Photo: Imran Sulaiman
Cover Photo: Imran Sulaiman

Kevin Wu loves a good challenge; after all, he manages not one but three businesses including a cricket farm

The world’s population is growing year-on-year and by 2050, it is projected there will be nearly 10 billion people on Earth. Worryingly, our current methods of farming use a lot of resources and are unsustainable in the long run. Should this continue, we face an uncertain future where food shortages could be a new reality.

Serial entrepreneur Kevin Wu understands the gravity of the situation and hopes to boost food production via his alternative protein startup, Ento. The 28-year-old lawyer started his entrepreneurial journey shortly after he left his job at a big corporate law firm in 2018. Deciding to take a break, he travelled around the world and visited Mexico City, where he tried cricket tacos. The tasty, though unusual, street snack caught Wu’s attention, and it sparked his interest in the alternative protein market, which was starting to pick up steam.

ICYMI: Ento Offers A More Sustainable Source Of Protein With Roasted Crickets

Upon returning from his travels, Wu spent months researching alternative proteins and kickstarted Ento. His goal was to remove the stigma of eating insects (or ‘entomophagy’) and normalise it for the general population. Those plans finally became a reality as Ento inaugurated its first farm in 2019.

Tatler Asia
Above Ento's slow-roasted crickets

From the beginning, Wu understood that the alternative protein industry was a very challenging business. “Research shows that insects are a better source of protein compared to normal meat, and are highly sustainable to farm,” he says.

Wu explains how the alternative protein industry is a niche, but there is enough room for a small startup to sustain itself and build up its expertise over time. “If we can capture the market, we can eventually branch out and expand to other areas,” he explains.

Ento originally started selling whole roasted crickets, though to make it more appealing to the masses they explored alternative methods of presenting the product. This includes the introduction of cricket powder, made of milled crickets, that can be used in a variety of different ways. This includes mixing it with salad dressing, smoothies, baking flour and more. Ento has even begun integrating its powder into burger patties, called Ento Meat.

See also: How Social Entrepreneur John-Hans Oei Is Making Farming Cool

According to Wu, this is all part of Ento’s process of research and innovation as they work with food technologists to find new ways to turn the powdered ingredient into something more familiar to people.

“We combine a range of different ingredients to make it into something familiar not just in terms of shape but also texture, how it is cooked, nutrition, taste and smell and the way it looks after it is cooked,” he explains.

“Research shows that insects are a better source of protein compared to normal meat, and are highly sustainable to farm"

- Kevin Wu -

As a startup, getting retailers on board was another big challenge Wu had to face. Fortunately, Ento managed to sign on with new supermarkets and like-minded retailers, who were willing to try new things and work with local brands.

But aside from the retailers that supported them early on in their journey, Wu says he is grateful to the investors who believed in his vision. In 2019, they closed a seed funding round and used the funds to increase their production capacity.

Besides putting their products on shelves, Wu says Ento also wanted to strengthen its presence online. It currently delivers across Malaysia and has also expanded to Singapore. “We have to look beyond Malaysia and Singapore is a great affluent market. We wanted to do a launch there in 2020, but we had to put our plans on hold due to the pandemic,” he says.

See also: Asia's Most Influential: How Aaron Sarma Became A Tech Entrepreneur

Tatler Asia
Above Wu is one of the Gen.T 2021 honourees

Being an entrepreneur is a massive time commitment and requires lots of dedication and attention. On the back of starting Ento, Wu saw an opportunity to partner with a seasoned furniture retailer and started a second business in furniture retailing called Furniture Outlet Centre (FOC).

“I thought it was a compelling opportunity to dabble in the furniture retail market and disrupt,” he explained. The opportunity, which came through a family connection, allowed him to diversify his business.

In the years since its founding, FOC has grown to three mega outlets that typically take up 10,000 to 15,000 square feet of space. The idea, he explained, is to appeal to customers who don’t want a standardised piece of furniture that you can get off the shelf. It offers customised furniture, giving customers a choice right down to the colour of the fabric and materials.

Wu is proud to say that the furniture is sourced from local suppliers and furniture makers, lending support to local industries.

See also: Space Furniture's New Bangsar Showroom Makes You Feel Right At Home

Having cut his teeth as an entrepreneur, he intended to bring that approach and thinking to a law practice. In late 2020, he decided to go back to his roots as a lawyer, founding his firm, Kevin Wu & Associates.

“I did not want to lose my skills as a lawyer and after two years being away from the legal profession, I felt it was time to go back into practice,” he says.

Wu brings his knowledge and experience from the startup world, dealing with investors and venture capital firms, and apply it to the legal field. He has since grown the firm to a full-service law firm consisting of 10 lawyers, offering expertise in corporate mergers and acquisitions as well as litigation and criminal law.

So how does he manage his time with three businesses? To Wu, it all comes down to delegating work to the right people to free himself up to think and strategise. “I’m very blessed to have a dedicated team in each of my ventures where everyone knows their roles,” he relates. “I try to distance myself from the day-to-day operations; after all, you want to work on your business and not in your business.”

ICYMI: Gordon Ramsay Shares Details of His First Restaurant in Malaysia

Tatler Asia
Above Photo: Imran Sulaiman

Wu thinks that people should have options when it comes to consuming food. If someone wants to do their part by eating healthier and choosing more sustainable sources of protein, they should go for it. He believes that consumers will eventually opt for alternative proteins.

“I think prices for conventionally farmed and produced meats will eventually skyrocket. It will increase year-on-year, and we can see it happening now,” he says.

The signs are there—land prices are costlier, water supply is reducing, and feed prices are also rising due to shipping costs. In the long run, everything will increase in price, resulting in conventional meat becoming more expensive.

He thinks that supermarkets will eventually stock up more alternative proteins as the industry matures. Who knows? We could see a dedicated aisle for alternative proteins, both insect and plant based, as demand for these products pick up in the coming years.

NOW READ

4 Malaysian Vegans On the Benefits Of Plant-Based Diet

Where To Buy and Try OmniMeat, The Alternative Protein Endorsed by PETA Asia

Asian Vegan Food: 12 Instagram Accounts To Follow For The Best Recipes

Topics