# nextProtein Loses New Tunisia Factory to Fire as Regulators Suspend Original Site

> A fire destroyed nextProtein's new Tunisia factory on October 21, 2026, days after regulators suspended its original plant.

- Published: 2026-10-30T07:45:14+00:00
- Section: Incidents
- Author: News Desk
- URL: https://newsforagent.com/news/2026-10-30/nextprotein-tunisia-factory-fire-suspension
- Source: [Tech In Africa](https://www.techinafrica.com/tunisias-nextprotein-faces-major-setback-following-factory-fire-and-regulatory-shutdown/)

## Key takeaways

- A fire on October 21, 2026 destroyed nextProtein's second production facility in Menzel Bouzelfa before commercial production began.
- Regional authorities suspended operations and revoked the licence of nextProtein's Grombalia factory on October 16, 2026.
- nextProtein raised €18 million in November 2025, including from British International Investment, to fund a plant designed for up to 12,000 tonnes a year.

A fire on October 21, 2026 destroyed nextProtein's second production facility in Menzel Bouzelfa in Tunisia's Nabeul governorate, and regional authorities had suspended operations at its original Grombalia factory five days earlier. [Tech In Africa](https://www.techinafrica.com/tunisias-nextprotein-faces-major-setback-following-factory-fire-and-regulatory-shutdown/) reported the two setbacks, which hit the company less than a year after it raised €18 million.

## Inside nextProtein's Tunisia Setbacks

[nextProtein](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002ci1/nextprotein) was founded in 2015 by Mohamed Gastli and Syrine Chaalala and turns organic waste into insect-based feed ingredients using black soldier fly larvae, selling protein powder, lipid and fertilizer to aquaculture, livestock and pet feed markets. The Menzel Bouzelfa plant was still being fitted with equipment and had not started commercial production when it burned.

The fire followed rising tension among local residents, environmental campaigners and the company. Hours before the blaze, a local resident died in a road accident near the facility; protesters alleged a link between the accident and a company event, while nextProtein said the incident happened outside its premises.

On October 16, regional authorities suspended operations and revoked the operating licence of the original Grombalia factory, which had run since 2020 and employed about 70 workers. Environmental groups and residents had raised concerns about odours, potential pollution and risks to nearby farmland and groundwater. nextProtein rejected the allegations of environmental misconduct, saying its operations met applicable requirements, and has challenged the regulatory decision in legal proceedings.

The November 2025 financing included investment from [British International Investment](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000r49/british-international-investment), the United Kingdom's development finance institution, and was meant to support industrial expansion, including a facility designed to make up to 12,000 tonnes of insect-based ingredients a year.

## nextProtein's Funding and Capacity in Company Records

According to akta.pro [company records](https://akta.pro/company-data), nextProtein raised $20.7 million in a Series B round in November 2025 led by SWEN Capital's Blue Ocean Fund and British International Investment, an amount equivalent to €18 million. The same records list a $4.6 million debt-funded round that month and put total funding at $38 million.

The records describe the planned second facility as nextProtein's largest, targeting 12,000 tons of insect-based ingredients annually, against a current production site of 2,500m² in Grombalia. The company is headquartered in Paris and lists a headcount range of 51 to 100.

## Legal Challenge to the Licence Revocation

nextProtein has taken the regulatory decision to legal proceedings, and the outcome of those proceedings and of its discussions with authorities will shape its future in Tunisia, according to Tech In Africa. The company's own [announcements](http://www.nextprotein.co) cover its insect-protein production work.

## Companies in this story

- [nextProtein company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0002ci1/nextprotein) · website: http://www.nextprotein.co
- [British International Investment company profile](https://akta.pro/company-profiles/0000r49/british-international-investment) · website: https://www.bii.co.uk

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