Paris-based biotech startup Innovafeed raises €51 million to scale commercial growth, expand sustainable insect protein products, and strengthen its position in animal nutrition and pet food markets.
French biotechnology company Innovafeed has secured €51 million in new funding as it enters a new phase focused on commercial expansion and operational excellence.
The financing round was supported by the company's existing shareholders, including Creadev, Qatar Investment Authority (QIA), Temasek, FFC, ABC Impact, and ADM, alongside its banking partners. The investment comes as Innovafeed completes its industrialisation phase and shifts its strategic focus toward accelerating market adoption of its insect-based ingredients.
Founded in 2016 by Aude Guo, Bastien Oggeri, and Clément Ray, Innovafeed develops sustainable protein, oil, and agricultural ingredients derived from the Black Soldier Fly (Hermetia illucens). The company aims to provide environmentally friendly alternatives to traditional fishmeal and vegetable oils used in aquaculture, animal feed, and pet food.
Innovafeed Moves Beyond Industrial Scale-Up
The latest funding marks a significant milestone for the Paris-based startup, which has spent the past several years building and optimising one of the world's largest insect protein production facilities.
According to Innovafeed, its flagship production site in Nesle, France, is now fully operational. Over the last three years, the facility has produced more than 15,000 tonnes of insect protein and oil while achieving a tenfold increase in production volumes and reducing production costs by a factor of seven.
The company says these achievements validate the scalability of its industrial model and create a foundation for broader commercial deployment.
"Since day one, we have carried a dual ambition: to demonstrate that sustainable, high-performing nutritional ingredients can be produced without relying on intensive marine resource exploitation, and to prove that an innovative industrial project can be successfully built in France," said Clément Ray, CEO and co-founder of Innovafeed.
With industrial operations reaching maturity, Innovafeed is now prioritising revenue growth, customer adoption, and value chain development across aquaculture and pet food markets.
AI and Automation Power Large-Scale Insect Farming
One of Innovafeed's key differentiators is its proprietary insect farming technology.
The company operates a highly automated production system that replicates the natural life cycle of Black Soldier Flies under controlled industrial conditions. More than 3,000 sensors continuously monitor breeding environments, while artificial intelligence and robotics help automate critical processes.
Innovafeed says its systems can automatically collect and process thousands of insect eggs every second, significantly reducing manual intervention and improving operational efficiency.
The startup has also developed a proprietary wet-processing technology designed to maximise digestibility and nutritional quality in its protein and oil products.
This combination of biotechnology, automation, and AI has positioned Innovafeed as one of Europe's leading players in the emerging insect protein sector.
Revenue Growth and Sustainability Performance
Beyond operational achievements, Innovafeed reports strong commercial momentum.
The company says revenues have doubled annually in recent years, supported by long-term partnerships with customers across aquaculture, pet food, and animal nutrition industries.
Sustainability remains a central part of the company's value proposition. Innovafeed claims its insect-based ingredients can reduce carbon emissions by between 70% and 90% compared with conventional protein and oil sources.
Its industrial model is built around circular economy principles, converting agricultural by-products into high-value nutritional ingredients while reducing pressure on marine ecosystems and traditional agricultural supply chains.
Organisational Changes Accompany New Growth Strategy
As part of its transition from industrial development to commercial scaling, Innovafeed announced a reorganisation of its operations.
The company plans to consolidate zootechnical research and development activities from its historical Gouzeaucourt site into its Nesle facility. As a result, approximately 60 positions are expected to be affected, with around two-thirds of the reductions taking place at the Gouzeaucourt location.
Management stated that the restructuring reflects the company's evolving priorities as it shifts resources toward commercial deployment, product applications, and industrial optimisation.
"We must adapt our organisation to this new phase while continuing to invest alongside our customers to demonstrate the functionality and performance of our products," Ray said.
Funding to Support Next Stage of Growth
The newly secured capital will be used to accelerate commercial adoption of Innovafeed's Hilucia™ product range, particularly within aquaculture and pet food segments.
The company also plans to invest in new industrial equipment, expand product applications, and further optimise production assets to improve efficiency and increase manufacturing capacity.
For investors, the funding represents continued confidence in Innovafeed's ability to transform years of research and industrial development into a scalable commercial business.
"Over the past five years, Innovafeed has successfully delivered a world-class industrial asset capable of producing functional ingredients at scale," said Bénédicte Monpert, Food Managing Director at Creadev.
As global demand for sustainable protein alternatives continues to grow, Innovafeed is positioning itself to become a major supplier of next-generation nutritional ingredients for the animal feed, aquaculture, and pet food industries.
Why It Matters
The insect protein market is rapidly emerging as a strategic sector within sustainable food and agriculture.
Innovafeed's latest funding round highlights increasing investor confidence in industrial-scale alternative protein production and demonstrates how European startups are moving beyond research and pilot projects toward large-scale commercial deployment.
With industrial operations validated, growing customer demand, and fresh capital secured, Innovafeed is entering a new chapter focused on turning technological innovation into long-term market leadership.
