Pori, the company’s first large-scale BSF protein production facility, and advance its proprietary insect protein technology. “Once operational, Volare 01 is set to become the world’s most efficient protein production site,” the company said.

Benjamin Armenjon, Chief Commercial Officer at Volare, said that “the food industry urgently needs scalable solutions. Volare is uniquely positioned to deliver insect-based ingredients that reduce pressure on natural resources while creating real value for customers. Sustainability and growth can go hand in hand, and that’s exactly what we’re proving.”

Antti Åke, Chief Operating Officer at Volare, said that “Volare is entering a decisive phase, moving from technology development to full-scale industrial operations. This is a rare opportunity to both scale innovative technology and create meaningful impact in the global food system. I look forward to applying my experience to make Volare’s vision a reality.”

Jarna Hyvönen, Chief Executive Officer at Volare, said: “Welcoming Benjamin and Antti to the team marks a major step in Volare’s journey. We are building the next generation of insect protein production: lean, effective, and designed to scale sustainably. With our first industrial plant under construction, this is exactly the leadership we need to deliver on our mission.”