Businesses We Love: How Green Knott's tackling Australia's food waste problem

SmartCompany is proud to introduce ‘Businesses We Love’, a new series in partnership with Optus Business. In each edition, we chat with Australian founders and business leaders about productivity, connectivity, technology and the realities of running a modern business.

Green Knott is the Sydney-based agritech company “tying the knot” on food waste.
Australia produces 7.6 million tonnes of food waste each year, costing our economy over $36.6 billion annually.

To combat this excessive amount of waste, Green Knott upcycles food waste using black soldier fly larvae. The larvae consume organic scraps and convert them into protein-rich biomass, which can then be processed for reuse across a range of industries, including livestock, aquaculture and pet food.

Their systems simultaneously reduce food waste and create a reusable source of protein. Call it two birds, or perhaps two bugs, with one stone.

SmartCompany spoke with Green Knott founder Anthony Gabrielian, the 2023 winner of APAC Insider’s AgriTech CEO of the Year, about founder life, connectivity and the tech tips helping his business stay ahead of the swarm.

What was your inspiration in starting Green Knott?

“It started with a video from halfway across the world showing people using insects to break down organic waste and something clicked: here was a solution that was elegant, natural and completely underutilised. I couldn't stop thinking about the potential.

“I've always been drawn to the idea of creating value from waste. I've never been able to look at discarded materials without wondering if there's a better use for them instead of sending them straight to the bin or landfill without a second thought.

“From there, I saw an opportunity to create real value and make an impact by tackling our most stubborn environmental problem: landfill waste. I wanted to prove that waste doesn’t have to be waste.”

What’s one of Green Knott’s projects that you’re particularly proud of?

“The project I'm most proud of within the business is developing a compact insect farming system designed for apartment buildings and other urban environments.

“I became fascinated by the challenge of taking something that normally requires significant space and infrastructure and figuring out how to make it work closer to where people live.

“It's still a work in progress, but it's already opened up new possibilities for bringing circular waste solutions into urban environments.

“The biggest result so far has been proving that an idea can continue to evolve. While running my main operation, I've been able to keep refining and developing this concept, which I find incredibly rewarding. Innovation isn't always about creating something new. Sometimes it's about continually improving an idea until it becomes more accessible and impactful.”

How do you switch off from ‘founder mode’?

“I enjoy team sports and when I am with my friends or watching a game in person or on TV, that's when I become my own person.

“The weirdest place I’ve ever taken a work call was during my soccer game, in the sheds at half-time.”

What are your tips for staying productive and managing a busy calendar?

“My tip for managing a busy calendar is to batch low-value tasks into a single block so the rest of my time is freed up for high-leverage work.

“Between 8pm and 10pm is when I do my best work. My brain thinks the final push exists and my procrastination runs out of options.”

“One lifesaving admin app I use is Asana, to help build productive workflows for me and my business.”

If you could go back in time to when you were first starting Green Knott and give yourself one piece of advice, what would it be?

“Scale at a steady pace, and don't get too distracted by your competitors.

“When we were starting out, I watched another player in the space build a massive operation and felt the pressure to keep up. But chasing that pulled us away from the very thing that made Green Knott worth building.

“Agritech is fundamentally about efficiency and solving the actual problem, yet at the time I was making rushed decisions that risked sacrificing our core values for the sake of growth.”

Now, for some rapid fire questions. Who’s the best connection you’ve made in business?

“I would say my early mentor Dan Floros who taught me how to push through thick and thin in all aspects of life, not just business.”

What email phrase do we need to ditch?

“Hope this finds you well. …It never finds anyone well.”

What are your most used emojis?

“👍🏽✅🦟🙂🙏”

And an emoji you would never use at work?

“🤡”

What’s the best use of tech you’ve seen lately?

“Ocean Cleanup's interceptor, which uses a solar-powered vessel and an in-built conveyor belt to capture plastic waste.”

And finally, what’s a compliment from a client that has stuck with you?

“You’re on to something meaningful here. Keep going.”