Mr Bug - From music to mealworms

Founded & Grounded

Meet Conal Cunningham, a music industry veteran turned pet food innovator, and discover his remarkable business journey of perseverance and innovation.

We deep-dive into the origins of Mr Bug, a company redefining pet nutrition through sustainably bred insect protein.
This startup story has everything from kitchen experiments to funding struggles and scaling triumphs.
Whether you're a founder, an eco-conscious individual, or simply curious about the intersection of sustainability and business, this episode is a must-listen.
Key Takeaways:
- Understand how starting small and bootstrapping can be leveraged as a strategic advantage for learning, evolving, and growing your business
- How to engage with your customers early on and how this can lead to immediate sales and traction when you launch your startup
- The framework for building a stand-out brand in a crowded marketplace
- The potential of insect protein to contribute to food security and the circular economy.
Have questions about this episode? Ask our hosts, chat now via our website

Text us your feedback and feature on the show

Support the Show.

Proudly sponsored by our wonderful partners:
National Protective Security Authority - NSPA: The Secure Innovation campaign helps you take steps to protect your business from hostile threats. Don’t leave it too late. Use the link to download the quick-start guide now:
NPSA.gov.uk/innovation
Hexa Finance: Hexa provides business finance to help you grow from start-up to success. To access your free consultation, simply go to:
hexafinance.co.uk/contact
Have questions about our podcast or an episode? Ask our hosts, chat now

فصل ها

1. Introduction with hosts Ollie Collard and Becky Sage (00:00:00)

2. Guest Introduction: Conal Cunningham, founder of Mr Bug (00:02:14)

3. The inception and growth of Mr Bug (00:06:21)

4. The value of circular economics and sustainability in business (00:13:42)

5. Co-founder dynamics and understanding market needs in a startup (00:28:30)

6. The role of timing, creating opportunities, and expansion plans in business (00:33:02)

7. Sponsors: National Protective Security Authority (NPSA) and Hexa Finance (00:42:02)

8. Co-founder roles and commercial aspects of Mr. Bug (00:45:17)

9. Getting to know Conal Cunningham and Mr. Bug's future plans (00:50:15)

10. Listener question and feedback discussion (00:55:04)

11. Introduction of the next guest, John Williams (00:57:10)