From Waste to Worth – How Mycaro is Turning Farm By-Products into the Next Sustainable Protein
Through this four-part series, IGNITE is highlighting startups that are reimagining what sustainable innovation looks like. Each company featured, whether a current resident, alumni, or connected collaborator, is building solutions that create environmental and economic impact.
This series is part of IGNITE’s contribution to the national BioCAN Initiative, celebrating Canadian leadership in the bioeconomy and clean innovation space. Together, we’re sharing the stories of those building a cleaner, more resilient future, one startup at a time.
Overview
In Nova Scotia’s agricultural heartland, a quiet food revolution is taking root. 🌱
Mycaro is a rural Nova Scotia startup on a mission to transform what is often discarded agricultural by-products into something of immense value: nutritious, sustainable protein. Using fungal mycelium fermentation, Mycaro is developing a new kind of food ingredient that could reshape how we think about protein, food waste, and circular agriculture.
Behind the science is founder Katie McNeill, whose journey into food innovation began not in a lab, but in food sales and a growing curiosity about waste.
1. The Mission: Turning Waste into Nutrition
For founder Katie McNeill, the idea for Mycaro started with a simple but powerful question: what if the food waste generated in Nova Scotia could become part of the solution to our growing protein demand?
Coming from a background in food sales, Katie began her entrepreneurial journey in 2021. While exploring the issue of food waste in the Annapolis Valley, she came across research suggesting that local agri-food by-products could support the growth of high-protein mycelium.
Instead of seeing waste as a cost, she saw opportunity.
Mycaro’s mission is to give agricultural by-products new life by converting them into a high-protein, mycelium-based ingredient that supports both human nutrition and environmental sustainability. By tackling food waste and protein production at the same time, Mycaro is contributing to a smarter, more circular food system rooted in Atlantic Canada.
Katie reflects that one of the things she is most proud of is her persistence.
Building a biotech-forward food company outside her comfort zone has not always been linear. But her commitment to seeing the idea through has been central to Mycaro’s growth.
2. The Technology: Mycelium Fermentation
Mycaro grows fungal mycelium, the root-like structure of mushrooms, on agricultural by-products sourced from local farms. Through a controlled fermentation process, the mycelium converts that material into a neutral-tasting, high-protein ground ingredient.
The goal is versatility. Mycaro’s product is designed to integrate into existing food formats without drastically altering flavour or texture. That functionality is key for adoption in the growing functional food and alternative protein markets.
In collaboration with Acadia University, Mycaro has achieved protein levels exceeding 40 percent in lab trials. This demonstrates strong potential as a sustainable alternative to traditional protein sources such as meat or soy.
The technology is simple in concept but powerful in impact. It uses what already exists, adds biological innovation, and creates something entirely new.
3. The Team: Innovation from the Ground Up
Katie McNeill brings a deep connection to Nova Scotia’s agricultural landscape and a practical understanding of the food industry. As she moved from concept to company, she leaned heavily into partnerships and ecosystem support.
Through pitch competitions, grant applications, and collaboration with technical partners including Acadia University, Mycaro began transforming from idea to scalable solution.
Katie often shares simple advice for aspiring entrepreneurs in the region:
If you do not know what to do, ask someone.
She credits Atlantic Canada’s entrepreneurial ecosystem for being welcoming, knowledgeable, and generous with time. Sometimes you already know the answer and just need to talk it through. Other times, a new perspective changes everything.
4. The Milestones: Early Success and Recognition
In a relatively short time, Mycaro has gained meaningful recognition within Nova Scotia’s innovation ecosystem.
The company has been selected for both the GreenShoots and Accelerate programs through Invest Nova Scotia, receiving funding and business support to advance its sustainable protein technology.
Mycaro is now working toward launching a pilot facility in summer 2025, with commercial-scale production targeted for early 2026. That next step will move the company from research and development into real market supply for the functional food sector.
For a rural Nova Scotia startup, that trajectory reflects both ambition and careful execution.
5. The Impact: A Circular Future for Food
Mycaro’s story is about more than alternative protein. It is about closing the loop in agriculture.
By upcycling agricultural by-products, the company reduces waste, creates additional value for farmers, and contributes to a more resilient regional food system. It addresses multiple global trends at once: food waste reduction, sustainable protein demand, and agricultural innovation.
In a world facing climate pressure and shifting consumer expectations, Mycaro shows that meaningful solutions can grow from rural communities.
Sometimes innovation does not require entirely new resources. Sometimes it begins by rethinking what we already have.
Call to Action
Learn how Mycaro and other IGNITE-supported startups are redefining sustainability from the ocean to the farm at igniteatlantic.com/blog
