With this expansion, Nesle becomes the largest insect production site in the world
Innovafeed (Next 40, B Corp™) announced the completion of the third phase of expansion of its production site in Nesle . This is a crucial step that marks the ramp-up of its production capacities, as announced in September 2022, on the occasion of its last record fundraising of €250M (Series D) .
This new extension brings the total floor area to 55,000m² . In doing so, it multiplies the larval production capacity by five and improves breeding conditions thanks to automated and optimized management of production flows. Through this extension, Nesle now becomes the largest insect production site in the world .
This success demonstrates not only the viability of Innovafeed’s disruptive technology but also its ability to evolve towards large-scale, profitable and sustainable production . Innovafeed thus demonstrates the strength of its innovative industrial model.
A new industrial phase enabling the mastery of innovative technology and ensuring volume growth
The construction of this latest extension in Nesle is the result of an industrial development designed in three phases to control and de-risk the development of its model. The first two phases, inaugurated in 2020 and 2023 respectively , made it possible to address the technological risks inherent in the creation of a new innovative industrial sector based on living organisms. After having carried out the ramp-up, stabilized the technology and demonstrated the economic performance of the site during these first 2 phases, this 3rd phase will make it possible to achieve the target production capacity and profitability.
Innovafeed, a pioneer among industrial start-ups
Innovafeed is one of the pioneers of a dynamic of creation of industrial start-ups in France. This movement within French Tech affects many impact sectors such as mobility, energy production or agro-industry. It allows the emergence of new technologies and new industrial sectors contributing to the industrial sovereignty of France as well as the decarbonization of strategic sectors .
This process of emergence of industrial start-ups goes through several successive stages: the laboratory stage aimed at confirming technical feasibility, the demonstration pilot stage on a semi-industrial scale and finally the “head of series” stage of demonstration on an industrial scale. This last stage is a pivotal phase of transition between design and industrial maturity. The success of Innovafeed on Nesle is thus a very strong symbol for the ecosystem of industrial start-ups in France.
A Sustainable and Efficient Model
Through this extension, Innovafeed also demonstrates the acceleration of the development of the Insect Sector and the success of its industrial symbiosis model . This model guarantees the production of proteins intended for animal feed while ensuring a low carbon impact (80% reduction in CO2 emissions compared to other models without industrial symbiosis) and respect for biodiversity.
This low-carbon food alternative is widely acclaimed by agribusiness leaders including ADM and Cargill , who are among Innovafeed’s main customers and investors. Innovafeed has more than 1 billion signed contracts over 10 years , underlining the trust of its partners.
Commitment to the Future
The completion of this phase will strengthen the 170 existing positions by creating 40 jobs . These jobs include production operators, maintenance technicians and team coordinators, all from the Hauts-de-France region . Some of these positions have already been filled, and a majority of the remaining positions will be filled through internal mobility, thus continuing our commitment to developing our teams.
Labeled B Corp since 2022 , winner of the Impact 40 since 2024 and listed in the Next 40 for the second consecutive year, Innovafeed aims to contribute to the growth of a new innovative industrial sector with a global impact.
This new expansion marks a major milestone for Innovafeed, consolidating its technological know-how and its local socio-economic impact . With this crucial step, Innovafeed demonstrates the innovation, sustainability and profitability projection of its industrial model, while anticipating the challenges of the industry and reaffirming its commitment to French green reindustrialization.
