Insect-based protein bars have become the latest bizarre food product to capture the attention of tech investors, following in the footsteps of malty food replacement shakes and plant-based egg substitutes.

Tim Ferriss, Collaborative Fund, and Start Garden have teamed up to back cricket flour food product startup Exo in a $1.2 million seed round announced today.

It seems Ferriss, productivity guru and inventor of the 4 Hour Workweek, has turned his focus to re-inventing food.

This is the 2nd food-related investment this year for Ferriss, who also financed in-home farming apparatus startup Grove Labs back in May, and his 3rd alongside Collaborative Fund (the two previously teamed up to back biodegradable water filter startup Soma).

Ferriss is not alone in this pursuit – accelerators seem to be catching on as well.

500 Startups has backed three food-tech startups this year and Y Combinator two with gardening monitor Edyn and independent coffee locator Craft Coffee. Even Bulgarian accelerator Eleven endorsed a couple in its last class.

Still, it remains to be seen whether this is one step closer to the end of food or the solution to the omnivore’s dilemma.

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  • Originally published September 24, 2014, updated April 26, 2023