Turning Food Waste into Power: How Saprofy Is Connecting Purdue to the Community
What began as a simple class project has evolved into a mission-driven startup reimagining how West Lafayette approaches food waste. Saprofy, a venture founded by Purdue students and alumni, is led by Chief Executive Officer Deepesh Balwani, a senior in Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering and a student in the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation program. He is joined by Chief Legal Officer Jack Heo, a December 2024 Purdue graduate now working in tech sales at Gong in Chicago, and Chief Financial Officer Matt Russell, a Supply Chain Financial Analyst at PepsiCo based in Indianapolis. Together, the team brings complementary expertise in engineering, legal strategy, and finance to address an issue that affects communities far beyond campus. All three completed the Certificate in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, providing a shared foundation in entrepreneurial thinking that informs their work.
Saprofy’s model is simple but powerful. In West Lafayette, an anaerobic digester converts food waste into electricity. Saprofy acts as the transportation subscription service that helps residents get their compostable food scraps to the facility. By providing 5, 13, or shared 48-gallon bins, the team enables dorm halls, apartments, households, and neighborhoods to collect meat, dairy, bread, fruits, vegetables, and other food scraps and have them delivered weekly or biweekly to the digester. The result is a system that feels as seamless as trash or recycling pickup, but with the added benefit of turning waste into renewable energy.
The idea took shape in a Purdue entrepreneurship class, where the three founders were put into a group based on their complementary skill sets. After the course ended in May 2024, they chose not to let the idea stop there. Instead, they began building community partnerships and expanding conversations across West Lafayette and Lafayette. A recent meeting with West Lafayette Mayor Erin Easter marked a key step toward forming a broader partnership between Saprofy, the city government, and Purdue University to create a citywide network for food waste reduction.
A willingness to evolve has been central to Saprofy’s progress. The company originally set out to build an app focused on creative ways to reuse food scraps, but the team quickly realized the incentives and profit margins were not sustainable. Rather than abandoning their goal, they pivoted. Deepesh describes their philosophy as being mission-driven, not idea-driven. His personal goal has always been to contribute positively to the planet, whether through aerospace innovation or environmental impact. By focusing on reducing emissions and the overwhelming volume of food waste, the team found a practical, scalable approach that aligns with both environmental needs and market opportunity.
For the founders, the journey has been as much about personal growth as business development. Matt emphasizes the importance of being prepared for failure, being prepared to pivot, and understanding the risk-reward balance of entrepreneurship. Jack encourages students to stay curious and take advantage of the university environment, where resources and opportunities make experimentation possible. Together, their story reflects what can happen when Purdue students combine curiosity, resilience, and a clear mission: an idea born in the classroom can grow into a venture that powers homes, strengthens community partnerships, and moves a city closer to a more sustainable future.
