Agriodor raises €15M to accelerate the international deployment of olfactory biocontrol

Agriodor, a former deeptech startup supported by IncubAlliance Paris-Saclay, has just completed a €15 million funding round to accelerate the international rollout of its olfactory biocontrol technology. This new milestone illustrates the progress made since entering incubation in 2017.

Founded in 2019 by Alain Thibault and Dr. Ené Leppik, the startup Agriodor, stemming from research conducted at INRAE, is developing a product that reproduces the odors naturally emitted by plants—called kairomones and allomones—to influence the behavior of insect pests. By attracting, repelling, or disorienting them, these compounds make it possible to control pest populations without resorting to chemical insecticides.

A world first in large-scale farming

Agriodor has reached a major technological milestone by achieving a world premiere The successful deployment of a semiochemical (allomone) in field crops, applied to sugar beets in France. Its first product, INSIOR GR A, marketed through an exclusive distribution agreement with Syngenta, supports French producers in the fight against beet yellows, caused by aphids.

This innovation provides a concrete solution to a dual problem: the increasing resistance of pests to conventional insecticides and the tightening of European regulations surrounding synthetic pesticides. Agriodor's technological platform enables the development of products 10 times less expensive And twice as fast than conventional insecticides.

€15 million to scale up globally

This €15 million fundraising round—Agriodor's third after €5 million in 2023 and €3 million in 2024—was led by the Environmental and Solidarity Revolution Fund, managed by Crédit Mutuel Impact and supplemented by the social dividend of Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale. The regional funds Région Sud Investissement and CAAP Création (Crédit Agricole Alpes-Provence), as well as existing investors Capagro, Ambra Capital, and SWEN Capital Partners, also participated in the round.

This funding will allow Agriodor to pursue three major ambitions:

• Expanding your portfolio of solutions to new cultures and insect families.
• Accelerating its international development, particularly in Europe and internationally.
• Strengthening its R&D thanks to artificial intelligence.

A strong team and portfolio

Agriodor now relies on a multidisciplinary team of 42 specialists from 6 nationalities, including 8 PhDs, operating from two laboratories: the headquarters in Rennes, dedicated to R&D, and a second site in Aix-en-Provence focused on Mediterranean pests. The company holds 8 patents divided into three technological families and has established 15 R&D partnerships in Europe, China and Brazil.

«We are convinced that the future of crop protection lies in biology, not chemistry. With this fundraising, we are affirming Agriodor’s transformation – from a leading French Agtech startup to a global specialist in odor-based biocontrol. Our technology offers farmers an effective tool to preserve yields, the environment, and human health.» Alain Thibault, co-founder and President of Agriodor.

«"Smell is a universal language among insects, which we have decoded. Our technology offers a revolution in crop protection: high-performance, residue-free, and respectful of biodiversity, usable alone or in combination with any other crop protection tool."» Dr. Ené Leppik, co-founder and CTO.

«The biocontrol technology developed by Agriodor is highly distinctive in its mode of action and represents a promising solution for simultaneously protecting crops and biodiversity in a sustainable way. We are delighted to support the talented Agriodor team and provide them with the resources to deploy their platform of innovative solutions in Europe and worldwide. This transaction is fully aligned with the investment strategy of our Environmental and Social Revolution Fund, which is supported by the Social Dividend of Crédit Mutuel Alliance Fédérale.» Nadia Bouzigues, CEO of Crédit Mutuel Impact.

Congratulations to Alain Thibault, Ené Leppik, and the entire Agriodor team for this great milestone in their development!

To learn more about Agriodor: www.agriodor.com