Innovafeed Raises $55M for Sustainable Insect Feed

Jan de Vries · 2026-06-05

Paris-based Innovafeed just locked in a new round of funding worth about $55 million (€51 million) to scale up its sustainable insect-based ingredients for animal nutrition, pet food, and agriculture. This money comes mostly from its existing financial partners, and it signals that the company is moving past the industrial phase into full-on commercial growth. ### What Innovafeed Actually Does Founded back in 2016 by Aude Guo, Bastien Oggeri, and Clément Ray, Innovafeed is a BioTech startup that raises and processes black soldier flies (Hermetia illucens) into protein and oil. Think of it as a high-tech farm for bugs, but instead of just feeding them, they're creating alternatives to fishmeal and vegetable oils used in fish and animal feed. The company uses around 3,000 sensors to keep the larvae growing in perfect conditions. Robots collect and count about 20,000 eggs every second, and AI helps minimize human interference. The goal? Put insects back at the center of the food chain, like nature intended.  ### The Big Shift from R&D to Sales Innovafeed has been building this for years. Their last big funding round was in 2022, when they raised $270 million (€250 million) in a Series D led by Qatar Investment Authority. Since then, they've hit three major milestones: - Their Nesle production facility is fully up and running. - They've produced over 15,000 tons of protein and oil in three years, with production volumes up tenfold and costs down by seven times. - Revenue has doubled every year, thanks to structured partnerships with clients. But here's the thing—this growth comes with a cost. The company is reorganizing its operations, cutting about 60 positions, mostly at its Gouzeaucourt site, and moving R&D activities to the Nesle facility. It's a tough but necessary step as they shift focus from research to selling products at scale.  ### Why This Matters for the Planet Innovafeed's approach isn't just about making feed. It's about reducing reliance on overfished oceans and carbon-heavy crops. The company claims its products cut carbon emissions by 70 to 90 percent compared to conventional alternatives. That's a big deal in an industry under pressure to clean up its supply chain. As Clément Ray, CEO and cofounder, put it: "Since day one, we wanted to prove we can produce high-performing, sustainable ingredients without exploiting marine resources. And we wanted to build an innovative industrial project in France." ### What's Next for Innovafeed Now that the industrial bet has paid off, the company is focusing on commercial deployment. They're working to capture the full value of their ingredients, which have been proven to improve animal health and growth over the past decade. Bénédicte Monpert from Creadev summed it up: "Innovafeed has built a world-unique asset—a fully operational large-scale facility that produces ingredients valued by pet food and aquaculture players." For investors and entrepreneurs in the US, Innovafeed's journey is a masterclass in moving from science project to real business. It's a reminder that sustainable innovation often requires patience, capital, and hard choices. But when it works, it can change entire industries. - *Disclosure: This article is for informational purposes only and does not constitute financial advice.*