Cork firm MyGug takes inspiration from nature in its bid to cut food waste

MyGug, a greentech business, has ambitions to change the way we think about food waste and it all involves a colourful egg.

MyGug has developed a device used to convert bio-waste into energy. The business was founded by Fiona Kelleher and Kieran Coffey in 2021 and is based in Clonakilty, Co. Cork. The business has four staff and has raised €900,000 to date.

“It turns your food waste into gold. It turns the waste into energy that you can use. Right now, waste is seen as a burden but our system turns it into a resource in the best possible way for the climate,” Kelleher told the Business Post.

“It’s highly sustainable. It develops a gas for cooking and also creates a fertiliser to grow more food.”

Kelleher and Conway opted for the egg design as they wanted something that would stand out for users.

“Nature has so much to offer in terms of design potential. It’s also nice to create something that looks quite good and has a level of aesthetic interest to it. It changes the perception of food waste when you are using something that looks like a bin,” she said.

“Food waste is generated mostly in small settings like schools, restaurants, and homes. We wanted to empower people to create something that would help them.”

The business has been focused heavily on product development up to now. It has made sales both in Ireland and the UK. Since the start of this year, the business has become more focused on growth.

Having initially received support from its Local Enterprise Office, MyGug is now being aided by Enterprise Ireland.

“They have been fantastic. They are excellent in providing support on the research and development side. We’re a HPSU [high potential start-up] so they have come on board as an investor as well,” Kelleher said.

“They’ve been brilliant in signposting us to the right mentors with the right expertise. Enterprise Ireland really provides a lot of focus for businesses like ours.”

The business aims to develop partnerships over the next 12 to 18 months with companies seeking solutions around food waste. MyGug is aiming to increase its presence in the UK and expand into Germany as well during that period.

“Food waste is a huge problem for lots of food businesses. We want to provide a solution there and with bigger companies in the food space. We’re also quite keen on education and we’re developing a module for education to go along with the machines,” Kelleher said.

“We want this technology embedded in the minds of people the way heat pumps and solar panels are. We are actively looking to grow the team at the moment. A commercial lead could help us to scale internationally and we also need someone to do marketing for us as well.”

This Making it Work article is produced in partnership with Enterprise Ireland